Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro reported to prison on Tuesday, one day after the Supreme Court denied a stay of his sentence.
He was convicted in September of two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to provide testimony and documents to the House Select Committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Navarro spoke Tuesday morning in a strip mall in West Miami near the prison where he will serve four months.
“I will walk proudly in there to do my time,” Navarro said. “I will gather strength from this: Donald John Trump is the nominee.”
Navarro remained defiant as called he the case an “unprecedented assault on the constitutional separation of powers.”
Peter Navarro, White House trade advisor to former President Donald Trump, arrives to speak to the press at the Country Mall Plaza before reporting to the Federal Correctional Institution, March 19, 2024, in Miami.
POOL/ABC News
He went on to mention former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress case and how Bannon was allowed to remain free from prison while he appeals his case.
Chief Justice John Roberts, in a short opinion, wrote Monday that he saw “no reason to disagree” with lower courts, which also rejected Navarro’s request.
Navarro’s appeal on the merits remains pending, but he will have to begin serving his sentence in the meantime.
Navarro was ordered on March 11 to report to prison on Tuesday.
He filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court last week in an attempt to remain out of prison as he works to overturn his conviction.
In testimony during Navarro’s trial, former Jan. 6 committee staff director David Buckley said the House panel had wanted to question Navarro about efforts to delay Congress’ certification of the 2020 election, a plan Navarro dubbed the “Green Bay Sweep” in his book “In Trump Time.”
Navarro unsuccessfully argued that former President Donald Trump had asserted executive privilege over his testimony and document production.
-ABC News’ Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.
Peter Navarro, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, has begun serving his prison sentence after the Supreme Court of the United States denied his request for a stay. Navarro was sentenced to 30 days in prison for contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot.
Navarro’s refusal to cooperate with the committee’s investigation into the events leading up to the riot was seen as a serious breach of congressional oversight and accountability. The committee had requested documents and testimony from Navarro regarding his role in promoting false claims of election fraud and his communications with Trump and other officials leading up to the riot.
Navarro’s legal team had argued that his refusal to comply with the subpoena was protected by executive privilege, but the courts rejected this argument and ordered him to turn over the requested documents and testify before the committee. When Navarro continued to defy the court’s orders, he was held in contempt and sentenced to prison.
The denial of Navarro’s request for a stay by the Supreme Court sends a strong message about the importance of congressional oversight and the consequences for those who refuse to cooperate with legitimate investigations. It also serves as a reminder that no one is above the law, regardless of their position or political affiliation.
Navarro’s case is just one example of the ongoing legal battles surrounding the events of January 6th and the efforts to hold those responsible for inciting and participating in the riot accountable. As more individuals are brought to justice for their roles in the insurrection, it is clear that the rule of law will prevail and those who seek to undermine democracy will be held accountable for their actions.
