Supreme Court turns down Peter Navarro’s request to stay out of jail

Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Monday turned down Trump White House aide Peter Navarro’s request to remain out of jail while he appeals his conviction. 

Navarro is expected to report to federal prison in Miami on Tuesday to begin serving a four-month prison sentence after he was convicted last year of being in contempt of Congress. 

He refused to testify and cooperate with the Jan. 6 committee about events surrounding the former president’s challenge to the 2020 election results. 

Steve Bannon, another Trump White House aide, was also convicted and sentenced to four months, but has been able to remain out of jail while his appeal is pending. Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, allowed Bannon to remain out from behind bars. 

Navarro has claimed that the president invoked executive privilege and that’s why he could not cooperate with the congressional committee. 

But Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, said Navarro couldn’t make that argument at trial because he didn’t show Mr. Trump had actually invoked the privilege. 

Navarro served as Mr. Trump’s trade advisor. 

Navarro’s attorney had told the high court that he was not likely to flee in his argument to allow him to remain free during appeal.  

“For the first time in our nation’s history, a senior presidential advisor has been convicted of contempt of Congress after asserting executive privilege over a congressional subpoena,” read his filing with the high court. 

The federal government, meanwhile, had told the high court even a claim of executive privilege would not have warranted Navarro’s “total noncompliance” with the subpoena.