'You are the man': Texts show close ties between far-right lawmaker and Trump co-defendant

Newly released text messages reveal that Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) had deeper ties to Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark during the 2020 election plotting than was previously known, Politico reported on Wednesday.

"At the time, Clark was bolstering Trump’s false claims of voter fraud — and Trump, hoping to harness the Justice Department in his bid to overturn the 2020 election, was nearing a decision to appoint Clark as acting attorney general," reported Kyle Cheney. "He ultimately backed off amid a high-level rebellion at DOJ and in the White House. But the newly disclosed text messages show that Clark was girding for the appointment, bolstered by support from Perry, a conservative leader in Congress."

"The intimate exchange between two central figures in Trump’s bid to subvert the election was disclosed in a newly unsealed court filing released Wednesday by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.," said the report. "The exchange was one of dozens described in the filing, released in connection with an effort by special counsel Jack Smith to access communications stored on Perry’s cell phone."

“POTUS seems very happy with your response. I read it just as you dictated,” Perry told Clark in one exchange, to which Clark said, “I’m praying. This makes me quite nervous. And wonder if I’m worthy or ready.” “You are the man. I have confirmed it. God does what he does for a reason,” Perry replied.

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In addition to being an unindicted co-conspirator in the special counsel election case against Trump, Clark is one of over a dozen co-defendants indicted with the former president in the Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Perry, himself a key House Freedom Caucus figure, has not been charged in any of these criminal cases. However, recent reports indicate he could be facing serious challenges by both Democrats and fellow Republicans for his House seat next year.