‘No substance’: GOP Rep. Scott Perry castigated at Jeff Clark’s disciplinary trial

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) was criticized Wednesday for offering a last-minute affidavit in Jeffrey Clark's disciplinary trial.

Moments before closing his case, Clark's attorney, Harry MacDougald, asked to admit one final piece of evidence: an affidavit from Perry. Bar Co-chair Merril Hirsh called a recess to distribute the affidavit to disciplinary counsel Hamilton Fox III.

Fox strongly objected to Perry's submission. The congressman was reportedly central to a plan to overturn the presidential election on Jan. 6, 2021.

Fox noted that much of the affidavit had "no substance." He also said that the substantive portions were not relevant.

"More importantly, paragraph five and paragraph six have no substance," the disciplinary counsel observed. "They just have opinions from this congressman. They say that these discussions in the fall of 2020, don't give us a date, were sincere. Nothing about the substance of what's said, just that they were sincere."

"And then the last one is just a pay on to Mr. Clark saying he behaved honorably, didn't engage in impropriety or unethical or immoral conduct without any meat on those bones," he continued. "I don't think that kind of stuff ought to be admitted. I particularly don't think it ought to be admitted from a public official."

"Public officials have a tendency to want to hide from confrontation and not be cross-examined."

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Fox noted that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) had taken the witness stand for Clark. But Gaetz "didn't have anything of a substance to say, so we didn't cross-examine him," he explained.

"This gentleman has substance, but he doesn't have the courage to get on the witness stand and testify about it," Fox added. "And I don't think that the precedent to allow a congressman or any other public official to get away with this kind of conduct and submit an affidavit instead of coming in and testifying is something that ought to be rewarded. So I oppose the admission of this document."

Hirsh cautioned Fox not to make personal attacks on Perry.

"I don't think we need to attack Rep. Perry's courage or integrity in any respect," the chair argued.

"I strongly disagree with you, sir!" Fox exclaimed.

Ultimately, Hirsh admitted the affidavit as evidence but was not convinced of its importance.

"I think the affidavit is of very little value," he remarked. "I'll admit it for what it's worth."

Clark faces disbarment for his role in trying to subvert the 2020 presidential election.