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{{Short description|American lawyer and online personality}}
{{Short description|American lawyer and online personality (born 1984)}}
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{{Notability|Biography|date=July 2023}}
{{Notability|Biography|date=July 2023}}
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'''Pericles "Perry" Abbasi''' is a [[Greek Americans|Greek-American]] lawyer and online personality.
'''Pericles "Perry" Abbasi''' (born 1984) is an American lawyer and online personality.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Pericles Abbasi was born in [[Aurora, Illinois]], to a [[Pakistanis|Pakistani]] father and a [[Greek people|Greek]] mother. Pericles' father was a [[Muslim]] from [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] and belonged to the [[Dhund Abbasi]] caste.<ref name="PerryKashmir">{{cite tweet |number=1744186180353040415 |user=ElectionLegal |title=My father is from Kashmir, I'm half Desi |first=Pericles 'Perry' |last=Abbasi |date=January 8, 2024 |access-date=May 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2024-0517-0857-31/https://x.com:443/ElectionLegal/status/1744186180353040415 |archive-date=May 16, 2024 |url-status=live |reply-to=Mindzatwork |lang=en}}</ref>

Abbasi attended the [[University of Chicago]], earning his [[Bachelor of Science]] and [[Master of Science]] degrees before moving on to [[Chicago-Kent College of Law|Kent College of Law]] for a [[Juris Doctor]] degree.<ref name="kent">{{cite web |title=Honors Scholar Program: Pericles Abbasi |url=http://www.kentlaw.edu/honorsscholars/2011students/Pericles_Abbasi.html |url-status=live |website=[[Chicago-Kent College of Law]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307230815/http://www.kentlaw.edu/honorsscholars/2011students/Pericles_Abbasi.html |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> At the University of Chicago, Abbasi was awarded the [[Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship]]. He also filmed a local hip-hop show and competed in national quiz bowl competitions.<ref name="kent" />
Abbasi attended the [[University of Chicago]], earning his [[Bachelor of Science]] and [[Master of Science]] degrees before moving on to [[Chicago-Kent College of Law|Kent College of Law]] for a [[Juris Doctor]] degree.<ref name="kent">{{cite web |title=Honors Scholar Program: Pericles Abbasi |url=http://www.kentlaw.edu/honorsscholars/2011students/Pericles_Abbasi.html |url-status=live |website=[[Chicago-Kent College of Law]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307230815/http://www.kentlaw.edu/honorsscholars/2011students/Pericles_Abbasi.html |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> At the University of Chicago, Abbasi was awarded the [[Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship]]. He also filmed a local hip-hop show and competed in national quiz bowl competitions.<ref name="kent" />


Line 44: Line 45:
After graduating and passing the bar exam, Abbasi worked as an elections attorney and won cases before the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit]], the [[Supreme Court of Illinois]], the [[Illinois Appellate Court]] and various electoral boards. His legal practice also focused on [[zoning]], property tax appeals and real estate closings.
After graduating and passing the bar exam, Abbasi worked as an elections attorney and won cases before the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit]], the [[Supreme Court of Illinois]], the [[Illinois Appellate Court]] and various electoral boards. His legal practice also focused on [[zoning]], property tax appeals and real estate closings.


Abbasi led a challenge to the signatures collected by the [[Kanye West 2020 presidential campaign]] in Illinois. Upon review, the [[Illinois State Board of Elections]] determined that the West campaign did not have the required minimum amount of signatures and did not qualify for the presidential ballot.<ref name="kanye">{{cite news |last1=Neumann |first1=Sean |date=July 23, 2020 |title=Kanye West Campaign Faces New Challenges in Illinois: 'I Don't Think He's Ready' |url=https://people.com/politics/kanye-west-campaign-challenges-in-illinois/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>
Abbasi led a challenge to the signatures (nearly 3,200 signatures) collected by the [[Kanye West 2020 presidential campaign]] in Illinois.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-03 |title=Chicago Attorney Doubts Kanye West Will Appear On Illinois Ballot |url=https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/chicago-attorney-doubts-kanye-west-will-appear-illinois-ballot |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=Chicago, IL Patch |language=en}}</ref> Upon review, the [[Illinois State Board of Elections]] determined that the West campaign did not have the required minimum amount of signatures and did not qualify for the presidential ballot.<ref name="kanye">{{cite news |last1=Neumann |first1=Sean |date=July 23, 2020 |title=Kanye West Campaign Faces New Challenges in Illinois: 'I Don't Think He's Ready' |url=https://people.com/politics/kanye-west-campaign-challenges-in-illinois/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>


