Month: August 2022

Categories
Entertainment

Armie Hammer: Alleged victims come forward in House of Hammer trailer

Armie Hammer: Alleged victims come forward in House of Hammer trailer

Armie Hammer’s alleged victims have come forward in the first trailer for a new documentary series.

Following a series of scandals, the film star is reportedly “totally broke” and selling timeshare properties from an office cubicle in the Cayman Islands.

The first trailer of House of Hammer, released on Wednesday by the US network Discovery, includes footage of two of Hammer’s exes, Courtney Vucekovich and Julia Morrison, coming forward to detail their claimed harrowing experiences and include screenshots of messages and voice notes the Social network star allegedly sent them, reported the new york post.

“I have a fantasy about having someone prove their love and devotion and tying them up in a public place at night and making their body free use,” one alleged message from Hammer says.

Another voice memo, purportedly sent by Hammer, employs more violent imagery.

“My bet was going to involve showing up at your place and completely tying you up and incapacitating you and being able to do whatever I wanted to every single hole in your body until I was done with you,” the memo says.

The three-part series also features Hammer’s aunt Casey Hammer, who is the granddaughter of Armand Hammer, the businessman who made the family fortune in the oil business.

“I’m about to reveal the dark, twisted secrets of the Hammer family,” Casey says in the trailer.

the Call Me By Your Name star, 35, has called all of the allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse “bulls – t,” while his lawyer, Andrew Brettler, has denied any wrongdoing.

“From day one, Mr Hammer has maintained that all of his interactions with” every sexual partner “have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory,” Brettler told the new york post‘s Page Six in a statement.

Armie, who has been living in the Cayman Islands near estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers and their two children, spent six months in a Florida rehab center, which was paid for by Robert Downey Jr.

House of Hammer premieres in September in the US. It’s not clear when it will be available in Australia.

This story appeared in the New York Post and is reproduced with permission.

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Categories
Sports

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch slammed for comments on Ken Hinkley coaching future

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch slammed for comments on Ken Hinkley coaching future

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has been slammed by AFL journalist Caroline Wilson and former coach Ross Lyon for bending to the will of the club’s fan base.

The Power have had a shocker of a season, the worst under Ken Hinkley’s tenure, leading to calls for the coach’s head.

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Certain supporters even plastered a “sack Hinkley” poster over a sign near the club’s headquarters last week.

Port Adelaide has just eight wins from 20 matches and sits 12th on the AFL ladder with two rounds remaining.

But while many footy pundits expect Hinkley to still be in charge at Port in 2023, Koch sparked a furore when he appeared to deliver a warning for his coach.

“Obviously this year will be the worst finish that we’ve had in the last 10 years and something’s got to change. We’ve got to get better. We’ve got to make some hard decisions,” Koch told FIVEaa on Monday.

“It’s not just about one individual person, it’s the whole program. Turn it around or watch out.

“Every single person’s role will be assessed at the end of the year, as we do each year.”

Speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Wednesday night, Wilson said Koch’s comments didn’t sit well with everyone at the Power and he will address them this week.

“I gather there will be some comments made regarding what he said on Monday night, comments that really inflamed the football club and really put Ken Hinkley under enormous pressure,” she said.

“I don’t think I know of another footy club in the AFL who is so beholden to their supporters as Port Adelaide.

“What this has done is forced some pretty robust conversations with the chairman and some of his senior people. I think hopefully, for Ken Hinkley’s sake, his job will be guaranteed tomorrow (Thursday) night.

“Until that happens, I’m still not convinced GWS, if they miss out on Alastair Clarkson, they won’t make a late play for Ken Hinkley.

“I should also mention Chris Davies, who is the head of footy at Port Adelaide, and a big Ken Hinkley supporter and has put this program together, North (Melbourne) have had a crack at him. They’re not the only club.

“I don’t think Chris Davies will go anywhere as long as Ken Hinkley stays at Port Adelaide. But what an environment to be going into next year.”

Ex-Fremantle and St Kilda coach Lyon said Koch’s comments threatened to divide the club in an attempt to appease outspoken fans.

“I think everyone in the AFL now talks about connection, harmony, environment,” Lyon told Footy Classified. “And David, for the sake of a sugar hit for his supporter base, to make them feel better that we’re ruthless and we’ll turn them over, the damage to the people that work there, grind their way through an AFL season , it’s disappointing.

