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Scavino, a Northern Westchester native from Yorktown and former resident of Hopewell Junction in Dutchess County who served as a social media director during the Trump campaign and later worked alongside him in the White House as deputy chief of staff, is officially facing a criminal contempt charge for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the investigating committee.
The committee - which is composed of seven Democrats and two Republicans - voted 9-0 to send the recommendation on both Scavino and Navarro to the House, which will determine whether or not they should be referred to the Justice Department.
According to a report issued by the committee on Sunday, March 27, both Navarro and Scavino have cited "executive privilege" as their reason for not cooperating with the panel.
The report further alleges that Scavino worked with Trump to reverse the 2020 election results by spreading false information on social media regarding alleged election fraud and recruiting a crowd to Washington on the day of the riot at the Capitol.
“Mr. Scavino reportedly attended several meetings with the president in which challenges to the election were discussed,” it says. “Scavino also tracked social media on behalf of President Trump, and he did so at a time when sites reportedly frequented by Mr. Scavino suggested the possibility of violence on (Jan. 6).”
The House committee noted six instances where Scavino allegedly sought to duck out of testifying, noting that “to date, (he) has not produced a single document, nor has he appeared for testimony.”
Scavino also allegedly “may have had advance warning about the potential for violence on Jan. 6.”
If found guilty by the Justice Department, Scavino would face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
In 1992, Scavino was selected as a caddie for Trump's golf party at Briar Hall Country Club (later renamed Trump National Golf Club Westchester).
In a statement after the vote, Navarro also doubled down on his executive privilege claims.
“The Select Committee’s witch hunt is predicated on the ridiculous legal premise that Joe Biden can waive Donald Trump’s Executive Privilege,” he said. "The Supreme Court will say otherwise when the time comes — as it surely must — and the DOJ knows such nonsense would gut Executive Privilege and the critical role it plays in effective presidential decision making,” he wrote in a statement that also repeated false claims that the election was stolen.
Other former Trump aides who have been approved for criminal contempt referrals by the committee include former strategist Steve Bannon, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, and former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Thus far, the Justice Department has only pursued prosecution against Bannon, who is battling related criminal charges.
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