This past February, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly threatened to hold former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro in contempt of court if he did not turn over a set of emails to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

While Navarro sought assistance from the Supreme Court, America's highest judicial body rejected his appeal on Monday. 

Appeals court found "no public interest" in keeping the material

According to The Hill, this week's decision came in the wake of a similar rejection from a three-judge panel on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, which found "no public interest" in Navarro keeping the material.

The case concerns a 2022 lawsuit filed by the DOJ which sought access to encrypted emails on a personal account Navarro maintained.

The DOJ argued that Navarro's emails should have been turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

It cited the Presidential Records Act, a piece of legislation which provides that those who work in a presidential administration must surrender any records they generate or receive while working in an official capacity.

Naavarro pointed to his contempt of Congress indictment

For their part, Navarro's attorneys countered that he sought immunity from his duty to produce the documents following his indictment earlier this year for contempt of Congress.

"Given the related nature of the documents sought by NARA and the allegations against him, Dr. Navarro sought immunity for the production of Presidential records to avoid their use against him in the pending criminal matter," they wrote.

Fox News noted that Navarro was imprisoned for four months after he refused to cooperate with the House committee tasked with investigating the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill.

Navarro asserted that his refusal stemmed from President-elect Donald Trump having invoked executive privilege, a message that he repeated when speaking to attendees at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

"When I received that congressional subpoena, the second, I had an honest belief that the privilege had been invoked, and I was torn. Nobody in my position should be put in conflict between the legislative branch and the executive branch," Navarro told RNC delegates.

Navarro to return as White House advisor

Meanwhile, Trump announced earlier this month that Navarro will return to the White House as his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing.

"I am pleased to announce that Peter Navarro, a man who was treated horribly by the Deep State, or whatever else you would like to call it, will serve as my senior counselor for trade and manufacturing," the Daily Mail quoted Trump as saying in a social media post.

"During my first term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred rules, Buy American, Hire American," he added.