U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., listens during a campaign event with U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., in front of employees at an insurance marketing firm, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)

Last month, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) baselessly claimed that several American law enforcement agencies are packed with liberal-leaning extremists that are impeding investigations.

Perry made the claims on “The Chris Stigall Show” on Dec. 5. During the interview, Stigall cited an internal FBI report published by the New York Post, where agents working inside the FBI cast doubt on Director Kash Patel’s and then-Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s abilities to lead the agency (Bongino has since resigned.)

Multiple internal sources within the FBI said Patel and Bongino were not experienced for their positions and obsessed with social media. One self-described Trump supporter in the agency said Patel is “not very good” and lacks the “measured self-confidence” to lead the FBI.

When Stigall asked if Patel and Bongino are still the right people to direct the FBI, Perry claimed without evidence that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are rife with “anti-American, left-wing insurgents.”

“Well, I would say this. I imagine the FBI, the CIA, the Department of Defense, and every other single agency under the sun that you can think of is still replete with, you know, anti-American, left-wing insurgents that have been placed in there,” Perry said.

Perry also said that these individuals are purposely hindering investigations. He expressed disappointment that these agents who aren’t “on the train” cannot be removed for their political beliefs.

“And as the law for what we call OPM, the Office of Personnel Management, the laws and the regulations that are in place almost, they don’t allow management to change any of those people that aren’t on the train,” Perry said. “And so, they just hunker down, they stay there, they’re burrowed in, and then they slow roll the operation. They take shots. They throw wrenches into the gears, and then they complain about it publicly to undermine the work and the authority of the duly elected and duly appointed people that are trying to run these organizations.”

 

Perry’s office did not respond to a request to clarify his comments or provide evidence for his claims.

During a previous interview with Stigall last October, Perry sparked backlash when he claimed that Democrats hate the military and use their service as a credential to run for public office.

In 2024, Perry narrowly retained his seat in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District when he defeated Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson by fewer than 6,000 votes. Perry is again one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress this cycle, with Cook Political Report rating his reelection chances as a toss-up.

Stelson is again the frontrunner in the Democratic primary. A recent survey conducted by Public Policy Polling showed 54% of registered voters in his district disapprove of Perry’s job performance, compared to 36% who approve.