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By Gabe Whisnant
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FBI agents executed a search warrant Wednesday at Fulton County’s main elections office near Atlanta, an agency spokesperson confirmed, marking the latest escalation in federal scrutiny of the Democratic-leaning county’s handling of the 2020 presidential election.
The search took place at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City. An FBI spokesperson said agents were “executing a court-authorized law enforcement action” but declined to provide additional details.
"Yes, we can confirm FBI Atlanta is executing a court-authorized law enforcement action at 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Rd. Our investigation into this matter is ongoing so there are no details that we can provide at the moment." FBI Atlanta told Newsweek in a statement.
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Search Comes Amid Trump Election Grievances
The move comes as the FBI, under Director Kash Patel, has pursued investigations aligned with long-standing political grievances of President Donald Trump, including claims that the 2020 election was improperly conducted. Trump has repeatedly asserted that the election was stolen, despite dozens of court rulings and reviews by state and federal officials, including his own former attorney general, finding no evidence of widespread fraud that altered the outcome.
Georgia, which Trump narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, has remained a focal point of his claims. In a recorded phone call after the election, Trump famously urged the state’s then–secretary of state to “find” enough votes to overturn the result.
Last week, Trump again alluded to the 2020 election, saying “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did,” without specifying who he was referring to or what actions he believed were criminal.
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History of Federal and State Scrutiny in Fulton County
Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, delivered Biden a decisive margin in 2020 and has been repeatedly targeted by Republican officials alleging election mismanagement. While audits and reviews have cited administrative problems, investigators have not found evidence of intentional wrongdoing or fraud affecting the outcome.
In August 2023, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis obtained a sweeping indictment against Trump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in a conspiracy to illegally overturn Georgia’s election results. That case was dismissed in November after courts barred Willis and her office from continuing the prosecution, citing an appearance of impropriety stemming from a romantic relationship between Willis and a prosecutor she had appointed to lead the case.
DOJ Lawsuit Over Access to Election Records
The FBI search follows a Justice Department (DOJ) lawsuit filed last month against Che Alexander, the clerk of Fulton County Superior and Magistrate Courts. The department is seeking access to election records from the 2020 contest that it says Alexander failed to produce after repeated requests.
According to the lawsuit, the DOJ sent Alexander a letter requesting documents related to the 2020 election, but received no response. The department says it is seeking the records to determine Georgia’s compliance with federal election laws and to assist the State Election Board’s “transparency efforts.”
Alexander has moved to dismiss the lawsuit. Her office has said the requested records are sealed under state law and cannot be released without a court order.
The DOJ is asking a federal judge to declare that Alexander’s refusal violates the Civil Rights Act and to compel the release of the records within five days of a court order.
State Election Board Pushes to Reopen 2020 Case
At the state level, a conservative majority on Georgia’s State Election Board has repeatedly sought to revisit allegations of wrongdoing in Fulton County’s 2020 election. In July, the board passed a resolution requesting assistance from the U.S. attorney general to obtain voting materials from the county.
The board issued subpoenas to the county election board last year and again on October 6, seeking ballots, ballot stubs, signature envelopes and digital files tied to the 2020 general election.
After the county election board said the materials were held by the court clerk, the Justice Department sent a letter on October 30 citing the federal Civil Rights Act and requesting the records directly. County attorneys responded two weeks later, reiterating that the records were under seal.
Dispute Over Records Tied Up in Court
The DOJ said it sent a follow-up request to Alexander on November 21 and received no response, prompting the federal lawsuit. The legal dispute over access to the records remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, the State Election Board heard a case in May 2024 alleging missing documentation for thousands of votes during the 2020 recount. After presentations from the secretary of state’s office and Fulton County officials, the board voted to issue a letter of reprimand to the county.
Shortly afterward, a shift in board membership gave conservatives a solid majority. The board then sought to reopen the case, despite objections from its lone Democratic member and the board chair, who argued the matter had already been resolved.
Multiple investigations, including by the Georgia secretary of state’s office, have found that while Fulton County’s 2020 election administration was disorganized and error-prone, there was no evidence of intentional misconduct or outcome-changing fraud.
Leadership Changes at FBI’s Atlanta Office
The FBI search also comes amid quiet leadership changes within the bureau. Last week, the FBI moved to replace its top agent in Atlanta, Paul W. Brown, according to people familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
The bureau has not publicly explained the change, and it was not immediately clear whether it is related to the Fulton County investigation.
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Unclear Scope of FBI Search
Authorities have not said what records or materials were sought during Wednesday’s search or whether any items were seized. It is also unclear whether the search is connected directly to the Justice Department’s lawsuit, the State Election Board’s subpoenas, or another investigative avenue.
As of Wednesday, neither Fulton County election officials nor the clerk’s office had provided details about the search or its potential implications, leaving unanswered questions about how far the federal investigation may extend and whether additional legal action could follow.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Update 1/28/26, 3:08 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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