Peter Navarro’s contempt of Congress trial was postponed on Friday, by a judge at a federal court, most possibly for months. It is to enable for more pre-trial discussion on the potential impact executive privilege would have if the case’s decision is taken by a jury.
Judge Raises Concern Over DOJ’s Handling Of Peter Navarro’s Contempt Trial
Prosecutors from the Justice Department were interrogated by Amit Mehta, a US District Judge, during a session that went on for nearly two hours on Friday regarding the department’s stance that close advisers to any president may be exempt from subpoenas from the congress in earlier internal decisions regarding the Office of Legal Counsel.
The trial was supposed to start on Monday. Mehta’s concerns regarding executive privilege have forced the Department of Justice to explain its ambiguous understanding of the parameters of presidential protection.
On Friday, attorneys John Crabb and Elizabeth Aloi made an attempt to sidestep Mehta’s questions about whether Peter Navarro would have been entitled to such immunity had he been told, at the time the House committee demanded him to participate in its investigation on January 6, that Donald Trump was asserting privilege as a reply to the Congressional subpoena. he judge added that they cannot ask another person to analyze these opinions regarding OLC in the manner that they are asking.
Peter Navarro hasn’t yet shown any proof that Trump invoked such a principle when he was summoned for papers and testimony on January 6 by the now-defunct House select committee.
Federal prosecutors scoffed at the notion that Navarro should still be permitted to present such evidence, contending that it doesn’t exist in the first place and that even if it did, the jury would not be allowed to determine whether such an invocation would have protected Navarro from the subpoena.
Mehta finally came to the conclusion that the matter generated legal issues that needed to be resolved before trial, so he decided to postpone its scheduled commencement on Monday. The briefing will finish at some point in March, although no new precise date has been specified.