“It comes from the top. It’s symbolic of how you feel about the people working for you.”

Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd said although it was not the ideal way to share the message, he agreed with Koch’s sentiment.

“He may not have said that publicly, but I agree with everything he said,” Lloyd said.

“Even if Ken Hinkley stays, what he (Koch) said there, it may have to look at the support staff, recruiting.”

But Lyon argued: “That should be a given you do that every year.

“You don’t need to sugar hit the door publicly and insult your people. He’s injured staff that have committed and for a long period of time have gone close. Not necessary.”

Koch was also slammed earlier in the week by Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes.

“Either make a call or back him (Hinkley) in … ‘turn it around or watch out’, what a ridiculous thing to say,” Cornes told SEN on Tuesday.

“The thing that David Koch needs to do is make a call, is he your coach or is he not your coach?

“And if he’s not your coach, you have to tell him now so that he has the opportunity and you give him the respect to go and find another job.

“There are two vacant coaching jobs right now that Ken Hinkley would absolutely be in the mix for it, but he can’t be in the mix for it if he thinks he’s going to be coaching Port Adelaide next year.

“Conversely, if he is your guy and you’ve contracted him for next year, which they have, back him in now. There’s nothing to be learned in the next two weeks that you don’t already know and you haven’t already discovered in the last 10 weeks.

“It was a stupid thing to say, it sent the media into a spin and it now has everyone questioning if Ken Hinkley will be there next year.”

Read related topics:Adelaide

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Categories
Australia

The most revealing moments of Xiao Qian’s Press Club address make clear why Australia’s relationship with China is so strained

A close up on Xiao Qian.

It’s 18 years since a Chinese ambassador last took up an invitation to appear at the National Press Club in Canberra. That was five ambassadors ago.

Two years ago, the deputy head of mission, Wang Xining, turned up to spar with Australian journalists. He was combative but could also make his point from him by quoting Shakespeare, and rarely went beyond the official party line. After all, he wasn’t Beijing’s top diplomat in town.

It’s a long time since China’s most authoritative voice in Canberra had agreed to front the press. Until yesterday.

Ambassador Xiao Qian didn’t come with poetic quotes or clever lines that could be interpreted one way or another. This was raw and revealing.

In his prepared remarks, Xiao made a token effort to encourage further progress in repairing ties.

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There were references to how “friendly” relations had been over the past 50 years. There were reminders of how much trade has grown (and how relevant Australia has become on China economically).

Once the questions began, however, it became very clear just how uncompromising China would be on the core issues causing such difficulty in the relationship, particularly the big one — Taiwan.

Hope for change… and a reality check

The change of government in Australia raised some hope of a relationship reset. The two countries’ defense ministers met, followed by the foreign ministers. This was more dialogue than had occurred in years.

Then came Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and a reality check.

China’s extraordinary military reaction, involving ballistic missiles, fighter jets and warships, prompted condemnation from the United States, Japan, Australia and others. This, in turn, prompted condemnation from Beijing, urging everyone to butt out of its “internal” affairs.

Taiwanese Pelosi
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a trip to the island last week.(Taiwan Presidential Office)

At the Press Club podium in Canberra, Xiao defended the show of military might, saying Pelosi’s visit had “compelled” China to respond.

He suggested the people of Taiwan wanted reunification with China, ignoring numerous opinion polls which he said were “misleading”. Fake news, as Donald Trump might say.

China would use “all necessary means” to bring Taiwan back to the fold and “you can use your imagination” as to what that might involve. Of course, no-one really needs to use their imagination, after the military display of the past week.

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Categories
US

Sesame Place announces diversity initiatives after accusations of racial bias

Sesame Place announces diversity initiatives after accusations of racial bias

Last month, a Black family accused Sesame Place Philadelphia character performers of racial discrimination and filed a lawsuit against parent company SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment in federal court in Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Quinton Burns and his child, says that during their visit to Sesame Place in June, employees dressed as “Sesame Street” characters only interacted with White visitors during a meet and greet event.

By the end of September, all employees will undergo training and education programs led by national experts, Sesame Place said in a statement Tuesday. The programs are designed to address bias, promote inclusion, prevent discrimination and ensure guests and employees feel welcome, it added.

