Scott Perry quietly drops lawsuit against FBI after his cell phone records were seized

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) has quietly filed a motion to dismiss his lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) seizing of his cell phone records.

On Wednesday, October 26, the lawmaker’s attorneys filed their motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asking the court to dismiss the case without prejudice.

According to HuffPost, the motion comes two months after reports began circulating about the FBI’s move.

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At the time, Perry, per the news outlet, said “the FBI seized his cellphone while he was traveling with family in New Jersey, just a day after the bureau searched the Florida home of former President Donald Trump.”

It was also noted that “agents bearing a search warrant made a forensic copy of Perry’s device and returned the phone to him.”

Shortly after, Perry filed the lawsuit asking the court to “block authorities from searching through the data and to return ‘any other property’ the government seized."

At the time, Perry also released a statement. The Republican lawmaker insisted that he was “outraged” by the FBI’s action as he argued “none of this is the government’s business.”

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Perry’s full statement read:

"This morning, while traveling with my family, 3 FBI agents visited me and seized my cell phone. They made no attempt to contact my lawyer, who would have made arrangements for them to have my phone if that was their wish. I’m outraged — though not surprised — that the FBI under the direction of Merrick Garland’s DOJ, would seize the phone of a sitting Member of Congress."

“My phone contains info about my legislative and political activities, and personal/private discussions with my wife, family, constituents, and friends,” he added. “None of this is the government’s business."

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