Enlarge image
Peter Navarro (archive image), former US President Donald Trump's trade adviser, has now been charged with contempt of Congress
Photo: Patrick Semansky / dpa
Former US President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro has been charged with contempt of Congress.
He is accused of defying the subpoena of the House of Representatives investigative committee to violently storm the Capitol, the US Department of Justice announced on Friday.
In addition, he did not provide the committee with the required documents.
If convicted, Navarro could face a minimum of 30 days to a year in prison per count.
The 72-year-old should appear before a judge in the capital Washington later on Friday, it was said.
After Navarro refused to cooperate with the investigative body in Congress, the House of Representatives with a majority of Democrats cleared the way for criminal proceedings against him in early April.
The decision on a possible indictment was then the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.
Before Navarro, Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was indicted last November for the same reasons.
This also threatens two other Trump allies: The plenary session of the House of Representatives also has a view to the President's former social media boss, Dan Scavino, and Trump's then chief of staff Mark Meadows, because of the blocking of the committee investigations, the way for possible criminal consequences leveled.
It is still unclear whether there will be any charges in their cases.
Supporters of Republican Trump stormed the seat of the US Congress on January 6, 2021.
Five people were killed, including a police officer.
Trump had to face impeachment over the attack because he had previously incited his supporters in a speech.
In the end, he was acquitted because the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate was not achieved.
Of the 100 senators, 57 voted to impeach, all 50 Democrats and seven Republicans.
The investigative committee in Congress is to clarify the background of the Capitol attack.
jso/dpa