Jan. 6 investigators think ‘strategy’ text came from Rick Perry

By Jake Tapper and Jamie Gangel | CNN

Members of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 onslaught connected the US Capitol judge that erstwhile Texas Governor and Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry was the writer of a substance connection sent to then-White House main of unit Mark Meadows the time aft the 2020 predetermination pushing an “AGRESSIVE (sic) STRATEGY” for 3 authorities legislatures to disregard the volition of their voters and present their states’ electors to Donald Trump, 3 sources acquainted with the House Committee probe archer CNN.

A spokesperson for Perry told CNN that the erstwhile Energy Secretary denies being the writer of the text. Multiple radical who cognize Rick Perry confirmed to CNN that the telephone fig the committee has associated with that substance connection is Perry’s number.

The compartment telephone fig the substance was sent from, obtained from a root knowledgeable astir the investigation, appears successful databases arsenic being registered to a James Richard Perry of Texas, the erstwhile governor’s afloat name.

The fig is besides associated successful a 2nd database arsenic registered to a Department of Energy email code associated with Perry erstwhile helium was secretary. When told of these facts, the spokesperson had nary explanation.

The House Select Committee declined to remark connected the writer of the text.

The Nov. 4, 2020, substance connection from Perry’s telephone garnered a large woody of attraction this week; it was included successful a tranche of astir 6,000 documents Meadows turned implicit to the House Select Committee.

The substance was archetypal presented publically connected the House level Tuesday nighttime by Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, and reads: “HERE’s an AGRESSIVE (sic) STRATEGY: Why tin t (sic) the states of GA NC PENN and different R controlled authorities houses state this is BS (where conflicts and predetermination not called that night) and conscionable nonstop their ain electors to ballot and person it spell to the SCOTUS.”

Raskin cited the substance successful the statement implicit holding Meadows successful transgression contempt of Congress, utilizing it arsenic an illustration of grounds that needed further mentation from Meadows, which the erstwhile main of unit is refusing to provide.

“How did this substance power the readying of Mark Meadows and Donald Trump to effort to destruct the lawful electoral assemblage bulk that had been established by the radical of the United States and the states for Joe Biden,” Raskin asked. “Those are the kinds of questions that we person a close to inquire Mark Meadows.”

The substance to Meadows suggests a willingness to unit a law situation to undermine the predetermination adjacent earlier each the ineligible votes had been counted. The last results from Pennsylvania and Georgia didn’t travel for days; Trump yet won North Carolina.

Boston College prof and historiographer Heather Cox Richardson recovered the substance striking successful that its writer “wanted Republican-dominated authorities legislatures not adjacent to hold to spot who had won the election—none of those states had been called by November 4—but simply to disregard the volition of the voters, take their ain electors, and anticipation that the Supreme Court would manus the predetermination to Trump arsenic helium had been saying for weeks it would.”

In his remarks, Raskin inaccurately described the substance connection arsenic having travel from a “House lawmaker.” Sources told CNN this was an inadvertent error. After CNN reached retired for comment, a Raskin root said the congressman learned of the mistake this week from CNN and confirmed the mistake with staff. He has written a missive to close the Congressional Record.

Perry, the longest serving politician successful the past of Texas, became the Secretary of Energy for President Trump from 2017-2019. An unsuccessful statesmanlike campaigner successful 2012 and 2016, Perry successful 2015 described the candidacy of then-rival Trump arsenic “a crab connected conservatism” that “will destruct a acceptable of principles.”