As reported by Politico and other news outlets, Rep Scott Perry’s text messages obtained from his phone pursuant to a search warrant executed last year briefly appeared on the DC Court of Appeals website, but were quickly taken down.
I don’t want to speculate, but the text messages reveal that Perry was neck deep in the conspiracy to throw the election to the House in order to re-elect Trump, against the will of the voters and contrary to the electoral college vote.
Perry has used the Speech and Debate clause to attempt to shield his communications from being used against him in a criminal charge. (it seems to have worked for Graham in GA)
This exchange could be what the Feds charge.
- A series of exchanges between Perry and a former DOJ colleague, Robert Gasaway, between Dec. 30, 2020, and Jan. 5, 2021, in which Perry embraced a plan to have then-Vice President Mike Pence “admit testimony” prior to the counting of electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021. Perry agreed to “sell[] the idea” with a call to Trump, Pence and Trump adviser John Eastman, but Perry later alerted Gasaway that Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, “will not allow access.”
Clarification: Prosecutors can charge crimes up to 5 years after the commission of the crime, and with crimes like conspiracy, it is 5 years after the last act relating to the conspiracy, not the date of the crime the conspiracy related to, so Perry will be looking over his shoulder for years.
Also, the weak link in all of this will probably be MTG, as the acts occurred BEFORE she was sworn into Congress, so she does not have the Speech and Debate defense to shield her.
Charging only Trump basically ensures that his case is up the fastest, and everyone else who will be charged will be charged closer to the Trump trial date, once any witnesses who are testifying as part of a plea deal get disclosed.