In 2023, the City of Chicago held elections for 22 newly created [[Police oversight in Chicago#Police District Councils|police district councils]], one for each of the city's police districts. Abbasi supported the Chicago [[Fraternal Order of Police]] in these elections, legally representing several of their preferred candidates.<ref name="wbez">{{cite news |last1=Savchenko |first1=Anna |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Chicago's biggest police union is spending money to win power on new oversight councils |url=https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-police-union-spending-in-new-council-elections/7830fe18-a6f0-4e1b-bf1d-240b18fbd500 |url-status=live |work=[[WBEZ]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117153651/https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-police-union-spending-in-new-council-elections/7830fe18-a6f0-4e1b-bf1d-240b18fbd500 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023|quote="At the hearing, Abbasi said he was representing eight people in district council races. State records show he received a $10,000 payment from the police union in early December. Abbasi is also running as a candidate in the 25th police district in Grand Central on the northwest side and said the union helped him collect signatures to get on the ballot."}}</ref><ref name="police">{{cite news |last1=Bradley |first1=Tahman |last2=Smith |first2=Andrew |date=December 7, 2023 |title=Chicago voters to choose police district representatives for first time ever in February |url=https://wgntv.com/politics-3/chicago-voters-to-chose-police-district-representatives-for-first-time-ever-in-february/ |url-status=live |work=[[WGN-TV]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330090609/http://austintalks.org/2023/02/westside-naacp-calling-on-25th-police-district-candidate-to-be-disbarred/ |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>
In 2023, the City of Chicago held elections for 22 newly created [[Police oversight in Chicago#Police District Councils|police district councils]], one for each of the city's police districts. Abbasi supported the Chicago [[Fraternal Order of Police]] in these elections, legally representing several of their preferred candidates.<ref name="wbez">{{cite news |last1=Savchenko |first1=Anna |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Chicago's biggest police union is spending money to win power on new oversight councils |url=https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-police-union-spending-in-new-council-elections/7830fe18-a6f0-4e1b-bf1d-240b18fbd500 |url-status=live |work=[[WBEZ]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117153651/https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-police-union-spending-in-new-council-elections/7830fe18-a6f0-4e1b-bf1d-240b18fbd500 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023|quote="At the hearing, Abbasi said he was representing eight people in district council races. State records show he received a $10,000 payment from the police union in early December. Abbasi is also running as a candidate in the 25th police district in Grand Central on the northwest side and said the union helped him collect signatures to get on the ballot."}}</ref><ref name="police">{{cite news |last1=Bradley |first1=Tahman |last2=Smith |first2=Andrew |date=December 7, 2023 |title=Chicago voters to choose police district representatives for first time ever in February |url=https://wgntv.com/politics-3/chicago-voters-to-chose-police-district-representatives-for-first-time-ever-in-february/ |url-status=live |work=[[WGN-TV]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330090609/http://austintalks.org/2023/02/westside-naacp-calling-on-25th-police-district-candidate-to-be-disbarred/ |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>


==Social media activity==
==Social media activity==
Between 2020 and 2023, Abbasi posted prolifically on [[Twitter]], averaging roughly 70 tweets per day, and moving from under a thousand followers in 2020 to reaching 24,000 in January 2023. His posts were described by [[Malcom Kyeyune]] as often "bizarre and unseemly" and as having "little grounding in reality".<ref name="herd" /> Abbasi described one ongoing Twitter gag where he posed as an [[Alpha male]] who was also a "closeted homosexual."<ref name="reader" />
Between 2020 and 2023, Abbasi posted prolifically on [[Twitter]], averaging roughly 70 tweets per day. He went from under a thousand followers in 2020 to 24,000 in January 2023. His posts were described by [[Malcom Kyeyune]] as often "bizarre and unseemly" and as having "little grounding in reality".<ref name="herd" /> Abbasi described one ongoing Twitter gag where he posed as an "[[alpha male]]" who was also a "closeted homosexual."<ref name="reader" /> He was voted as the 2024 Alpha Male of the Year by Twitter users.


