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New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Justice Dept. Drops Biden-Era Push to Obtain Peter Navarro's Emails
The Justice Department has abruptly dropped its effort to force Peter Navarro, President Trump's trade adviser, to turn over hundreds of his emails dating to the first Trump administration to the National Archives, according to a court filing on Tuesday. The decision to drop the civil lawsuit was disclosed in a one-page notice filed in Federal District Court in the District of Columbia. The department offered no explanation for the move, but it is one of many recent actions it has taken to dismiss criminal and civil actions taken against Trump allies. Mr. Navarro, 75, had long resisted the government's request that he give the archives emails from his personal ProtonMail account relating to his role as a White House adviser, as required by the Presidential Records Act. Defiance is Mr. Navarro's default. He served about four months in the geriatric unit of a federal prison in Miami after refusing to comply with a subpoena to appear before a congressional committee investigating his false claims about the 2020 election. In 2022, the Biden Justice Department sued Mr. Navarro, one of the main architects of Mr. Trump's second-term tariff policy, to retrieve the communications. The lawsuit charged him with 'wrongfully retaining presidential records that are the property of the United States, and which constitute part of the permanent historical record of the prior administration.' The lawsuit accused Mr. Navarro of using his private email account to conduct public work, including an effort to influence the White House response to the pandemic. Those emails were needed to preserve the historical record, officials at the archives said. Mr. Navarro unsuccessfully petitioned the Supreme Court to dismiss the suit last year. A federal magistrate judge earlier reviewed about 900 messages, determining that more than 500 were not presidential records. He ordered additional hearings to decide how many of the remaining 350-plus emails needed to be turned over to the government. Mr. Navarro's lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment. Stanley Woodward, who represented Mr. Navarro in both his civil and criminal cases, recused himself after Mr. Trump appointed him in April to serve as associate attorney general.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Johnson to defend Chicago's sanctuary city status in Washington
CHICAGO (WGN) — Mayor Brandon Johnson will travel to Washington, D.C., next week to defend Chicago's status as a sanctuary city. 'We're going to remain a welcoming city and hold to our values,' Johnson said. Set to testify before a Congressional Committee in the nation's capital, Johnson added that he is preparing for tough questions from the Republican-led oversight committee. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'I've never backed down in a fight,' Johnson declared. Chicago has been a sanctuary since 2012, established under then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But in recent years, the number of migrants from the southern border has increased significantly, with many asylum seekers arriving by bus in the Windy City regularly since August of 2022 by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Despite many migrants leaving their homes due to sagging economies in their countries, conflict, or political turmoil, the topic became a critical talking point in the 2024 election. Sitting President Donald Trump wasted no time making good on his campaign promises by dispatching border czar Tom Homan to Chicago to oversee the arrests and deportations of who the administration identified as violent convicted criminals. The Trump Administration also sued Chicago, alleging that 'sanctuary' laws in the nation's third-largest city 'thwart' federal efforts to enforce immigration laws. At about the same time, Johnson accepted an invitation from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, along with mayors from Boston, Denver, and New York, who are also in the feds' crosshairs. But Johnson maintains that he will stand his ground. SEE ALSO: 'What I'm prepared to do on March 5 is to stand up for working people. The city of Chicago continues to lead the way in housing, behavioral health, education system the way we are showing up in community safety,' Johnson said. 'The city of Chicago is vibrant and its strong, even within these difficult times and challenges my administration has faced. There's not one thing I said I was going to do and fight for when I ran that my administration has not addressed.' Johnson says he has also contacted former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, local congressional representatives, and others for guidance. WGN-TV political analyst Paul Link said he believes the stakes are high for Johnson, with federal funding and more possibly at stake. 'He will be under oath, so anything he says in that hearing can and will be used against him in a future court proceeding,' Lisnek said. 'Politically, the Republican members of the panel will do anything they can to get him to admit or say things that would be detrimental to the city's position.' But Johnson vows to show up for the city and the people of Chicago on March 5 or any other day. City Council delays mayor's $830M bond plan for infrastructure projects 'I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I can say that when I get there, who I am will remain,' Johnson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
