Judge Warns Peter Navarro of Possible Contempt Charges

A federal judge this week threatened to hold Peter Navarro, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of court for continuing to defy her order to return presidential records.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued the warning after reviewing a subset of records that Navarro had claimed were his personal documents that he was not required to return to the National Archives, despite a court order, Politico reported.

“It is clear that Defendant continues to possess Presidential records that have not been produced to their rightful owner, the United States,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in the opinion.

Navarro now has until March 21to review about 600 records and find any additional government files or he could face a contempt citation. Kollar-Kotelly also ruled that a magistrate judge will supervise this process “with the aim of bringing this litigation to its final resolution.”

Navarro already is facing a four-month prison sentence for defying a congressional subpoena from the panel investigating the Capitol riot.