Judge says former Trump adviser Peter Navarro has failed to show Trump asserted executive privilege - ABC News
The judge overseeing Peter Navarro's contempt of Congress case ruled in a pre-trial hearing Wednesday that the former Trump adviser "has not met his burden" to show a formal assertion of executive privilege by former president Donald Trump.
Navarro will stand trial on criminal contempt of Congress next week for defying subpoenas issued to him by the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In a lengthy ruling, Judge Amit Mehta said that Navarro did not provide evidence that Trump asserted executive privilege specific to the Jan 6. committee's subpoena.
Mehta said that Navarro's claim that he spoke to Trump on February 20, 2022, at which time "Trump clearly invoked executive privilege," provided no specific evidence that Trump had indeed done so.
Peter Navarro, former White House trade adviser, arrives at federal court, Aug. 30, 2023, in Washington.Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Mehta added that in the "two key pieces of evidence" Navarro presented -- a letter from Trump attorney Evan Corcoran and Navarro's own testimony -- there was "again" no formal indication that Trump had invoked executive privilege.
The letter from Corcoran, which Mehta found to be "the most compelling evidence," still did not explicitly state that Trump invoked executive privilege, the judge said.
Navarro's trial is scheduled to start Sept. 5.
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Interesting... I expect an appeal.
I expect him to squeal at club fed...
If found guilty he probably wouldn't get more than 30 days and a fine of a couple of grand. I wouldn't bet the SCOUTUS to not overturn this ruling giving more power to Presidential Administrations and then having everyone on the right bitch when someone from the Biden Admin does the same thing.
I like the idea of him being stuck in a place where 600+ other insurrectionists got a lot more time...
It sounds fun, but I doubt it would happen. He'd be in the DC jail and not a prison where he'd likely spend only days.
meh, that may be all it takes. he strikes me as being emotionally fragile.
It's tough to provide evidence of Trump asserting executive privilege, when Trump only does it after the fact and asserts it only by thinking about it.
The whole defense is predicated on any conversation with any aid is privileged. If this is true then conservatives are going to be really pissed when they try calling Biden's people into committees to testify.
posing in the media for their sycophants is all they ever do. for example, the ACA is 13 years old and we've yet to see their better, cheaper healthcare plan. 13 years...
They have one though... We'll hear about it next week! /s
yeah right. all that jerking off by republicans and always nothing to show for it...
I'd not let the left off the hook. Both parties have their issues and neither looks kind and fluffy these days. We need to hold all our elected officials to their oaths and start demanding they do more than investigate each other. It well past time to stop poking each other and work bi-partisanly. We also need to hold our media to task and demand they apply the same zeal reporting when Congress does work together as they do reporting when they don't.
It's a really bigly plan, so bigly it won't fit in a bread box.
Navarro may need it after a few days in the slammer.
he'll be on the phone in the slammer during his waking hours telling his people on the outside which commissary accounts to deposit money into to keep from getting his scrawny ass kicked, or worse...
McConnell needs it now!
I'll be shocked if mitch the bitch finishes out the year. he's going 404 on a regular basis now.
I'm not. they piss me off too. a history of horrible negotiation with republicans and not willing to push the advantage when they have it. too willing to forgive and forget, prematurely. weak counter marketing. that being said, I'd still put their accomplishments for the middle class and poor up against the right's this century.
I personally do not like Mitch, but don't wish ill will on him. That being said, whatever his issue is, does not necessarily relate to his age. The fact that his people deny the problem and refuse to offer any explanations suggest they are covering up a chronic situation with him.
He is another republican who feels power is the biggest priority in his life.
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