PA Rep Says FBI Seized His Cell Phone

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said his cell phone was seized Tuesday morning by FBI agents with a search warrant, according to multiple reports. The incident came one day after the FBI searched former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

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

Perry went on, saying he was "outraged" the FBI would seize the phone of a sitting member of Congress.

According to a CNN report, the search warrant said the phone would be taken to the inspector general's lab in Northern Virginia, where a forensic examination would be conducted. The inspector general is a Justice Department watchdog office that led investigative work following June searches of Jeffrey Clark and former Trump attorney John Eastman.

The phone was returned to Perry shortly after it was seized, a source told CNN.

It's unclear why the FBI seized Perry's phone. The congressman has been a figure in the congressional investigation into President Donald Trump's actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

According to a report by The Associated Press, former Justice Department officials have testified that Perry had "an important role" in Trump's effort to appoint Clark as the acting attorney general. Clark was among several top officials pushing Trump's baseless election fraud claims.

Perry was also among 11 Republicans who attended a December 2020 meeting with Trump to discuss ways to overturn the election.

Perry represents Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District, which encompasses Harrisburg and surrounding towns.

• RELATED: PA Rep Attended Trump Meeting On Overturning Election: Jan. 6 Panel