Trump ally Scott Perry says FBI have seized his phone following Mar-a-Lago raid

Pennsylvania congressman a leading supporter of former president’s electoral fraud claims

Trump ally Scott Perry says that the FBI seized his phone the day after agents raided Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The Republican congressman from Pennsylvania told Fox News that federal agents approached him on Tuesday with a warrant and demanded that he hand over the phone.

“This morning, while traveling with my family, 3 FBI agents visited me and seized my cell phone. They made no attempt to contact my lawyer, who would have made arrangements for them to have my phone if that was their wish,” Mr Perry said.

“I’m outraged — though not surprised — that the FBI under the direction of Merrick Garland’s DOJ, would seize the phone of a sitting Member of Congress. 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.”

Mr Perry, according to Rep Liz Cheney, is one of the Republicans who contacted the White House in the weeks after the January 6 insurrection to allegedly seek a pardon. Mr Perry has strongly denied this.

In a statement on 12 May, the select committee said Mr Perry “was directly involved with efforts to corrupt the Department of Justice and install Jeffrey Clark as acting Attorney General.”

The committee also said that “in addition, Mr Perry had various communications with the White House about a number of matters relevant to the Select Committee’s investigation, including allegations that Dominion voting machines had been corrupted.”

During its 23 June hearing, the committee claimed that Mr Perry texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows asking that Jeffrey Clark be elevated to Attorney General before January 6.

Mr Perry has been a vocal supporter of the former president’s debunked claims of electoral fraud causing his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden.

In his statement, he added that “as with President Trump last night, DOJ chose this unnecessary and aggressive action instead of simply contacting my attorneys. These kinds of banana republic tactics should concern every Citizen — especially considering the decision before Congress this week to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to further persecute law-abiding Citizens.”