Stephanopoulos Confronts GOP Rep. Scott Perry in Tense Interview: Will You Sit Out Jan. 6-Related Committees, Given the FBI Seized Your Phone?
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos confronted Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) over his potential involvement in a committee investigating the Jan. 6 probe — given that he has been part of the DOJ’s look into the events surrounding the attack on the Capitol.
In a fraught interview on Sunday’s This Week, Stephanopoulos asked Perry point-black if he planned to recuse from any House committees related to Jan. 6.
“[Kevin McCarthy has] reportedly said that he’s going to appoint a Church-style committee to investigate the investigations,” Stephanopoulos said. “Since you’re part of the investigation by the Justice Department, will you will you pledge not to serve on that committee?”
Perry bristled at the notion he should have to sit out.
“Why should I be limited?” The Congressman snapped. “Why should anybody be limited just because someone has made an accusation? Everybody in America is innocent until proven otherwise.”
Perry’s phone was seized in August as part of the FBI investigation into the events surrounding Jan. 6. In late December of 2020, according to the Washington Post, Perry heavily promoted a bizarre conspiracy theory about the 2020 election which held that an Italian defense contractor, working with senior CIA officials, used military satellites to take votes away from Donald Trump.
Perry told Stephanopoulos that a commission looking into the Justice Department will indeed be moving forward.
“We’re going to investigate and we need to we need to make sure that that these these agencies aren’t running amuck and aren’t out of control, which clearly they are,” Perry said.
“Doesn’t that pose a conflict to you, since you’re also part of the investigation?” Stephanopoulos asked.
The Congressman again took exception.
“So should everybody in Congress that disagrees with somebody be barred from doing the oversight and investigative powers that Congress has?” Perry said. “That’s our charge. And again, that’s appropriate for every single member, regardless of what accusations are made. I get accused of all kinds of things every single day, as does every member that serves in the public eye. But that doesn’t stop you from doing your job. It is our duty. And it is my duty.”
Watch above, via ABC.
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