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The FBI executed a search warrant at the Fulton County elections office near Atlanta on Wednesday, officials confirmed. An agency spokesperson said agents were ‘executing a court-authorized law enforcement action’ at the county’s main elections facility in Union City, just south of Atlanta. No additional details were released, with the FBI citing an ongoing matter.
An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference in Portland, Ore (AP)Limited response from officialsFulton County officials said they did not yet have information to share about the search. Videos from the operations emerged on social media, with several agents seen around the elections office.
Renewed scrutiny of Georgia’s 2020 electionThe search comes amid intensified federal activity tied to long-running disputes over the 2020 presidential election. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed the election was stolen, despite courts nationwide and his former attorney general finding no evidence of widespread fraud that changed the outcome in favor of Democrat Joe Biden. Georgia, a battleground state Trump lost, has remained central to his complaints.
Last week, Trump said that “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did,” referring to the 2020 election, though he did not specify whom or what actions he meant.
DOJ lawsuit and document fightSeparately, the Justice Department last month sued the clerk of the Fulton County superior and magistrate courts, seeking access to 2020 election records. The lawsuit says the department requested documents from Clerk Che Alexander but did not receive them. Alexander has moved to dismiss the case.
According to the complaint, the DOJ said the request was aimed at “ascertaining Georgia’s compliance with various federal election laws,” and also tied to assisting the State Election Board’s “transparency efforts under Georgia law.”
FBI leadership changes in AtlantaThe search also follows a recent internal FBI move. Last week, the bureau replaced its top agent in Atlanta, Paul W Brown. The reason for the change was not publicly disclosed.
Trump case and prior investigationsFulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted Trump and 18 others in August 2023, accusing them of participating in a scheme to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. That case was dismissed in November after courts barred Willis and her office from continuing due to an “appearance of impropriety” linked to her romantic relationship with a lead prosecutor on the case.
(With AP inputs)