==Run for office and controversy==
== Candidacies and Public Scrutiny ==
Abbasi ran for office in 2023, looking to secure one of three seats representing the newly formed Grand Central (25th) Police District Council.
Abbasi was a candidate in the 2023 election for one of the three seats on the newly formed Grand Central (25th) Police District Council. He was paid $10,000 by the Fraternal Order of Police, and unsuccessfully challenged progressive candidates' ballot petitions on the FOP's behalf. The police union also endorsed Abbasi's candidacy, attempting to run him as a spoiler against abolitionist candidates.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
<!--{{Tweet|name=Pericles 'Perry' Abbasi |username=ElectionLegal |date=February 20, 2023|text=Vote Perry Abbasi for 25th District Police Council. Punch 74.|ID=1627886500250525697|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723002017/https://twitter.com/ElectionLegal/status/1627886500250525697|archive-date=July 22, 2023}}-->
<!--{{Tweet|name=Pericles 'Perry' Abbasi |username=ElectionLegal |date=February 20, 2023|text=Vote Perry Abbasi for 25th District Police Council. Punch 74.|ID=1627886500250525697|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723002017/https://twitter.com/ElectionLegal/status/1627886500250525697|archive-date=July 22, 2023}}-->


During his campaign, an article in the [[Chicago Reader]] highlighted Abbasi's social media posts, which they described as containing "racist and misogynist" content. This included one tweet in which Abbasi referenced a [[criminal stereotype of African Americans]], writing, "I've said in spaces that the horrible black american diet is the reason for 13/50!"<ref name="reader">{{cite news |last=Daley |first=Jim |date=January 19, 2023 |title=Police district candidate's social media full of racist and misogynist posts |url=https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/perry-abbasi-fop-tweets/ |url-status=live |work=[[Chicago Reader]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120070505/https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/perry-abbasi-fop-tweets/ |archive-date=January 20, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> Writing for [[UnHerd]], blogger [[Malcom Kyeyune]] wrote that Abbasi is "so irony-poisoned from years of hard posting that the pain of drowning will be nothing short of sweet relief from his need to respond to likes and notifications".<ref name="herd">{{cite news |last=Kyeyune |first=Malcom |date=February 7, 2023 |title=How the Online Right gave up on reality |url=https://unherd.com/2023/02/how-the-online-right-gave-up-on-reality/ |url-status=live |work=[[UnHerd]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207042600/https://unherd.com/2023/02/how-the-online-right-gave-up-on-reality/ |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> In response to the reporting on his social media history, the Chicago West Side chapter of the [[NAACP]] called for Abbasi to be disbarred.<ref name="austin">{{cite web |last=Michelle |first=Meyer |date=February 19, 2023 |title=Westside NAACP calling on 25th Police District candidate to be disbarred |url=http://austintalks.org/2023/02/westside-naacp-calling-on-25th-police-district-candidate-to-be-disbarred/ |url-status=live |website=AustinTalks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330090609/http://austintalks.org/2023/02/westside-naacp-calling-on-25th-police-district-candidate-to-be-disbarred/ |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>
During his campaign, the [[Chicago Reader]] highlighted Abbasi's social media activity, including multiple posts with "racist and misogynist" content. In one tweet, Abbasi referenced a [[criminal stereotype of African Americans]], writing, "I've said in spaces that the horrible black american diet is the reason for 13/50!"<ref name="reader">{{cite news |last=Daley |first=Jim |date=January 19, 2023 |title=Police district candidate's social media full of racist and misogynist posts |url=https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/perry-abbasi-fop-tweets/ |url-status=live |work=[[Chicago Reader]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120070505/https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/perry-abbasi-fop-tweets/ |archive-date=January 20, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> Writing in [[UnHerd]], blogger [[Malcom Kyeyune]] wrote that Abbasi is "so irony-poisoned from years of hard posting that the pain of drowning will be nothing short of sweet relief from his need to respond to likes and notifications".<ref name="herd">{{cite news |last=Kyeyune |first=Malcom |date=February 7, 2023 |title=How the Online Right gave up on reality |url=https://unherd.com/2023/02/how-the-online-right-gave-up-on-reality/ |url-status=live |work=[[UnHerd]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207042600/https://unherd.com/2023/02/how-the-online-right-gave-up-on-reality/ |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>
In response to the Reader's reporting on his social media history, the Chicago West Side chapter of the [[NAACP]] called for Abbasi to be disbarred, and several campaign committees Abbasi had worked for disavowed him.<ref name="austin">{{cite web |last=Michelle |first=Meyer |date=February 19, 2023 |title=Westside NAACP calling on 25th Police District candidate to be disbarred |url=http://austintalks.org/2023/02/westside-naacp-calling-on-25th-police-district-candidate-to-be-disbarred/ |url-status=live |website=AustinTalks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330090609/http://austintalks.org/2023/02/westside-naacp-calling-on-25th-police-district-candidate-to-be-disbarred/ |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>