“Initiatives include a comprehensive racial equity assessment, the development and implementation of an anti-bias training and education program, and enhancements to ensure a best-in-class diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) program,” it said.

“The racial equity assessment will include a review of policies, processes, and practices that impact guests, employees, suppliers and the community to identify opportunities for improvement.”

The training will become a regular part of workforce development, and will extend to all new employees.

“We have already begun engaging with employees, guests, civil rights groups as well as community leaders, and instituted some interim measures at the park while the review proceeds. The actions we are taking will help us deliver on our promise to provide an equitable and inclusive experience for all our guests every day,” said Cathy Valeriano, president of Sesame Place Philadelphia. “We are committed to making sure our guests feel welcome, included and enriched by their visits to our park.”

The lawsuit alleges that employees dressed as “Sesame Street” characters Elmo, Ernie, Telly Monster and Abby Cadabby refused to engage with the Burns family and ignored other Black guests in attendance.

The lawsuit did not specify the race of the employees or describe the interaction in detail. It came on the heels of a public apology from amusement park officials to another Black family after a video went viral on social media showing two Black children seemingly snubbed by the Rosita character.

In addition to monetary demands, the lawsuit asked the court to compel the defendants to issue a formal apology to Black Americans.

It also asked the company to conduct psychological screenings to avoid hiring racially mustachioed people, provide existing employees with mandatory cultural sensitivity training and hire a national expert to educate them on the history of discrimination against Black people in America.

CNN’s Lauren del Valle contributed to this report.

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Categories
Business

Price of packaged beer set to rise as brewers pass on higher production costs

Pouring a pint of beer on tap at the pub

Brewers have warned that packaged beverages will become more expensive and could increase by a larger margin that pints at the pub.

Independent and larger-scale brewing companies across Australia are feeling the pressure of a recent increase in excise tax, as well as a spike in aluminum and ingredient prices.

Wilson Brewing Co founder Matt Wilson said brewers had tried to keep prices as low as possible, but it was inevitable they would rise.

“You’re not only going to see an increase in pint prices at the pub, you’re actually going to see a larger increase of packaged product that you would purchase and take home to drink,” he said.

Excise tax strain

The alcohol excise tax increases every six months, and the most recent hike of 3.84 per cent for full-strength beer was the largest in 20 years.

Mr Wilson said brewing costs had ballooned by about 60 per cent over the past two decades, and that flowed on to consumers.

“You might see a $5 to $10 raise in carton prices coming up around Christmas time or even before,” he said.

“The unfortunate thing about excise taxes, it never goes backwards.”

Man behind bar at the pub with a beer
Mr Wilson says carton prices could rise by up to $10 by around Christmas time.(ABC Great Southern: Sophie Johnson)

Everything is going up

There are multiple inputs that go into crafting and brewing beer, all of which have inflated.

Mr Wilson said aluminium, used to package cans of beer, was rising in cost.

“Grain, barley especially, is the highest spec of barley of grain that a farmer can grow to … so their direct energy input costs is directly reflected on the price that they’ve charged for their grain,” Mr Wilson said.

“grain [is probably] our third biggest input.”

Bird's eye view of header harvesting a paddock of barley
The cost of barley production is affecting the ingredient price for brewers.(ABC Great Southern: Tom Edwards)

GrainGrowers chief executive David McKeon said Australian barley prices were trading above historical averages.

“Right across Australia, we’re looking at bids anywhere into the low to mid three hundreds for for barley [dollars per tonne] … it’s a fairly strong price,” he said.

He said it was important to not only consider the raw price of barley going into an end product.

“We are seeing a lot of other factors influencing a lot of our processors, manufacturers and retailers … some of those [being] challenges around supply chains, freight costs, labor costs, and energy costs,” Mr McKeon said.

Resource analyst Tim Treadgold said aluminium, a popular material choice for packaging, was an expensive item to produce due to the amount of energy it required.

“In order to get the can through the plant onto a truck off to the bottling or packaging depot … the trucks that haul up there are running on liquid fuels, which are also expensive,” he said.

“The energy input into the whole process has gone up substantially in all facets of production.”

