Overview
- U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee denied Fulton County’s request to force the return of more than 600 boxes of 2020 election materials, allowing federal investigators to retain the records.
- Boulee said the FBI’s warrant affidavit had problems but did not meet the high bar of “callous disregard,” noting there was no intentional lying or sweeping omission that would void the seizure.
- The FBI took the boxes under a court-approved warrant in January as part of a probe into alleged election improprieties, including missing ballot images, inconsistent recount totals, and gaps in chain-of-custody records.
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts called the seizure unlawful and said the county will keep fighting in court to protect election workers and voters.
- The investigation reflects a broader federal push for past election records that includes a March subpoena tied to Arizona’s 2020 audit and an April demand in Michigan, alongside an April 17 grand jury subpoena seeking contact details for everyone who worked Fulton County’s 2020 election.