The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Peter Navarro, a former White House official who is expected to return in Donald Trump's second term after serving time in prison for contempt of Congress charges. The court's decision, issued in a brief order without explanation, follows a lawsuit by the Justice Department against Navarro. The lawsuit alleges that Navarro retained presidential records on an unofficial email account used during his previous White House tenure under Trump.
The government has demanded that Navarro turn over these records to the National Archives. While lower courts have sided with the government on this matter, Navarro contends that the Presidential Records Act does not authorize the federal government to search email accounts and retrieve records. He has indicated his intention to file further appeals in the case.
During Trump's first term, Navarro served as a trade adviser and has been a vocal critic of trade agreements with China. He is slated to assume the role of senior counselor for trade and manufacturing in the upcoming administration.
Navarro previously served a four-month prison sentence after being convicted of misdemeanor charges for failing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He is currently appealing his conviction in that case, citing his inability to cooperate due to Trump's invocation of executive privilege.
Notably, former White House adviser Steve Bannon also faced legal consequences, serving prison time after being found guilty of misdemeanor contempt of Congress charges.
