Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro has filed another request with the U.S. Supreme Court in a bid to avoid serving prison time for contempt of Congress charges. Navarro’s lawyers submitted a petition for reconsideration of an emergency request that was previously denied by Chief Justice John Roberts. Navarro, who faces a four-month prison term, has served approximately 15 days behind bars.
In the new petition filed on Tuesday, Navarro’s legal team highlighted the ongoing appeal process, noting that briefing on his appeal will not be concluded until after he has served his entire prison sentence. They respectfully requested the Chief Justice’s reconsideration of his denial.
Justice Roberts issued a brief opinion stating that Navarro’s application focused solely on whether he had met the requirements for relief under the Bail Reform Act, which had been rejected by appeals courts. He found no basis to disagree with the lower courts’ determinations.
The rules of the U.S. Supreme Court allow for denied emergency applications to be resubmitted to another justice. Navarro’s petition requested Justice Neil Gorsuch, appointed by former President Trump, to review his request.
Navarro’s filing comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed his appeal, affirming that his arguments lacked merit under longstanding precedent. The court emphasized that Navarro’s refusal to comply with subpoenas would leave the U.S. without recourse to retrieve presidential records from employees who refuse to return them after disciplinary action or leaving federal employment.
Navarro, a former trade adviser for President Trump, was subpoenaed twice for testimony by the now-dissolved House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach at the U.S. Capitol. After failing to comply, he was charged with contempt of Congress and sentenced to four months in prison and a $9,500 fine.
Currently serving his term at the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami, Navarro has maintained that his prosecution and sentence were politically motivated. He argues that he couldn’t cooperate with the committee due to President Trump’s invocation of executive privilege, a claim rejected by lower courts.
