Former Trump advisor Peter Navarro arrested by FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested former White House adviser Peter Navarro, Breitbart News reports. 

The arrest came on Friday. President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated in its indictment that Navarro has been charged with criminal contempt of Congress.

The charge stems from Navarro’s refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the partisan House committee that is “investigating” the so-called Capitol riot that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021.

The House committee referred this contempt of Congress charge to Biden’s DOJ in March. On Friday, the DOJ decided to take up the referral.

The arrest

Reports indicate that the FBI arrested Navarro on Friday morning as he was on his way to Nashville, Tennessee, for a television appearance. Just as he was about to board a plane, the FBI placed him in handcuffs.

Navarro was then taken to jail, and, by Friday afternoon, he made his first court appearance.

During that court appearance, Navarro alleged that the DOJ “colluded” with the White House and Congress. Navarro further alleged that the prosecution is acting in “bad faith.” Accordingly, Navarro argued that his case “needs to get to the Supreme Court.”

Navarro, during this initial court appearance, also told the court about the recent lawsuit that he filed against the U.S. House of Representatives and the Jan. 6 Committee. Navarro, in the lawsuit, alleges that the House committee is violating the separation of powers doctrine by performing a law enforcement function. He also alleges that the committee has violated its own enabling resolution.

Timing

Breitbart points out that Navarro’s arrest came one day after an appearance that he made on MSNBC.

During that appearance, Navarro made it clear that he intends to advocate for the impeachment of President Biden should Republicans manage to win back Congress later this year in the midterm elections. The polls, among other things, suggest that Republicans are favored to do so.

Whether there is any connection between Navarro’s MSNBC appearance and his arrest is unclear.

Many, though, are now arguing that Navarro’s arrest is just one more example of the political left using the power that it currently has to target and silence its political opposition.