Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro has been denied his bid to delay his jail sentence on contempt of Congress charges by an appeals court in Washington. Navarro, who served as a trade adviser under then-President Donald Trump, was ordered to report to a federal prison in Miami by March 19. The charges stem from his refusal to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Navarro argued that he should remain free while he appeals his conviction, claiming he couldn't cooperate with the committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege. However, the three-judge panel of the federal appeals court disagreed, finding that his appeal was unlikely to reverse his conviction. Navarro is the second Trump aide to be convicted of contempt of Congress charges, with former White House adviser Steve Bannon also receiving a four-month sentence.

Navarro's lawyers have indicated that they may appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The former Trump adviser has maintained that his case is important in determining the preservation of the constitutional separation of powers and the existence of executive privilege as a protection against partisan attacks by the legislative branch.

Prosecutors argued that Navarro "acted like he was above the law" and "thumbed his nose" at the committee's work by defying the subpoena. The judge overseeing the case, District Judge Amit Mehta, sentenced Navarro to four months in prison and rejected his request to remain free pending the appeal.

Navarro's attorneys have argued that if the appeals court finds that executive privilege should have been acknowledged or that Navarro should have been allowed to present evidence of his reliance on it as a defense, his conviction should be reversed. The case has raised questions about the limits of executive privilege and the powers of the legislative branch in conducting investigations.

Navarro's case is seen as a test of the legal boundaries between the executive and legislative branches of government, with potential implications for future investigations and the preservation of presidential decision-making authority. The former Trump official's conviction and impending prison sentence highlight the ongoing fallout from the events of January 6, 2021, and the efforts to hold those involved accountable for their actions.