The Supreme Court denied former Trump adviser Peter Navarro’s request to avoid further prison time over his contempt of Congress conviction for a second time. Navarro had filed an emergency request last month to allow him to remain free while he challenged his conviction at the federal appeals court in Washington, DC. Chief Justice John Roberts denied the request, and Navarro reported to prison the following day. Navarro then resubmitted the request to Justice Neil Gorsuch, who referred it to the full court, which ultimately denied the request without comment.
Navarro’s attorneys argued that pausing a lower court’s ruling rejecting his bid to stay out of prison was necessary because he was not a flight risk and was raising substantial legal questions. Navarro believed his appeal had a chance of resulting in the reversal of his conviction or a new trial. However, two lower courts had already turned down similar appeals. Chief Justice Roberts rejected Navarro’s request last month, stating that the federal appeals courts had already concluded that Navarro forfeited any challenge to the idea that he could avoid appearing before Congress based on executive privilege.
Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison after a jury found him guilty of failing to respond to congressional subpoenas for documents and testimony in the House’s investigation of the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. Despite his conviction, Navarro’s underlying case is still pending before the appeals court. It is unclear how this latest denial from the Supreme Court will impact his future legal proceedings and whether he will serve his full sentence or if there are any additional legal options available to him to challenge his conviction.
Overall, the Supreme Court’s decision to deny Navarro’s request for further prison time highlights the challenges he faces in overturning his contempt of Congress conviction. Despite his arguments that he was not a flight risk and that he raised substantial legal questions in his appeal, the court ultimately stood by the previous rulings of lower courts. Navarro’s case is ongoing, and it remains to be seen how this latest development will impact his future legal battles and whether he will ultimately serve his full sentence for his role in failing to respond to congressional subpoenas related to the Capitol attack investigation.
