Unsealed records provide more insight into midstate GOP Congressman Scott Perry’s efforts to help former President Donald Trump remain in power despite losing the 2020 election.
Politico reports a court opinion by the U.S. Court of Appeals was unsealed with records related to his attempts to prevent the federal government from accessing his cell phone that it seized last year. The news organization reports the opinion appeared to have been removed from the court’s public docket last night.
The unsealed document contains records Perry was court-ordered to turn over. The document includes a reference to communications with state representatives Mike Jones, Dawn Keefer and Seth Grove, and state senators Cris Dush, Kristin Hill, and Doug Mastriano.
John Rowley, an attorney for Perry, criticized the release, telling Politico the texts “reflect (Perry’s) efforts to understand real-time information about the 2020 election. They were confidential and intended to address critical business before Congress in service of his constituents.”
The documents reveal communications between Perry and others taking part in false claims the 2020 election was fraudulent, as well as the congressman’s effort to have Jeff Clark named Attorney General — even though then-President Trump only had a few weeks remaining in his term.
Testimony to the congressional Jan. 6 committee showed Clark, if appointed AG, had agreed to falsely say the justice department had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States,” including Georgia. Clark faces criminal charges in Georgia related to the effort to overturn legal election results. Prosecutors there say he had been told by top department officials that the central claim in his letter was false, The Associated Press reported.
The congressman’s phone was seized by the FBI in August 2022, and since then, he has attempted to block prosecutors from accessing the files it contained.
The seizure was part of a federal investigation into Trump’s post-election activities to stay in office by overturning the election results.
Perry represents the 10th congressional district, which encompasses Dauphin County and portions of Cumberland and York Counties.
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