About
John P. Rowley III, a former federal prosecutor who specializes in complex civil litigation, false claims act cases, and white-collar criminal cases, is the principal of JPRowley Law PLLC. He has represented individuals tied to the Trump administration in their interactions with the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol and made executive privilege arguments on Trump’s behalf as the Department of Justice intensified its investigation of the insurrection.
Rowley was previously an assistant U.S. attorney and branch chief for the Eastern District of Virginia, a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, and a partner in the Baker & McKenzie North America Litigation and Corporate Compliance & Risk Management Practice Groups.
January 6, 2021
- Rowley represented Representative Scott Perry (R-Penn.) when he refused to cooperate with the House Select Committee. In a five-page letter addressed to Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rowley claimed that the committee was unauthorized to issue subpoenas because it had not been established in accordance with its founding legislation, primarily because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) rejected certain nominations of Republican members made by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The committee subpoenaed Perry’s testimony since he plotted to replace the Justice Department’s acting attorney general in 2020 after he objected to baseless allegations spread by Trump about widespread voting fraud.
- Rowley also represented former Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro in his trial for contempt of Congress charges after refusing to cooperate with the House Select Committee. He unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the judge to delay the trial so that Navarro could have additional time to promote his book. Rowley also spoke out to criticize the supposedly harsh treatment Navarro received from law enforcement.
- When representing Trump legal advisor Cleta Mitchell, Rowley claimed that she could not comply with a House Select Committee request for her phone and text records because she uses her cell phone for personal and professional interactions and complying with the subpoena “improperly intrudes upon Ms. Mitchell’s work as an attorney and violates the protections and privileges she has as an American citizen.”
- JPRowley Law PLLC’s efforts to stonewall the House Select Committee were partially funded by the Trump political organization Save America PAC. The firm has received a total of $125,000 from the PAC since November 2021.