Federal Appeals Court Confirms Criminal Conviction of Peter Navarro

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. upheld the criminal conviction of Peter Navarro on July 21, 2026. Navarro, a former trade adviser to President Donald Trump, was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify and provide documents related to the January 6 probe. The court found that Navarro did not provide sufficient evidence to support his claim of executive privilege, which he argued had been invoked by Trump. Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison following his conviction in 2023. The appeals court noted that executive privilege does not automatically apply and must be directly related to presidential decisions. Navarro's public statements and his book were also deemed not privileged, as they were made after he left government service. After completing his sentence, Navarro returned to serve as a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for Trump in 2025.