Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz on Thursday said a prison sentence for a second close adviser to former President Donald Trump ought to sound alarms for “weak” Republicans unwilling to rein in the Justice Department.
An Obama-appointed federal judge sentenced former Trump aide Peter Navarro to four months in prison and a $9,500 fine for refusing to cooperate with a subpoena issued by the Democrats’ special committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
According to Fox News, Navarro was convicted in September of two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a J6 committee subpoena to turn over documents and sit for a deposition. Navarro labeled the committee, which was handpicked by Democratic former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a “kangaroo court.”
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In court, Navarro told Judge Amit Mehta that “the day of the attack on our Capitol was one of the worst days of my life,” Fox reported.
The former trade policy adviser to Trump insisted he was covered by executive privilege. His lawyer said Navarro will appeal.
Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican, had harsh words for both the Justice Department and soft Republicans who refuse to speak out.
“It is a stain on our justice system that Peter Navarro sees even one second in jail for defying the illegitimate J6 committee,” Gaetz said on X. “The committee’s sole intent was to smear President Trump and his allies while lying to the American people about the truth.”
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“Peter is just the latest political prisoner under [President] Joe Biden. I hope this is a wake-up call to the weak Republicans who are sitting on the sidelines while liberal activists prosecute MAGA.”
Navarro joined former Trump aide and campaign manager Steve Bannon in being convicted of contempt of Congress for not respecting a subpoena by the J6 committee.
He was also sentenced to four months in federal prison, but is free while awaiting an appeal.
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