Ex-Trump adviser Peter Navarro asks court to let him remain free while appealing his contempt conviction

(WASHINGTON) — Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro has asked the U.S Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to allow him to remain out of prison while he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction.

The filing comes two weeks after U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta denied Navarro’s request to remain free during his appeal.

“Dr. Navarro respectfully requests expedited briefing and disposition of this matter because he expects imminent direction to report to the Bureau of Prisons to serve his four (4) month sentence,” Navarro’s attorney wrote to the Court of Appeals on Friday. “Should the Court desire additional time to consider the issue, Dr. Navarro respectfully requests a brief administrative stay of his reporting date pending this Court’s disposition of this motion.”

Judge Mehta, in his ruling two week ago, wrote that “Defendant’s request for release pending appeal is denied. Unless this Order is stayed or vacated by the D.C. Circuit, Defendant shall report to the designated Bureau of Prisons (‘BOP’) facility on the date ordered by the BOP.”

Navarro last month was sentenced to four months in jail and ordered to pay a $9,500 fine for defying a congressional subpoena to cooperate with the House Select Committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In testimony during Navarro’s trial, former Jan. 6 committee staff director David Buckley said the panel was seeking 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.

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