Director of trade and manufacturing policy Peter Navarro speaks to members of the press outside the West Wing of the White House in June 2020. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot issued a subpoena Wednesday to former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.
Why it matters: Navarro reportedly worked with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and others to develop a plan to delay Congress' certification of the 2020 election, the committee said in a news release.
What they're saying: Navarro "hasn’t been shy about his role in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has even discussed the former President’s support for those plans," committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said, per the release.
- "More than 500 witnesses have provided information in our investigation, and we expect Mr. Navarro to do so as well,” he added.
The other side: In a statement responding to the subpoena, Navarro likened the select committee to a "partisan witch hunt" and claimed that he, Trump and Bannon were the last people who would have wanted to see "chaos and violence on Capitol Hill," CNN reported.
- "Trump has invoked executive privilege," Navarro said, before adding, "it is not my privilege to waive. They should negotiate any waiver of the privilege with the president and his attorneys directly, not through me."
What to watch: The committee has asked Navarro to submit requested documents by Feb. 23 and to appear before the panel on March 2.