Washington, DC [US], September 8 (ANI): Peter Navarro, US former President Donald Trump's trade advisor, has been convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the White House committee investigating the US Capitol attack that took place on January 6, 2021, CNN reported. 

"It’s a sad day for America, not ‘cause … they were guilty verdicts because I can’t come out and have an honest, decent conversation with the people of America,” Navarro told reporters outside the courthouse after he was interrupted by protesters. 

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“People of America, I want you to understand that this is the problem we have right here – this kind of divide in our country between the woke Marxist left and everybody else here. And this is nuts,” CNN quoted Navarro saying. 

After the verdict was read, Navarro’s lawyers sought a mistrial, raising concerns about any influence alleged protestors may have had when jurors took a break outdoors Thursday afternoon. US District Judge Amit Mehta did not immediately rule on the motion. 

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The judge scheduled Navarro’s sentencing for January 12, 2024. 

Earlier in the US Capitol case, Joe Biggs, a leader of the ‘Proud Boys’ group has been sentenced to 17 years of prison for allegedly leading the far-right organization’s infamous march. 

Earlier in May, Tarrio Tarrio — a former aide to Trump political confidant Roger Stone— and deputies Biggs, Ethan Nordean, and Zachary Rehl were found guilty of plotting to unleash political violence to prevent Congress’s certification of the legitimate electoral results. 

According to the prosecutors, this was mobilized by “Trump’s directive” to the group to “stand by” at a September 2020 presidential debate and a December 2020 call for supporters to attend a “wild rally” in Washington, The Post reported. 

However, a fifth co-defendant, Dominic Pezzola, was acquitted of seditious conspiracy, but found guilty like the others of obstructing Congress’s joint session, and of other crimes. All were convicted of offences punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and prosecutors asked the court to stack sentences to exceed that total for Tarrio and his top lieutenants. 

Tarrio’s defence asked for a sentence without the terrorism enhancement, or less than 14 years — saying the government seemed to want to punish him for going to trial while not seeking the enhancement against violent rioters who pleaded guilty, and that there was no evidence he directed anyone to enter the Capitol or commit violence. 

“Tarrio was not even present at the scene in Washington D.C.; he did not direct his fellow members of Proud Boys or anyone else to assault people on the day in question or to destroy any government property,” attorney Nayib Hassan wrote. 

He asked the court to weigh Tarrio’s “community and charity work”, past cooperation with law enforcement, and reports by his mother that he has “seemed very anxious” in recent months and began receiving counselling in March to cope with 22-hour-a-day lockdown in jail. 

Attorneys for Nordean, Biggs and Rehl asked for sentences of time served, up to two-and-half years, saying their actions that day were peaceful like hundreds of others punished for misdemeanours, and that the Justice Department targeted the Proud Boys leaders for the group’s political activities, The Post reported.“The defendants are not terrorists,” but “misguided patriots” whose offence contributed to a several hours’ delay in Congress’s vote count, prompted by Trump’s claims that their cause was worthy, wrote Norman Pattis. 

Tarrio and co-defendants were the last of 14 members of the Proud Boys or the extremist group Oath Keepers to plead guilty or be convicted at trial of opposing federal authority by force in the Capitol breach, which has resulted in roughly 1,100 arrests and more than 700 convictions so far. 

Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder and leader Stewart Rhodes — who was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison, the longest penalty to date in the attack — were the highest-profile figures to face trial for the siege, as per The Washington PostNotably, Tarrio also was the first person not present at the Capitol to be found criminally responsible at trial. The government alleged he watched from Baltimore after being expelled from D.C. one day earlier pending trial for burning a stolen Black Lives Matter flag at an earlier pro-Trump rally in Washington. (ANI)

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