Trump aide Peter Navarro is INDICTED for defying his Jan 6 subpoena
Former Trump advisor Peter Navarro was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday for contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee and says he was put in handcuffs and leg irons as he was arrested ahead of his first court date.
Navarro has been charged with two counts of contempt, one for failing to appear for a deposition before the committee and one for failing to produce documents. The former Trump trade adviser was approached by an FBI agent while trying to board a flight to Nashville for a TV appearance ahead of his court appearance in Washington, D.C. Friday afternoon for the charges.
Navarro told the court the FBI agent approached him and told him he could not contact anyone as he arrested Navarro.
I actually live right next to the FBI. It's like a 100-yard walk to my door. What did they do instead of that? They let me get all the way to the airport, try to board the plane, come at me, put me in handcuffs, not let me use my phone, take me down, and put me in a jail cell,' he told reporters outside the courthouse.
'Who are these people? This is not America,'
'Who are these people? This is not America,' Navarro said. 'I was a distinguished public servant for four years!'
Navarro told reporters he'd been locked up in Ronald Reagan shooter John Hinckley's cell. 'They seemed to think that was like an important historical note.'
He said he'd been shackled in handcuffs and leg irons.
Navarro called the manor of his arrest 'terrorism' and akin to 'Stalinist Russia.'
He then went after the House Minority Leader: 'Shame on Kevin McCarthy.' Navarro claimed McCarthy had not done enough to push back on the select subcommittee.
During the hearing he insisted the Jan. 6 committee was a 'sham committee' and prosecutors were 'playing hardball' and 'despicable.'
Navarro was assigned a court-appointed defense attorney but said he would represent himself in a large capacity.
'I don't want to spend my retirement savings on lawyers,' he said.
Navarro is expected back in court later this month for an arraignment from Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee. He was released from custody and told to limit travel.
Late last month Navarro launched legal action against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the committee, claiming that they have no legal right to hold him in contempt of Congress for refusing to give evidence.
The Justice Department noted that each charge has a minimum of 30 days and maximum of one year jail time, as well as a fine of up to $100,000.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10882559/Trump-aide-Peter-Navarro-INDICTED-defying-Jan-6-subpoena-appear-court-today.html
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