⚫
Abbasi came in fifth out of five candidates, securing just 8.6 percent of the vote.<ref name="reader" />

==Electoral History==


{{Election box begin no change|title=2023 Chicago Police District Council District 25 Election}}
⚫
Abbasi came in fifth out of five candidates, securing less than nine percent of the vote.
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Nonpartisan politician|candidate=Angelica Green |votes=12568|percentage=28.1}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Nonpartisan politician|candidate=Saúl Arellano|votes=11433|percentage=25.6}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Nonpartisan politician|candidate=Jacob Arena|votes=9008|percentage=20.2}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Nonpartisan politician|candidate=Edgar Esparza|votes=7837|percentage=17.5}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Nonpartisan politician|candidate=Perry Abbasi|votes=3828|percentage=8.6}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=44674|percentage=100.0}}
{{Election box end}}


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Abbasi's Chicago-area home was ransacked after the 2018 Christmas holiday.<ref name="cpd">{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Katie |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Man Who Says Home Was Ransacked After Christmas Pushes Back on CPD Announcement of Reduced Crime |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/galewood-break-in/166487/ |url-status=live |work=[[WMAQ-TV]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010215255/https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/galewood-break-in/166487/ |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> As of 2023, Abbasi was engaged to a woman.<ref name="herd"/>
Abbasi claimed his home was ransacked after the 2018 Christmas holiday.<ref name="cpd">{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Katie |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Man Who Says Home Was Ransacked After Christmas Pushes Back on CPD Announcement of Reduced Crime |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/galewood-break-in/166487/ |url-status=live |work=[[WMAQ-TV]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010215255/https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/galewood-break-in/166487/ |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 00:26, 1 January 2025

Pericles Abbasi
Born1984 (age 40–41)
Aurora, Illinois, U.S.
Other namesPerry Abbasi
Education
OccupationLawyer
SpouseA woman

Pericles "Perry" Abbasi (born 1984) is an American lawyer and online personality.

Early life

Pericles Abbasi was born in Aurora, Illinois, to a Pakistani father and a Greek mother. Pericles' father was a Muslim from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and belonged to the Dhund Abbasi caste.[1]

Abbasi attended the University of Chicago, earning his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees before moving on to Kent College of Law for a Juris Doctor degree.[2] At the University of Chicago, Abbasi was awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. He also filmed a local hip-hop show and competed in national quiz bowl competitions.[2]

Work as a lawyer

After graduating and passing the bar exam, Abbasi worked as an elections attorney and won cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the Supreme Court of Illinois, the Illinois Appellate Court and various electoral boards. His legal practice also focused on zoning, property tax appeals and real estate closings.

