The lawsuit in Washington federal court alleges Navarro used at least one “unofficial” email account — a ProtonMail account — to send and receive emails. The legal action comes just weeks after Navarro was indicted on criminal charges after refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The civil cases allege that by using the unofficial email account, Navarro failed to turn over presidential records to the National Archives and Records Administration. The Justice Department is asking a federal judge for an order “authorizing the recovery of any presidential records in Mr. Navarro’s possession, custody, and/or control.” The lawsuit also seeks unspecified damages. “Mr. Navarro is wrongfully withholding presidential records that are the property of the United States and which are part of the permanent historical record of the previous administration,” the lawsuit states. An attorney representing Navarro in the criminal case did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment about the civil case.
