JAKARTA - Republican politician Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said the FBI had seized his cell phone following a raid on former president Donald Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
"This morning, while traveling with my family, three FBI agents came up to me and confiscated my cell phone," he said in a statement.
Perry has been investigated and has provided evidence in further investigations, related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill raid that left five people dead, citing The National News.
"They made no attempt to contact my attorney, who would have arranged for them to get my call, if that was their wish," Perry said, according to a Fox News report.
"My cell phone contains info about my legislative and political activities, my private conversations with my wife, family, constituents and friends. These are not government business," he said.
Sources with knowledge said this was related to an investigation carried out in part by the Justice Department's inspector general.
While Perry hasn't said why his phone was confiscated, the watchdog is also investigating the actions of former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, and possibly others, examining the department's role in trying to help former President Donald Trump block the certification of the 2020 U.S. election results. A Justice Department spokesman and inspector general both declined to comment.
Perry was closely linked to Clark, who has been watched by federal investigators for his role in an attempt to overturn the election results, leading law enforcement to search his home earlier this summer.
Perry's search warrant indicated that the inspector general's laboratory in Northern Virginia was able to conduct a forensic examination of the seized phones.
The inclusion of the inspector general is unusual given that the office is investigating wrongdoing by Justice Department employees. While Perry was a five-term congressman, never worked for the department.
The new details come as Perry and other Republican politicians criticize federal law enforcement for seeking congressman communications, which, if they relate to his legislative work, could be protected under the Constitution.
Authorities took precautions not to access information from Perry's phone on Tuesday that was supposed to be protected. The phone was photographed and returned soon after.
In order to access the information on these phones, federal authorities need a different warrant issued by a federal court.
Neither Eastman, Clark and Perry have been charged with any crimes. It is not clear whether any of the targets of criminal investigations into political contacts assisted the post-election pressure campaign. Perry is known to introduce Trump to Clark.
Reported earlier, former US President Donald Trump said FBI agents raided his property in Mar-a-Lago, Florida on Monday and broke into his safe, possibly in connection with a US Department of Justice investigation, citing Reuters.
"After working closely with relevant government agencies, this sudden raid on my home is neither necessary nor inappropriate," Trump said, adding: "They even broke into my safe!"
The Justice Department declined to comment on the raid, which Trump said involved "a large group of FBI agents." FBI headquarters in Washington and its field office in Miami also declined to comment.
The raid appeared to concern boxes of documents Trump brought from the White House to Florida, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with the investigation but not named.
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