Politics

Trump adviser Peter Navarro has to report to prison, federal appeals court rules

Ryan J. Reilly and Daniel Barnes
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Peter Navarro, an advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to reporters after being found guilty of contempt of Congress at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on September 07, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images

WASHINGTON — Peter Navarro, a Donald Trump adviser sentenced to four months in federal prison this year following his conviction for defying the Jan. 6 committee, must report to federal prison in Miami next week after a panel of federal appeals court judges rejected his bid to put his sentence on hold.

Three federal appeals court judges ruled that Navarro had "not shown that his appeal presents substantial questions of law or fact likely to result in reversal, a new trial, a sentence that does not include a term of imprisonment or a reduced sentence of imprisonment that is less than the amount of time already served plus the expected duration of the appeal process."

Navarro's lawyers previously indicated they would seek to take their case to the Supreme Court.

Navarro was directed to report to federal prison in Miami on March 19 by 2 p.m., according to a filing in which Navarro's lawyers asked the federal appeals court to stay his surrender date.

Navarro was involved in Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee in February 2022 but refused to provide testimony or the documents requested. The House committee ultimately issued its report in December 2022, before Republicans took control of the House in January 2023.

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Federal prosecutors said ahead of his sentencing that Navarro "like the rioters at the Capitol, put politics, not country, first, and stonewalled Congress's investigation" and "chose allegiance to former President Donald Trump over the rule of law."

"You are not a victim," U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta told Navarro at his sentencing in January. "You are not the object of a political prosecution — you aren't. You have received every process you are due."

Thursday's order was issued by Circuit Judges Patricia Millett, Robert Wilkins and Cornelia Pillard of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Stanley Woodward, an attorney representing Navarro, declined to comment on the ruling when reached by NBC News.