Trump aide indicted for contempt of Congress

• Peter Navarro, a former top adviser to ex-president Donald Trump, has been charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to co-operate with a House of Representatives investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said on Friday.

A federal grand jury charged Navarro with one count involving his refusal to appear for a deposition before the Jan. 6 Select Committee and another for his refusal to produce documents in response to a subpoena, the department said.

Navarro, who was due to make an initial appearance Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A longtime China hawk, Navarro advised Trump on trade issues and also served on his COVID-19 task force,

He has contended previously that his communications are protected by executive privilege, a legal principle protecting a president's communications. On Tuesday, he filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction from a federal judge to block the Justice Department from prosecuting the contempt of Congress charge.

Trump has urged associates not to co-operate with the Democratic-led investigation, calling it politically motivated.

In its subpoena, the Jan. 6 committee said it had reason to believe that Navarro, 72, had information relevant to its investigation.

Navarro has said in media interviews and in his book that he helped co-ordinate an effort to halt certification of Joe Biden's victory and keep Trump in power.

The indictment was returned on Thursday and unsealed on Friday. Each count carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $100,000.

Navarro is the second prominent Trump adviser to face criminal charges in the investigation. Stephen Bannon, one-time chief strategist for the former president, was criminally charged in November for defying a subpoena from the committee.

The Democratic-controlled House recommended the contempt charges in April for Navarro and Daniel Scavino, a former deputy chief of staff to Trump.

In December, the chamber voted in favour of a contempt charge for Mark Meadows, a former House member who became Trump's chief of staff.

There has been no word from the Justice Department on whether charges will be filed against Meadows or Scavino.

The Select Committee on Thursday announced that the first of an expected series of public hearings into the riot and events leading up to it would take place next week.