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Trump adviser Peter Navarro ordered to report to prison for four-month sentence

A federal judge rejected Navarro's bid to remain free while he appeals his contempt conviction

Senior Culture Editor

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Peter Navarro (L), a former advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, departs the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on January 25, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Peter Navarro (L), a former advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, departs the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on January 25, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Peter Navarro — the former Trump White House aide sentenced to four-months after being found guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress for dodging a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee — has been ordered by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to report to prison after rejecting his bid to remain free during his appeal process.

In his denial of Navarro's bid, the federal judge said that the possibility of him succeeding in his appeal was not enough of a basis to postpone his sentence, which was handed down in January, having also shot down arguments that he had “testimonial immunity” from the subpoena he avoided "because of his position in the White House during the events that preceded the Jan. 6 attack," according to Politico.

“If anything, the record demonstrates just the opposite,” Mehta wrote in the 12-page opinion, adding that “Defendant’s cynical, self-serving claim of political bias poses no question at all, let alone a ‘substantial’ one.” 

If this ruling keeps its shape, Navarro is positioned to be the first member of Trump's crew to serve time for crimes relating to efforts to overthrow the results of the 2020 election.

By Kelly McClure

Kelly McClure is Salon's Senior Culture Editor, where she helps further coverage of TV, film, music, books and culture trends from a unique and thoughtful angle. Her work has also appeared in Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vice and many other outlets that don't start with the letter V. She is the author of one sad book called "Something Is Always Happening Somewhere." Follow her on Bluesky: @WolfieVibes

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