Scott Perry, it’s time to resign | Opinion

I first met Scott Perry when I was an intern working for State Rep. Stan Saylor, one of the hardest-working and most honest Republicans I know.

I have been affected by and engaged with Perry’s political career ever since then, as a small business owner and as a candidate for public office in central Pennsylvania.

Last week, I was ashamed — but, unfortunately, not surprised — to learn that Perry had betrayed our constitutional values, his oath of office that he swore to uphold, and has forever stained the history of our region and his record of public (dis)service.

According to recent news reports, Perry and Jeffrey Clark, the acting chief of the civil division at the U.S. Department of Justice, discussed a plan to remove the acting attorney general with President Donald Trump — an action that set off the chain of events that nearly led to the ouster of the acting attorney general, Jeffrey Rosen. Rosen had refused to send a letter to Georgia state lawmakers informing them of an investigation into voter fraud that could invalidate the state’s Electoral College results.

Why did Rosen refuse? Because there was and is no evidence of any significant fraud in the Georgia election results.

But Perry wouldn’t stop there. He introduced and encouraged Trump to conspire with Clark to remove the acting attorney general of the United States because they did not like the results of the election, and they were on a quest to change them.

» READ MORE: Pa. Congressman Scott Perry acknowledges introducing Trump to lawyer at the center of election plot

In plain terms: Perry conspired with the president of the United States and a member of the Justice Department to subvert the will of the American people.

He followed — and at times encouraged, as we now know — Trump down the false and dangerous rabbit hole of conspiracy-induced abyss of untruth. My very first impression of him was that he was a braggart; he loved boasting about himself. And he has fully embraced that trait by supporting the ultimate braggart: disgraced former President Trump.

Some of you reading this might have sympathy for the former president or agree with some of his policies. That is fine — it is not a question of policy positions. Behavior like Perry’s is simply unacceptable. Justice Department officials reported to the New York Times that, because of Perry’s intervention, Trump had called Clark directly on multiple occasions and that the two had met in person without alerting Rosen.

Justice Department policy stipulates that the president should initially communicate with the attorney general or the deputy attorney general on all matters, and then a lower-level official, if authorized. This is done to prevent any individual, particularly the most powerful individual on the planet, from interfering with an investigation. It is to protect the sanctity of our Constitution.

» READ MORE: Fact-checking false claims about Pennsylvania’s presidential election by Trump and his allies

Perry has been at the center of the worst of Trump’s lies. He has supported the spread of conspiracy theories and actively deceived his constituents, including suggesting on Tucker Carlson’s show that ISIS was responsible for the Las Vegas shooting in 2018. He has pushed baseless stories that have served to radicalize and help detach from reality many in our nation, even opposing a resolution to condemn the harmful QAnon movement. Perry is part of what is wrong with American politics today. He is part of the reason why we, as Americans — as neighbors and fellow people — have such a difficult time engaging with each other.

None of that is what a member of the United States Congress is supposed to do. As the title of U.S. representative suggests, his job is to represent all his constituents, not just the ones who agree with and are ready to support him. He has failed, fantastically, at his job. He has brought shame to our region of Pennsylvania, making us look like coconspirators in his failed attempt to overthrow our American democracy.

He must resign. If he does not, Congress should enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution:

“No person [who] shall be a ... Representative in Congress ..., shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

Central Pennsylvania deserves representation that respects our voters and upholds our Republic.

Ryan Sanders is a former candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, a small business owner, and adjunct professor at the University of Delaware.