Scott Perry — U.S. Representative (PA-10)
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Scott Perry — U.S. Representative (PA-10)

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Scott Perry — U.S. Representative (PA-10)

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Category: Federal Legislator — U.S. Representative
Role: U.S. Representative (PA-10) since 2019 (PA-4, 2013-2019); phone seized by FBI (August 2022); central connector between Trump and Jeffrey Clark DOJ coup attempt; former House Freedom Caucus Chair; defied January 6 committee subpoena
Priority: P0

Documented Actions: 2021-2026 Timeline

2021: Jeffrey Clark Connection and January 6

Perry played a central operational role in the effort to use the DOJ to overturn the 2020 election. He served as the key connector between Trump and Jeffrey Clark, a mid-level DOJ official who was willing to send letters to states falsely claiming the DOJ had identified significant election fraud concerns. Perry introduced Clark to Trump and told Clark “you are the man,” helping him prepare for meetings aimed at installing Clark as acting Attorney General to replace Jeffrey Rosen, who had refused to support Trump’s false fraud claims.

Perry voted to object to certification of Electoral College results and was identified by the January 6 committee as having “materially relevant communications” about the overthrow effort.

2022: FBI Phone Seizure and Subpoena Defiance

August 9, 2022: FBI agents seized Perry’s cellphone while he was traveling with his family, executing a federal search warrant authorized by a Pennsylvania magistrate judge. The seizure occurred one day after the FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence for classified documents. The FBI made a digital copy and returned the phone.

Perry sued the DOJ to block examination of his phone’s contents, claiming Speech or Debate Clause protection. A D.C. federal judge ruled the phone was “fair game” for investigators, though a three-judge panel put a secret hold on that ruling. Court filings revealed Perry’s communications with Clark about preparing for meetings and his role in the DOJ takeover scheme.

Perry also defied the January 6 committee’s subpoena, refusing to be interviewed.

November 2022: Despite the FBI investigation, Perry won reelection in PA-10.

2023-2024: Freedom Caucus Chair and Continued Service

Perry served as Chair of the House Freedom Caucus, using the position to push for investigations into the DOJ and FBI — the same agencies investigating him. He lost the Freedom Caucus chairmanship but continued as an influential conservative voice.

November 2024: Perry lost reelection, defeated by Democrat Janelle Stelson.

Sources: CBS News; NBC News; WSLS court filing reporting

Pattern Analysis

Perry represents the most operationally significant January 6 conspirator still serving in Congress during the investigation period. Unlike Hawley (rhetorical) or Jordan (communicative), Perry played a direct operational role in the DOJ takeover attempt — physically connecting Trump with Jeffrey Clark and facilitating meetings to install a compliant Attorney General. His phone seizure by FBI warrant is unique among sitting members of Congress. His eventual 2024 electoral defeat suggests voters in swing districts ultimately held January 6 involvement against candidates.

Severity Assessment

Immediate harm: High — directly facilitated DOJ takeover attempt; connected Trump to Clark; phone contents potentially revealing of broader conspiracy; Freedom Caucus leadership used to obstruct investigations Democratic erosion: Critical — attempted to weaponize DOJ to overturn election; defied subpoena; used institutional position to investigate investigators; phone seized by FBI Authoritarian markers: Facilitating DOJ takeover; connecting president to compliant official; defying accountability mechanisms; investigating investigators; using classified channels for coup plotting

Accountability Status

Current status: Lost 2024 reelection; no longer serving in Congress Legal exposure: Phone contents under DOJ investigation; Speech or Debate Clause litigation ongoing; potential criminal exposure from Clark connection Election status: Defeated November 2024 by Democrat Janelle Stelson

Investigative trail pointers (public records)

Education only — verify independently. Absence of hits is not proof.

Channel Starting points
Federal courts CourtListener / PACER party and attorney searches (spelling variants)
Campaign finance FEC + OpenSecrets for committees and donors tied to documented roles
Corporate / LLC State secretary of state; OpenCorporates for cross-border shells from reporting
Sanctions / PEP OpenSanctions when international business context is already sourced
Contracts / grants USAspending.gov for named entities from investigations

Use public-records-research-specialist, corporate-intelligence-investigator, and public-corruption-ombudsman evidence tiers.

Factual correction requests: If you believe information in this profile is incorrect, please contact factcheck@patriot.university with your name (optional), the specific claim, and any supporting documentation. We review all submissions and correct verified errors promptly.

For Trump Supporters: Questions Worth Considering

Scott Perry introduced Jeffrey Clark — a mid-level DOJ official willing to send letters to states falsely claiming the DOJ had found election fraud — to Trump, told Clark “you are the man,” and helped prepare him for Oval Office meetings where Clark offered to become attorney general so he could send those letters. Trump’s acting attorney general, Trump’s deputy attorney general, and Trump’s White House counsel all opposed the Clark plan. Perry was the congressman who connected the president to the official willing to do what the president’s own senior advisors refused to do. In August 2022, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant on Perry’s cellphone while he was traveling with his family — an extremely rare step against a sitting member of Congress. Perry sued to block the phone’s examination, claiming Speech or Debate Clause protection. He later became Freedom Caucus Chair and used the position to direct investigations at the DOJ and FBI — the agencies investigating him. He lost his 2024 reelection.

Here’s a question worth sitting with: Perry served as the bridge between the president and the only senior DOJ official willing to use the Justice Department’s authority to launder false fraud claims to state officials. Trump’s own acting attorney general and his own White House counsel said no. Perry found someone who would say yes. The FBI considered his communications significant enough to execute a search warrant on a sitting congressman’s phone — an extraordinary legal step that judges authorize only when they find probable cause. What does the FBI seeking that warrant tell you about what investigators believed they would find on that phone?

A second question about using institutional power to investigate investigators: After the FBI seized his phone, Perry became chair of the House Freedom Caucus and directed investigations toward the DOJ and FBI. If the principle is that no one should be above the law and investigators should not be exempt from scrutiny — does that principle apply differently when the person directing the investigation is himself under investigation by those same agencies? Apply that question regardless of party.

Sources

  • CBS News: “Appeals court to decide whether Rep. Scott Perry’s cellphone was legally seized”
  • NBC News: “Rep. Scott Perry, a top Trump ally, says FBI agents seized his cellphone” (August 2022)
  • WSLS: “A court filing gives a rare look inside the FBI seizure of a lawmaker’s phone” (December 2023)
  • January 6 Select Committee final report

Last Updated: May 11, 2026
Profile Status: Active monitoring — no longer in Congress but legal exposure ongoing
Next Review: Quarterly, pending investigation status

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