WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court turned back an appeal Monday from Peter Navarro, the former White House official who is set to return in Donald Trump’s second term after serving prison time on contempt of Congress charges.
The court declined to hear the appeal in a brief order without explanation, as is typical. It comes after the Justice Department sued Navarro, saying he had retained presidential records on an unofficial email account he used during his previous White House tenure under Trump.
The government says the records must be turned over to the National Archives. Lower courts have agreed, but Navarro argues that the Presidential Records Act doesn’t allow the federal government to search email accounts and retrieve records. He indicated in court documents that he expects to file additional appeals in the case.
Navarro served as a trade adviser during Trump’s first term. A longtime critic of trade arrangements with China, he has been named senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for the incoming administration.
Navarro served a four-month prison sentence after being found guilty of misdemeanor charges for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He is also appealing his conviction in that case, maintaining he couldn’t cooperate with the House committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege.
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon also served prison time after being convicted of misdemeanor contempt of Congress charges.