Abbasi led a challenge to the signatures (nearly 3,200 signatures) collected by the Kanye West 2020 presidential campaign in Illinois.[3] Upon review, the Illinois State Board of Elections determined that the West campaign did not have the required minimum amount of signatures and did not qualify for the presidential ballot.[4]

In 2023, the City of Chicago held elections for 22 newly created police district councils, one for each of the city's police districts. Abbasi supported the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police in these elections, legally representing several of their preferred candidates.[5][6]

Social media activity

Between 2020 and 2023, Abbasi posted prolifically on Twitter, averaging roughly 70 tweets per day. He went from under a thousand followers in 2020 to 24,000 in January 2023. His posts were described by Malcom Kyeyune as often "bizarre and unseemly" and as having "little grounding in reality".[7] Abbasi described one ongoing Twitter gag where he posed as an "alpha male" who was also a "closeted homosexual."[8] He was voted as the 2024 Alpha Male of the Year by Twitter users.

Candidacies and Public Scrutiny

Abbasi was a candidate in the 2023 election for one of the three seats on the newly formed Grand Central (25th) Police District Council. He was paid $10,000 by the Fraternal Order of Police, and unsuccessfully challenged progressive candidates' ballot petitions on the FOP's behalf. The police union also endorsed Abbasi's candidacy, attempting to run him as a spoiler against abolitionist candidates.[citation needed]

During his campaign, the Chicago Reader highlighted Abbasi's social media activity, including multiple posts with "racist and misogynist" content. In one tweet, Abbasi referenced a criminal stereotype of African Americans, writing, "I've said in spaces that the horrible black american diet is the reason for 13/50!"[8] Writing in UnHerd, blogger Malcom Kyeyune wrote that Abbasi is "so irony-poisoned from years of hard posting that the pain of drowning will be nothing short of sweet relief from his need to respond to likes and notifications".[7]

In response to the Reader's reporting on his social media history, the Chicago West Side chapter of the NAACP called for Abbasi to be disbarred, and several campaign committees Abbasi had worked for disavowed him.[9]

Abbasi came in fifth out of five candidates, securing just 8.6 percent of the vote.[8]

Electoral History

2023 Chicago Police District Council District 25 Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Angelica Green 12,568 28.1
Nonpartisan Saúl Arellano 11,433 25.6
Nonpartisan Jacob Arena 9,008 20.2
Nonpartisan Edgar Esparza 7,837 17.5
Nonpartisan Perry Abbasi 3,828 8.6
Total votes 44,674 100.0

Personal life

Abbasi claimed his home was ransacked after the 2018 Christmas holiday.[10]

References

  1. ^ Abbasi, Pericles 'Perry' [@ElectionLegal] (January 8, 2024). "My father is from Kashmir, I'm half Desi" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b "Honors Scholar Program: Pericles Abbasi". Chicago-Kent College of Law. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  3. ^ "Chicago Attorney Doubts Kanye West Will Appear On Illinois Ballot". Chicago, IL Patch. 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  4. ^ Neumann, Sean (July 23, 2020). "Kanye West Campaign Faces New Challenges in Illinois: 'I Don't Think He's Ready'". People. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  5. ^ Savchenko, Anna (December 28, 2018). "Chicago's biggest police union is spending money to win power on new oversight councils". WBEZ. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023. At the hearing, Abbasi said he was representing eight people in district council races. State records show he received a $10,000 payment from the police union in early December. Abbasi is also running as a candidate in the 25th police district in Grand Central on the northwest side and said the union helped him collect signatures to get on the ballot.
  6. ^ Bradley, Tahman; Smith, Andrew (December 7, 2023). "Chicago voters to choose police district representatives for first time ever in February". WGN-TV. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Kyeyune, Malcom (February 7, 2023). "How the Online Right gave up on reality". UnHerd. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Daley, Jim (January 19, 2023). "Police district candidate's social media full of racist and misogynist posts". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Michelle, Meyer (February 19, 2023). "Westside NAACP calling on 25th Police District candidate to be disbarred". AustinTalks. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  10. ^ Kim, Katie (December 28, 2018). "Man Who Says Home Was Ransacked After Christmas Pushes Back on CPD Announcement of Reduced Crime". WMAQ-TV. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
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