Washington — Peter Navarro, former top trade adviser to ex-President Donald Trump, was released from federal prison on Wednesday after completing a four-month sentence for defying a congressional subpoena, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Navarro, 75, began his sentence in March at the federal correctional institute in Miami, where he was housed in a dormitory for older inmates. He is among the speakers at this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, arriving there shortly after his release.
Navarro’s staff announced his release on social media, stating “the best is yet to come.”
In September, Navarro was convicted of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The committee sought documents and testimony from Navarro related to his actions after the 2020 election and efforts to delay the certification of Electoral College votes.
A federal judge in Washington sentenced Navarro in January to four months in prison and fined him $9,500. Navarro appealed the conviction and the enforcement of his sentence. He argued he was adhering to executive privilege when he ignored the subpoena, but the judge ruled there was no evidence that executive privilege had been invoked.
A three-judge appeals court panel in Washington rejected Navarro’s request to delay his sentence, leading him to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Roberts initially denied the request, and the full court later declined a renewed effort from Navarro.
Navarro became the first former White House official to go to prison for a contempt of Congress conviction, followed by Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist. Bannon is currently serving a four-month sentence at a federal prison in Connecticut for also refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee. He surrendered to prison this month after the Supreme Court denied his request to remain free during his appeal of the conviction.
Robert Costa contributed reporting.