By Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, an ally under former President Donald Trump on Tuesday stated that he will not give information to a congressional investigation into the fatal attack on U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Perry (a Republican) stated on Twitter (NYSE 🙂 that he wouldn’t sit down for an interview with panel members and would not give electronic communications requested by the panel, which included messages he had exchanged with Trump’s lawyers.

Perry stated, “I stand with tremendous respect for our Constitution and the rule of law and the Americans that I represent who know this entity is illegal and not properly constituted according to the U.S. House of Representatives rules.”

An appeals court found that the Jan. 6, Select Committee was valid and allowed to inspect White House records Trump attempted to conceal from public view.

Perry was not addressed by the committee’s spokesperson immediately.

The Monday letter was released by the committee to Perry, asking him to cooperate.

It stated that it sought information on Trump’s attempt to remove Jeffrey Rosen, acting head, U.S. Justice Department, during Trump’s final weeks in office, and to replace him by Jeffrey Clark. Clark was an official then who wanted to assist Trump with his victory.

This letter marks a new stage for the lawmakers of the committee, who so far have not publically demanded information about Republican colleagues who supported Trump’s attempts to keep power following his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020.

Perry and the other Republican lawmakers met Trump prior to the attack. The two discussed the possibility of blocking the official certification by Congress of Biden’s win, Jan. 6.