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   From: Skeeterweed@proton.me   
      
   In article , nowomr@protonmail.com says...   
   >   
   > Former Trump adviser Navarro convicted of contempt of Congress   
   > By Andrew Goudsward and Sarah N. Lynch   
   > September 7, 202310:04 PM EDTUpdated 15 hours ago   
   >   
   > WASHINGTON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade   
   > adviser Peter Navarro was found guilty on Thursday of contempt of Congress   
   > for defying a subpoena from the House of Representatives committee that   
   > investigated the 2021 attack on the Capitol.   
   >   
   > A 12-member jury convicted Navarro on two counts of contempt after he   
   > refused to testify or turn over documents to the Democratic-led House   
   > panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 riot by Trump supporters and   
   > broader attempts by Trump, a Republican, to reverse his 2020 election   
   > defeat.   
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   >   
   > Navarro, a hawk on China policy who advised Trump on trade issues during   
   > his presidency and also served on the COVID-19 task force, became the   
   > second close associate of Trump to be convicted for spurning the   
   > committee. Steve Bannon was found guilty last year of contempt of Congress   
   > for similarly defying a subpoena and was sentenced to four months in   
   > prison. Bannon is now appealing the conviction.   
   >   
   > Navarro said ahead of his trial that he did not have to comply with the   
   > subpoena because Trump had invoked executive privilege, a legal doctrine   
   > that shields some executive branch records and communications from   
   > disclosure.   
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   >   
   > But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Navarro could not use this   
   > as a defense, finding that the defendant had not presented evidence that   
   > Trump formally invoked executive privilege in response to the subpoena.   
   > Defense lawyer Stanley Woodward was left to argue that Navarro's failure   
   > to comply may have been an accident or a mistake.   
   >   
   > Navarro, wearing a dark suit and red tie, showed no visible reaction when   
   > the verdict was read aloud following about five hours of jury   
   > deliberations. His lawyer said he would appeal.   
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   >   
   > "The day that Judge Mehta ruled that I could not use executive privilege   
   > as the defense in this case, the die was cast," Navarro told reporters   
   > outside the courthouse.   
   >   
   > The charges carry a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail.   
   > Sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 12.   
   >   
   > Navarro said he did not call Trump as a witness because the front-runner   
   > for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination was "fighting four   
   > different indictments in three different jurisdictions. We chose not to go   
   > there."   
   >   
   > The verdict in federal court in Washington followed a trial with just one   
   > day of testimony from three prosecution witnesses, former staff members of   
   > the House committee. The defense did not call any witnesses or present any   
   > evidence.   
   >   
   > [1/3]Peter Navarro, a White House economic adviser under former U.S.   
   > President Donald Trump, speaks to reporters outside the E. Barrett   
   > Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2023.   
   > REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson Acquire Licensing Rights   
   >   
   > "The defendant chose allegiance to former President Trump over compliance   
   > with the subpoena," federal prosecutor Elizabeth Aloi told the jurors   
   > during closing arguments earlier on Thursday. "That is contempt. That is a   
   > crime."   
   > 'NOT OVER BY A LONG SHOT'   
   >   
   > Navarro's lawyers sought a mistrial following the verdict, claiming jurors   
   > were allowed outside the courthouse for a break and encountered protesters   
   > angry over the Capitol riot. Mehta declined to rule on the request without   
   > additional information about what had transpired.   
   >   
   > Navarro lawyer John Rowley told reporters the case posed important legal   
   > issues that would need to be decided on appeal.   
   >   
   > "This case is not over by a long shot," Rowley said.   
   >   
   > The verdict represented a victory for the Justice Department and the now-   
   > defunct select committee, which moved aggressively to secure testimony   
   > from Trump advisers before being disbanded when Republicans took control   
   > of the House in January.   
   >   
   > Many of the committee's findings were mirrored in a federal indictment   
   > obtained by Special Counsel Jack Smith accusing Trump of attempting to   
   > subvert the election results.   
   >   
   > The panel sought to interview Navarro about a plan devised by him and   
   > other Trump allies, dubbed the "Green Bay Sweep," to delay Congress from   
   > certifying Democratic President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. The   
   > committee concluded its work last year without interviewing Navarro.   
   >   
   > Navarro had said publicly that he was protecting the presidency by not   
   > sharing information with Congress.   
   >   
   > Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on the day that Congress met to   
   > certify Biden's victory, attacking police and sending lawmakers and others   
   > fleeing for safety. Trump has made false claims that the election was   
   > stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.   
   >   
   > Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham   
      
   Bring it bitch!   
      
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