Ex-Trump Official Navarro Sentenced to 4 Months

Another ally of Donald Trump has been sentenced to jail time over his refusal to comply with a House panel investigating the Capitol riot. Peter Navarro, who served as a trade adviser to the former president, received a four-month sentence on Thursday after being convicted of contempt of Congress. Navarro doesn't have to report to prison just yet—the judge has yet to decide whether he can remain free on bail as the appeal of his conviction proceeds, reports the Hill.

• Main issue: Navarro maintained on Thursday, as he did during his trial, that Trump had told him to defy the subpoena to appear before the Jan. 6 House panel, and thus he thought was protected by executive privilege, per the New York Times.
• Judge's counter: "The words executive privilege are not magical incantations," said federal judge Amit Mehta. "It's just not, it's not a get-out-of-jail-free card." The judge added: "Let's make clear, Dr. Navarro, you are not a victim. You are not the object of a political prosecution. … These are circumstances of your own making."
• His role: Though Navarro advised Trump on economics in his White House role, he became a prime architect of the Trump team's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, reports the Washington Post.

• Navarro's view: "Nobody in my position should be put in conflict between the legislative branch and the executive branch," he told the court. "I did not know what to do" when subpoenaed, he said. "Is that the entire lesson from this process? … Get a lawyer? I think in a way it is."
• Like Bannon: Another Trump ally, Steve Bannon, was convicted of the same charges and also sentenced to four months. In his case, the judge has allowed him to remain free on bail pending appeal.

(More Peter Navarro stories.)