WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The former trade adviser to ex-US President donald trump, Peter Navarro, has been charged with contempt of Congress. He is accused of defying the subpoena of the House of Representatives investigative committee to violently storm the Capitol, the US Department of Justice said on Friday. In addition, he did not provide the committee with the required documents.
If convicted, Navarro could face a minimum of 30 days to a year in prison per charge. The 72-year-old should appear before a judge in the capital Washington later on Friday, it said.
In early April, after Navarro refused to cooperate with the Congressional investigative body, the House of Representatives, with a majority of Democrats, cleared the way for criminal action to be taken against him. The decision on a possible indictment was then the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.
Before Navarro, Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, had been indicted for the same reasons last November. This is also a threat to two other Trump allies: The plenary session of the House of Representatives also has a view to the President’s former social media boss, Dan Scavino, and Trump’s then chief of staff, Mark Meadows, paving the way for possible criminal consequences because of the blocking of the committee’s investigations leveled. Whether there will be charges in their cases is still open.
Supporters of Republican Trump stormed the seat of the US Congress on January 6, 2021. Five people were killed, including a police officer. Trump had to face impeachment over the attack because he had previously incited his supporters in a speech. In the end he was acquitted. Congressional investigative committee to investigate background to Capitol attack./jac/DP/he