Rep. Scott Perry Suing To Stop FBI From Accessing His Phone

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) filed suit against the Department of Justice last week in an attempt to stop authorities from searching through his phone, which FBI agents seized on Aug. 9.

In the court papers, which appeared on the public docket on Tuesday, Perry asked a Washington federal court to order investigators to return his phone data and any other property it seized. He also requested that none of his phone records held by AT&T be shared with the government.

Perry announced earlier this month that FBI agents approached him with a warrant while he was on vacation in New Jersey, one day after the raid on former President Donald Trump s Mar-a-Lago club. The three agents made a forensic copy of Perrys phone and returned the physical device to him the same day.

Authorities appear to be interested in Perrys involvement in Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which the Justice Department is reportedly investigating .

The warrant allowed investigators to catalog information on the phone at a laboratory, but required a second search warrant to be issued in order for law enforcement to review it. Perry is seeking to stop authorities from looking at all of his information. He says the phone contains private text messages with his wife, along with legislative business.

According to court documents, Perry believes the copy of his phone is in the custody of the Justice Departments inspector general.

Perry, a staunch Trump ally, has already come under scrutiny as part of the House investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Trumps scheme to stay in power.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Text messages between the lawmaker and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows were shown at one of the panels public hearings in June. The messages illustrated how Perry served as a liaison between Meadows and then-Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, an environmental lawyer and Trump ally whom the former president once considered installing as attorney general.

The FBI raid on Trumps Florida home was in connection with a separate matter concerning classified government documents that Trump allegedly improperly took when he decamped from the White House.