Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania refused to agree to recusal from any investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, despite the Department of Justice (DOJ) looking into him for alleged involvement.
On ABC‘s “This Week,” Perry said his phone had been seized by the DOJ in connection to the Jan. 6 investigation, but he would not step away from the investigation. Perry’s stance comes one day after the DOJ raided former President Donald Trump‘s home. Perry‘s refusal to recuse himself from the investigation is seen as a move to show support for the former president.
“Why should I be limited – why should anybody be limited – just because someone has made an accusation?” Perry said. “Everybody in America is innocent until proven guilty.”
“Doesn’t that pose a conflict to you, since you’re also part of the investigation?” host George Stephanopoulos asked.
“So, should everybody in Congress that disagrees with somebody be barred from doing the oversight and investigative powers that Congress has? That’s our charge. And again, that’s appropriate for every single member, regardless of what accusations are made, I get accused of things every single day, as does every member that serves in the public eye,” Perry said.
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Asked by @GStephanopoulos if he will pledge to not serve on new House committee investigating Jan. 6 probes while he is part of DOJ investigation, GOP Rep. Scott Perry says, “Why should I be limited…just because someone has made an accusation?” https://t.co/CbiJQ8Uauy pic.twitter.com/QAlmRIbJd5
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 8, 2023
In November, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy suggested the Republican majority would assess the investigation of the January 6th riot which was led by Democrats.
He wrote a letter to Democratic Mississippi Representative Bennie Thompson advising he and his staff to save all records, documents, and transcripts that were gathered during the inquiry. This was a reminder to the committee to protect their findings and evidence.
It appears there will be a review of the House select committee’s investigation into the incident. It remains to be seen what will come of this review.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.