Taps of beer at a bar
Packaging takes up more than 20 per cent of Mr Wilson’s input costs.(ABC Great Southern: Sophie Johnson)

Worse than COVID-19

Independent Brewers Association chief executive Kylie Lethbridge said she had concerns for the industry.

“We fared … relatively well out of the last two years of the pandemic, but by no means are we in recovery mode, in fact, some feel that this is more of a challenge,” she said.

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Why is everything so expensive?

She said skill shortages, material shortages and challenges such as freight costs would be applicable to any business in the country.

“If those waves keep hitting, then there is only so much a business can stand, and sadly, that may mean we lose… some independent breweries around the country.”

“The challenge … for the consumer is that the price of beer will rise, whether you drink it in the pub from a tap, or whether … you pick it up from the bottle shop,” she said.

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Categories
Technology

How to Play Netflix Games

How to Play Netflix Games

Do you subscribe to Netflix and own a smartphone? The streaming company offers a small selection of mobile games to all subscribers at no additional cost, but you essentially have to complete a side quest to find them. Odds are you’ve never played a Netflix game even if you are a current subscriber.

You don’t need to be a mega-fan of stranger things to get enjoyment out of Netflix games. Sure, there are a couple of IP-based titles, but most of the over 20 available games have nothing to do with Netflix shows. There’s a rogue-like deck builder, arcaniuman adorable hidden object game, Krispee Streetand a turn-based strategy game, Into the Breach.

People who enjoy playing games on their phones may appreciate downloading titles that don’t have any ads or hidden microtransactions. Netflix games stand in contrast to contemporary mobile games that start off as free-to-play, only to pelt players with fees later on. (Yes, I’m talking about you, Devil Immortal.)

How to Find Netflix Games to Download

You can put away those next-gen consoles and home-built PCs: Netflix’s foray into video games is only on mobile devices. Your smartphone or tablet needs to run either iOS 15 or Android 8 and have space available for downloads. To retain access to the games, your subscription must be current, and the cheapest Netflix plan starts at $10 a month.

Already have the Netflix app downloaded on your Android or Apple device? You may see a tab for Games along the bottom of the screen when opening the app. This feature is not yet rolled out to all users. Don’t see a Games tab? You may find a breakout section featuring video games while scrolling through the home tab.

Click on the square icon for the game you want to play and choose Get Game. You’ll be redirected to the Play Store on Android and the App Store on Apple devices. Starting your search inside the Netflix app is alright when you’re just looking around for new experiences. Taking that into account, downloading the streaming service’s app is not a requirement to play and anyone who already knows which Netflix game they want can skip the above steps.

The full list of games is available on Netflix’s website, and the easiest way to download new titles is to pick a game from that list and search for it directly in the App Store or Play Store. All of the games owned by Netflix have a small “N” emblazoned on the top left corner of the app’s icon. After finding the game you’re looking for, go ahead and start the download process.

After the download is done, there’s just one last step before this quest is complete and you finally get to start playing! When you open the game for the first time, you will likely see a prompt to log in with your Netflix account. Start by tapping on Next. Then enter your account information and click log in. If the Netflix account has multiple profiles, choose whichever one is yours to track progress.

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Categories
Entertainment

Julie Bishop: Former foreign minister stuns in Balmain revenge dress

Julie Bishop: Former foreign minister stuns in Balmain revenge dress

Former foreign minister turned mining Adviser and fashion icon Julie Bishop has made another bold statement in her life post-politics.

Ms Bishop joined Australian department store David Jones for their first runway show in four years to premiere the latest Spring/ Summer 22 collection.

She turned heads on Wednesday night’s red carpet in a $3750 metallic jacquard long sleeve mini dress designed by French luxury fashion house Balmain.

The former politician slipped on a pair of black stockings, simple black pumps and completed the head-to-toe black look with a clutch adorned with silver chain detail.

Ms Bishop received a string of adoring comments when she posted photos of her look to her Instagram account.

Pip Edwards of Aussie activewear brand PE Nation wrote, “You stunner.”

“Va va va Voom!!,” Sunrise entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen commented.

One spot-on Instagram user compared Ms Bishop’s look to that of the late Princess Diana’s infamous ‘revenge’ dress which she wore at her first public event following her headline-making split from Prince Charles.

