WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Peter Navarro, a former top adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, was charged on Friday with obstructing Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Committee’s investigation into the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The US Department of Justice says Peter Navarro has been charged with refusing to testify before the commission of inquiry and also refusing to hand over documents in response to a subpoena.
Donald Trump’s former economic affairs adviser has accused the Justice Department of a procedural error after he was arrested at an airport where he was to catch a plane to Nashville and New York.
Peter Navarro blamed authorities for not contacting a lawyer and refusing to allow him to make a phone call.
“I am (…) disappointed with our republic,” he told a judge.
His next court appearance has been set for June 17.
Donald Trump had called on his collaborators not to cooperate with the investigation led by the Democrats, considering it to be carried out for political considerations.
The House Committee believes Peter Navarro has critical information for the investigation into the Capitol assault.
Four people died the day of the assault that came after an inflammatory speech by Donald Trump urging his supporters to march on Capitol Hill and ‘fight like the devils’ to prevent Congress from certifying the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential election.
A Capitol police officer defending the building died the next day from his injuries. Some 140 other police officers were injured during the attack and four officers have since taken their own lives.
(Doina Chiacu, David Morgan and Patricia Zengerle report, French version Matthieu Protard)
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