FBI agents seize cellphone of Republican congressman, reports say
2022.08.10 03:17
U.S. Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, U.S., August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – FBI agents on Tuesday seized the cellphone of Republican congressman Scott Perry, according to media reports that cite a statement from the Pennsylvania lawmaker.
Perry did not say why his phone was confiscated by the FBI agents, who he said handed him a warrant while he was traveling with his family.
A supporter of former President Donald Trump, Perry has been the subject of a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
Perry’s office and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
“They made no attempt to contact my lawyer, who would have made arrangements for them to have my phone if that was their wish,” Perry said in the statement, first reported by Fox News.
“My phone contains info about my legislative and political activities, and personal/private discussions with my wife, family, constituents, and friends. None of this is the government’s business,” he said.
Perry, who helped spread Trump’s false statements of 2020 election fraud, was in contact with the Trump White House in the weeks before the 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
During a congressional hearing in June, lawmakers heard testimony that Perry sought a pardon from Trump. Perry has denied seeking a pardon.