“Is that like Diana’s revenge dress?,” they said.

The skin tight mini black number certainly looked similar to the Christina Stambolian cocktail dress worn by the British princess.

It’s even more fitting given Ms Bishops very public split from long-time boyfriend David Panton who reportedly dumped her over dinner in July ending their eight-year relationship.

“I’m very busy,” Bishop told Confidential of her newly single life.

“I spend a lot of time at the ANU as chancellor, I’m doing a lot of speaking engagements and attending fabulous events like the David Jones launch”.

Just this month, Bishop hosted a Q&A with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended by university students from across Australia.

Ms Bishop also showed off a return to her iconic close-cropped blonde look after many months of growing out her hair post-politics.

“Ooo has she gone short hair again! I love her with short hair,” One fan, @amysuart commented below the photo.

“Looking gorgeous, what an inspiration, love the new do,” a friend said.

Bishop told Confidential she rushed to the salon just hours before the event.

“It’s a post-Covid recovery haircut,” Bishop said.

“After we went into lockdown I let my hair grow and then it became so easy but I managed to get an appointment with Scott Sloan, whom I have a great deal of respect for, and he cut my hair so I’m feeling great. ”

Ms Bishop was joined on the guest list by indie artist Vera Blue, model Natalie Roser, TV-host Erin Holland, activewear entrepreneur Pip Edwards, and fashion designer Bianca Spender at the flagship store.

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Categories
Sports

Phil Gould reaction to Ricky Stuart ban from Canberra Raiders, response to holding press conferences

Rugby league icon Phil Gould said the most onerous part of Ricky Stuart’s punishment is the embarrassment, after the Canberra Raiders coach became the first ever club official to be suspended on Tuesday.

Stuart was handed a one-game ban and fined $25,000 by the NRL for labeling Penrith playmaker Jaeman Salmon a “weak gutted dog person” in his post-match press conference on Saturday.

The one-week suspension means that Stuart is not allowed to enter Raiders facilities again until next Wednesday. He can’t attend any type of training session or communicate in any way with his staff or players.

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All coaching duties will instead be handed to his three assistants until next Wednesday.

Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles With Gus podcast, Gould said Stuart would feel mortified at the penalty above all else.

“I think it’s more embarrassment than anything,” he said.

With Stuart forced to sit out this week’s round 22 clash with St George Illawarra, Gould said that aside from the disturbance caused, the Raiders would be fine.

“Ricky’s staff will look after what happens over the next few days in preparation for the big game,” he said.

“In terms of the coach not being there this weekend, I’m sure the staff will handle it and it won’t affect the team too much – it’s just an unnecessary headline.”

No stranger to being fined for poor behaviour, the league may have recognized that financial penalties have little impact on Stuart, added podcast host Mathew Thompson.

“He’s a very passionate bloke and I think everyone loves that about him, but things probably got the better of him and that drilled into something obviously very deep and personal to him after the game,” he said.

Stuart brands Panther a ‘weak-gutted dog’

Paul Gallen presented the argument that post-game press conferences should be scrapped in his latest column for Wide World of Sports, after Stuart used the media opportunity to launch the stunning personal attack on 23-year-old Salmon, with whom it was later revealed. he has personal history dating back to 2010.

However, Darren Lockyer disagreed, seeing value in coaches and captains facing the press shortly after a game.

Gould said the formality was an important part of the game’s broadcast rights agreement, but admitted that it was the intention of the press to seek out an emotional response that will set up a juicy headline for the next day.

“The league have made it important from a media standpoint that we have these press conferences and it’s probably fitting to talk to the fans and the corporates, and the people that put their money into the game, but it’s not treated like that by the media I don’t think,” he said.

“It’s more a chance to try and extract something.

“I think the coaches would be far more forthcoming with information or comment if they didn’t feel like they were there to be trapped.”

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Uniform controversies that have rocked sport around the world

Categories
Australia

Criminal Bar Association and Law Institute of Victoria criticize planned legislation

Criminal Bar Association and Law Institute of Victoria criticize planned legislation

Sydney man Luke Lazarus was found not guilty of sexual assault on appeal despite a jury and two judges finding that then-18-year-old Mullins had not consented to sex with him in an alleyway behind a Kings Cross nightclub in 2013.

