A federal judge rejected a U.S. congressman’s bid to shield thousands of records from U.S. authorities investigating potential crimes linked to the 2020 election, according to filings unsealed on Feb. 24.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell said that the U.S. Department of Justice can access 2,055 records from the personal cellphone of Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) in a Dec. 28, 2022 order that was made public on Friday.
Another three records could be accessed partially while Perry properly asserted privilege over 161 other records, Howell, an Obama appointee, ruled.
Perry’s phone was seized by FBI agents in the fall of 2022 after government investigators uncovered evidence that Perry was using his phone to communicate with people allegedly engaged in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Agents extracted the contents of the phone….