Pericles Abbasi
Pericles "Perry" Abbasi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984 Aurora, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, digital content creator |
| Known for | Legal challenges related to elections; social media activity |
Pericles "Perry" Abbasi (born 1984) is a United States-based attorney and digital content creator.
Early life
Abbasi was born in Aurora, Illinois to parents of Pakistani and Greek descent. He pursued higher education at the University of Chicago, where he was awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. He later earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Legal career
Abbasi contested the legitimacy of signatures submitted for the Kanye West 2020 presidential campaign ballot access in Illinois. The Illinois State Board of Elections determined that West's campaign did not meet the required number of valid signatures to appear on the ballot.
In 2023, Abbasi provided legal support to the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police during elections for 22 newly established police district councils. He represented multiple candidates endorsed by the union and received $10,000 in compensation from them. Additionally, with backing from the union, he sought election to the 25th police district council and was assisted in gathering necessary signatures.
In 2024, Abbasi acted as counsel for Rebuilding Dolton Party nominees Casundra Hopson-Jordan and D'Nasha Lee Harrison. An associate of Mayor Tiffany Henyard initially attempted to disqualify these candidates by alleging breaches of election regulations but eventually withdrew the challenge, allowing their names to remain on the ballot.
Candidacies and Social media activity
From 2019 through 2025, Abbasi was an active Twitter user, averaging roughly 70 tweets per day. His follower count increased significantly from fewer than 1,000 in 2020 to approximately 24,000 by January 2023. Commentator Malcom Kyeyune characterized his tweets as frequently "bizarre and unseemly" and noted they often lacked a basis in reality. Abbasi also maintained a recurring Twitter persona portraying himself as an "alpha male" who was secretly homosexual.
Abbasi ran in the 2023 election for one of three seats on the newly formed Grand Central (25th) Police District Council. The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), which endorsed him, contributed $10,000 to his campaign and sought to position him as a spoiler candidate against abolitionist opponents. Representing the FOP, he unsuccessfully challenged progressive candidates’ petitions for ballot inclusion.
During this campaign, the Chicago Reader reported on Abbasi's history of social media posts containing racist and misogynistic remarks, including perpetuating criminal stereotypes about African Americans and derogatory comments regarding the "black american diet." In response to these revelations, the Chicago West Side chapter of the NAACP called for his disbarment, while several campaign organizations distanced themselves from him. Abbasi acknowledged that some might find his tweets offensive but stated that voters could opt not to support him due to his self-described role as a "Twitter troll." He ultimately placed last among five contenders with 8.6 percent of votes cast.
Personal life
Abbasi disclosed that his residence was burglarized shortly after Christmas in 2018.