The appeals judge overturned a guilty conviction, finding while Mullins had not consented to having sex, Lazarus had no reasonable basis for believing she had not.

Saxon Mullins is advocating for an affirmative consent model.

Saxon Mullins is advocating for an affirmative consent model.Credit:

Mullins – who now works at Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy – told The Age Victoria’s current sexual offense laws fell short of the standard set by NSW after the Perrottet government overhauled that state’s legislation last year.

“Lawyers can work in the hypothetical; as a survivor, I work in reality,” she said. “The laws are not clear, and we need to be clear on what refuses consent. It leaves it up to too much interpretation.”

Mullins said amending the laws was only part of wider reforms needed to change attitudes to sexual offending. She said governments must follow legislation up with a years-long strategy that included education to end sexual violence.

Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said last week an affirmative consent model was an important part of changing attitudes and would help end “outdated stereotypes”.

It was also a key recommendation from the Victorian Law Reform Commission, which found sexual violence was widespread and under-reported, and victim-survivors needed better protection from trauma when seeking justice.

“The legislation deliberately allows for the courts to consider nuanced situations in addition to the minimum requirement of taking steps to obtain consent,” Symes said. “It’s the younger generation who’ve made it clear they won’t stand for these archaic ways of victim-blaming any longer – we’ve listened and are driving those reforms for them.”

Law Institute of Victoria president Tania Wolff said Victoria already had an affirmative consent model and the government’s proposed changes would achieve little in shifting the status quo.

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The Crimes Act defines consent as “free agreement” and sets out a range of scenarios that do not constitute consent. It also states a person’s belief in consent must be reasonable, which includes steps they have taken to find out whether their sexual partner has consented.

“The amendments are not changing very much and what they add doesn’t really clarify things … or make it easier to understand a complicated area,” Wolff said.

“In terms of consent, we need a focus on education rather than more words in a statute. And regarding the new image-based pornography offences, we would be better advised as a society teaching our young … than upping an imprisonment penalty.”

But Rape and Sexual Research Advocacy chief executive Dr Rachael Burgin said even the proposed legislation fell short of fully achieving an affirmative consent model.

Currently, jurors deliberating on a sexual offense case are directed to look at the circumstances and establish whether they believed the accused took reasonable steps. Burgin said under the new law, the accused must demonstrate what steps they took.

She said while the bill was good, an element of the defense that required the accused to demonstrate they had taken steps at a reasonable time before or during the sexual act could be problematic.

“A five-minute time frame may be determined by a jury to be reasonable, but in our view a lot can happen in that time,” Burgin said.

“These won’t fix the system and they’re not a silver bullet, but it does show the Victorian government is taking positive steps forward. Affirmative consent is not the be all and end all. It’s just the beginning of a road to reform.”

Kathleen Maltzahn, the chief executive of Sexual Assault Services Victoria, said last week the legislation would remove uncertainty.

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“For years, some have insisted that many sexual assaults are in fact misunderstandings, that many alleged perpetrators are led astray by victims’ mixed messages,” she said. “If you’re uncertain if the other person wants to go ahead, don’t. This clarity should be welcomed by anyone who is not a rape apologist or a rapist.”

The Victorian opposition said it was still consulting stakeholders and would determine its position on the government’s proposed law before it returned to parliament next month.

“The essential nature of positive consent to intimate relationships is not in question,” shadow attorney-general Michael O’Brien said.

“Drafting a workable bill to recognize this in law is more challenging.”

The bill would also criminalize “stealthing” (removing a condom or other protection during sex without consent) and deepfake porn (where a person’s image is altered to falsely make it appear they are doing something sexual).

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Categories
US

Why Scott Perry stands out in the FBI’s investigations of Trump allies

Why Scott Perry stands out in the FBI's investigations of Trump allies

“Representative Perry has directed us to cooperate with the Justice Department in order to ensure that it gets the information it is entitled to, but to also protect information that it is not entitled to, including communications that are protected under the Speech and Debate Clause of the United States Constitution and communications with counsel,” Irving said.

Evidence points to the DOJ’s interest in Perry as related to the FBI’s effort to reclaim presidential records that may have been improperly stored at Trump’s private estate.

