Comment Peter Navarro, the often combative former Trump adviser who already faces a fall trial on charges of contempt of Congress, was sued by the government on Wednesday for refusing to turn over private emails he allegedly used to conduct White House business during the Trump administration. Navarro, according to court documents filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the National Archives, “refused to return any presidential records he retained in the absence of a grant of immunity for the act of returning such documents.” The lawsuit accuses the financial adviser of “improperly maintaining presidential records belonging to the United States that are part of the permanent historical record of the previous administration.” An attorney for Navarro did not immediately return a call seeking comment. More than 1,000 threats against election workers were reported last year, according to a Senate committee official. The court says the controversy surrounding Navarro’s emails began when a congressional committee looking into the administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic discovered that Navarro, who often played a large role in the Trump White House’s public discussion for the pandemic response, he had used a private email account. to carry out government work. From the perspective of the National Archives, these emails were official government records. After more than a month of discussions on the matter with government lawyers, Navarro’s lawyer told officials they estimated between 200 and 250 documents could be considered presidential records. Separately, Navarro has clashed repeatedly with government officials since his arrest in June on charges of contempt of Congress for allegedly refusing to provide testimony or documents to a House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Navarro publicly denounced the agents who arrested him and is due back in court next week as he prepares for a November trial on contempt charges. Another former Trump adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, was convicted last month in a similar case.