Scott Perry’s involvement in the 2020 presidential election, explained

As United States Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) seeks an eighth term in Congress this November, he brings with him years of baggage related to the 2020 presidential election and his alleged efforts to help Donald Trump overturn the results.

Investigation reports from the House Jan. 6 Select Committee and court filings revealed Perry’s coordination between White House officials, state legislators and Justice Department staff sympathetic to Trump’s efforts.

The push to install Jeffrey Clark at DOJ

According to findings detailed in the Jan. 6 Committee Investigation Report, Perry introduced Trump to Jeffrey Clark in December 2020 and urged him to appoint Clark as the attorney general. At the time, Clark was a Justice Department employee who, unlike then-acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen, was sympathetic to Trump’s false election fraud claims.

According to text messages published by Talking Points Memo, Perry urged White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to contact Clark.

“Mark, just checking in as time continues to count down. 11 days to 1/6 and 25 days to inauguration. We gotta get going!” Perry wrote on Dec. 26, 2020. “Mark, you should call Jeff. I just got off the phone with him and he explained to me why the principal deputy won’t work especially with the FBI. They will view it as as not having the authority to enforce what needs to be done.”

Trump considered installing Clark as acting attorney general, until other leaders at the Department of Justice threatened to resign if he did. In 2023, Clark, Trump and 17 others were charged with racketeering in Georgia, a key swing state that the administration targeted. Clark was accused of writing a letter claiming that the Department of Justice was concerned about widespread voter fraud in swing states like Georgia, even though no evidence was found. Last November, Trump pardoned Clark and dozens of other former administration officials for their involvement in the 2020 election schemes.

Perry’s line to Pennsylvania lawmakers

According to text messages reported by WITF, Perry allegedly acted as a key liaison to state-level elected officials in Pennsylvania. Topics Perry allegedly discussed with state lawmakers include plans for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to conduct an audit about the election results. The messages also show discussions about the Pennsylvania House declaring the state’s election results being in dispute, along with a letter to Vice President Mike Pence asking him to weigh the validity of electoral votes in Pennsylvania.

Politico reported that he participated in strategy calls and White House meetings alongside fellow conservative allies, encouraging state legislators to seize voting machines and explore alternative elector slates.

How Perry has responded

Perry has consistently rejected accusations of improper conduct. He refused to cooperate with a Jan. 6 Committee subpoena, calling the body “illegitimate.” After the FBI seized Perry’s cell phone in 2022, he said the “banana republic tactics” should concern citizens.

“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,” Perry said after the seizure. “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,”

Perry also denied the Jan. 6 Committee’s claim that he sought a pardon from Trump.

In November, Perry will face a rematch with Democratic challenger and former news anchor Janelle Stelson. In 2024, Perry narrowly held off Stelson by 1.2 percentage points (5,133 votes).