The Justice Department’s inspector general, whose office declined to comment, is taking the lead on the election subversion investigation. FBI agents acting on the inspector general’s behalf in June seized the phone of attorney John Eastman, who is also connected to that effort. A Perry spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The seizure of Perry’s phone was related to the inspector general’s investigation, according to CNN.

Though dozens of GOP lawmakers have been referenced in the Jan. 6 select committee’s investigation as aiding or amplifying Trump’s attempt to cling to power, Perry’s involvement stood apart, making it all the more likely that this was the matter behind his cell phone seizure. Here are the various strands of evidence congressional investigators have revealed about Perry’s role to date.

Elevating Jeffrey Clark

Testimony released through the Senate Judiciary Committee and Jan. 6 select committee’s investigation shows Perry pushed for Jeffrey Clark — who, at the time, was a little-known Justice Department official — to helm the agency in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Trump’s allies saw Clark as more sympathetic to investigations of baseless claims of voter fraud, and Clark was preparing to tee up an official DOJ letter urging states to reconvene their legislatures and consider overturning the certified election results.

Investigators have shown that Perry helped introduce Clark to Trump and his allies. Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue told lawmakers that Perry said in a meeting “something to the effect of ‘I think Jeff Clark is great, and I think he’s the kind of guy who could get in there and do something about this stuff.’ And this was coming on the heels of the president having mentioned Mr. Clark in the afternoon call earlier that day.”

Visitor records released by the select panel showed Perry brought Clark to the White House on Dec. 22, 2020, and helped introduce him to Trump.

And in texts released by the select panel, Perry expressed urgency to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to elevate Clark.

“Mark, just checking in as time continues to count down. 11 days to 1/6 and 25 days to inauguration. We gotta get going!” Perry wrote in a Dec. 26, 2020, text, adding later, “Mark, you should call Jeff.”

Trump came within an eyelash of dismissing DOJ’s leadership and installing Clark in the days before Jan. 6, relenting only when senior leaders in the White House and Justice Department threatened to resign en masse.

Encrypted messages with Meadows

In the same Dec. 26, 2020, text exchange, Perry said he’d sent Meadows a message using the encrypted messaging service called Signal and asked: “Did you call Jeff Clark?” It’s unclear if either man retained their Signal chats, though the National Archives has previously acknowledged Meadows may not have “properly” stored all of his records from his phone and email account of him.

The Jan. 6 select panel also received testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aid to Meadows, that she heard that the chief of staff burned papers in his office after meeting in the White House with Perry, though the substance of what was in those papers are unclear.

Planning Trump’s Jan. 6 strategy

Perry also took part in a Dec. 21, 2020, meeting at the White House with lawmakers in the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus, which Perry chairs, during which they discussed strategies to block or delay certification of Joe Biden’s victory on Jan. 6 They particularly focused on then-Vice President Mike Pence’s role presiding over the counting of electoral votes.

Hutchinson recalled White House lawyers being present and “pushing back on” plans floated by Perry and other Trump allies for Pence to reject Biden’s electors on Jan. 6 — with the goal being to kick the election back to state legislatures to appoint their own pro- Trump voters. White House lawyers didn’t think the plan was “legally sound,” Hutchinson testified.

Taking Trump to the Capitol on Jan. 6

Testimony from Hutchinson also revealed plans for Trump to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6 — and Meadows and Perry discussing that proposal.

“I remember hearing a few different ideas discussed with — between Mark [Meadows] and Scott Perry, Mark and Rudy Giuliani,” Hutchinson told lawmakers. “I don’t know which conversations were elevated to the president. I don’t know what he personally wanted to do when he went up to the Capitol that day.”

Hutchinson similarly told the select committee that Perry had been supportive of floated plans to call on Trump supporters to march on the Capitol.

pardon request

In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection, Perry was one of a handful of GOP lawmakers who discussed the possibility of pardons from Trump, according to Hutchinson. None of them ultimately received pardons.

“Mr. Perry asked for a pardon, too,” Hutchinson told lawmakers, adding that he talked to her directly.

Perry has denied asking for a pardon for himself or other lawmakers, though another lawmaker, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), has acknowledged his own request for a pardon related to his objections to electoral votes and has released an email from him to the White House putting his request in writing.

“The President thought it would be best just to let it play out,” Brooks told reporters in June.