Rep. Scott Perry, a Trump ally, says FBI seized his phone
Scott Perry #ScottPerry
The FBI has confiscated the phone of Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, an ally of former President Donald Trump, Perry said in a statement to CBS News.
“This morning, while traveling with my family, three FBI agents visited me and seized my cell phone,” Perry said.
Perry alleged they “made no attempt to contact my lawyer, who would have made arrangements for them to have my phone if that was their wish.”
It’s not clear why the FBI confiscated his phone.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) speaks outside the U.S. Capitol on August 23, 2021. Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
This comes just one day after Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence was searched by the FBI as part of a probe into documents, including classified materials, that may not have been preserved as required by the Presidential Records Act.
At a public hearing in June, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol showed testimony from former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson who said that in a Dec. 2020 phone call, Perry expressed support for encouraging people to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6.
The House committee alleged at its June 9 public hearing that Perry sought a pardon before Trump left office for his involvement in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Perry has denied it. He tweeted on June 10 that “the notion that I ever sought a Presidential pardon for myself or other Members of Congress is an absolute, shameless, and soulless lie.”
House Jan. 6 committee vice chair Rep. Liz Cheney said during the hearing June 9 that Perry was involved in the effort to install Trump ally Jeffrey Clark, an environmental lawyer, as attorney general in the final weeks of the administration.
Trump wanted Clark to be the nation’s top law enforcement official so that he would be empowered to send a letter to Georgia and other states which would say, according to Cheney, that the Justice Department had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election” — even though it had found no such evidence.
Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.
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