(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Newly unearthed emails confirm what the Biden administration had repeatedly denied: It was heavily involved in the 2022 prosecution of Trump trade counselor Peter Navarro.
The emails, released Thursday and obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, showed that the DOJ approved then-U.S. Attorney Matt Graves’s decision to indict Navarro on two contempt of Congress charges, despite the left and legacy media’s claims of independence.
Navarro, one of the top officials in the first Trump White House, had challenged the Jan. 6 Committee’s overreach by invoking executive privilege in refusing to comply with their subpoenas.
It appears the Biden DOJ wanted to make an example of Navarro.
In one email dated May 19, 2022—just days before Navarro was indicted—FBI Special Agent Walter Giardina wrote to fellow agents about instructions from the U.S. attorney for D.C., after the latter’s consultation “with main Justice.”
The email read, “I just spoke with DC USAO, after consultation with main Justice, they are not intending to prosecute Meadows or Scavino. This decision is based on their White House positions and prior DOJ opinions. .. We have been told to cease work on those case. [sic]”
Signaling the government’s intent to go after Navarro, the email continued, “They would like to charge Navarro in the next two weeks however.”
NEW: Emails obtained by Sen Grassley demonstrate the collusion between Biden DOJ, DC US Attorney Matt Graves, and Washington FBI to pursue an indictment and schedule the arrest of Peter Navarro in 2022.
"After consultation with main Justice." And I believe 'Molly" is Molly… pic.twitter.com/lWy9mvQMvy
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) May 1, 2025
Giardina then ordered agents to “locate” Navarro, obtain a subpoena return from Verizon, issue a preservation letter to Apple, prepare a search warrant for his phone and iCloud account, conduct a “knock and talk interview” and serve a phone search warrant after the interview.
The emails highlight the harrowing treatment of Navarro, who served as director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy from 2017 to 2021.
He became the subject of a federal investigation under the Biden administration after he argued that his role in the battle for election integrity after the 2020 election was protected by executive privilege and was not subject to congressional subpoenas.
A grand jury returned the indictment in 2022. He was convicted two years later and sentenced to four months in prison—a sentence he called a “death sentence” at age 75.
Navarro is currently appealing his conviction in federal court.
Trump appointed Navarro as his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing after the 2024 presidential election.
