Peter Navarro, an ex-White House aide to former President Donald Trump, has reported to a federal prison in Miami, becoming the first former White House official to be imprisoned for a contempt of Congress conviction. Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison for his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. Before reporting to jail, Navarro spoke for 30 minutes at a gas station and called the case against him an "unprecedented assault on the constitutional separation of powers."

Navarro's conviction is a rare example of a member of Trump's inner circle being held accountable by the criminal justice system for their resistance to scrutiny. His punishment for evading a House probe will boost the leverage lawmakers will have to secure cooperation in their investigations. For decades, there have been ongoing negotiations between the two branches of government regarding the protections surrounding the presidency and how Congress can enforce its subpoena. In this case, the Justice Department prosecuted Navarro for non-compliance with a congressional subpoena, setting a precedent for future cases.

Navarro made a last-ditch bid for a Supreme Court intervention to delay his self-surrender to prison. His lawyers argued that the prosecution of a senior presidential advisor asserting executive privilege conflicts with the constitutional independence required by the doctrine of separation of powers. They also invoked the case of Anne Gorsuch, the mother of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was held in contempt by the US House but never prosecuted. However, Chief Justice John Roberts rejected Navarro's request, and he was required to surrender to prison.

Navarro is expected to spend 90 days behind bars, with the possibility of early release. He is hoping to be assigned to an air-conditioned dormitory reserved for "elderly" male inmates. Despite the potentially intimidating environment, Navarro's prison consultant assures that he will be safe. He will have access to TVs to follow the news and will be able to use email and make phone calls. The prison where he is incarcerated is one of the older ones in the country and is located next to the city zoo.