A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration can continue holding thousands of 2020 election ballots seized from Georgia earlier this year as part of an ongoing federal investigation tied to alleged election irregularities.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed claims that widespread voter fraud impacted the 2020 election, and the ruling marks a legal victory for his administration’s renewed effort to scrutinize voting records in Fulton County, Georgia.
U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee rejected Fulton County’s request to have the original ballots and election materials returned following the FBI’s January raid on the county’s election operations center.
County attorneys argued the FBI relied on flawed and discredited evidence to justify the search warrant and claimed the seizure violated constitutional protections. They pointed to what they described as misleading omissions in the affidavit used to obtain judicial approval for the search.
Boulee acknowledged that the FBI affidavit was “far from perfect” and noted there were weaknesses in the government’s presentation. However, he ruled the problems did not rise to the level of “callous disregard” necessary under federal law to force investigators to return the materials.
“While the Affidavit was certainly far from perfect, this is not a situation where an officer left out all the facts that might undermine probable cause or where an officer intentionally lied,” the judge wrote in his 68-page opinion.
The FBI seized more than 600 boxes of ballots and election-related records from Fulton County during the search. Federal investigators are examining whether election records were improperly maintained and whether potential irregularities impacted voters during the 2020 election.
The investigation reportedly stemmed from a referral by attorney Kurt Olsen, who assisted Trump allies in challenging the 2020 election results and later worked with the administration on election-related reviews.
In an unusual development, Tulsi Gabbard was present during the FBI search despite her role typically focusing on foreign intelligence threats rather than domestic election matters.
Fulton County officials blasted the ruling and vowed to continue fighting in court. County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said the county intends to “vigorously” pursue all remaining legal options.
The case has drawn national attention as Trump continues warning about election integrity issues ahead of the November elections and pushes for stronger federal oversight of local election systems.
Federal prosecutors, however, still face hurdles in the investigation. According to court filings, the Justice Department has not publicly identified any criminal targets, and questions remain about whether the statute of limitations has expired for some potential offenses under review.
Fulton County became ground zero for election controversy following the 2020 race, when Trump and his allies repeatedly alleged misconduct involving absentee ballots and vote counting in heavily Democratic areas around Atlanta. President Joe Biden narrowly carried Georgia in 2020, thanks in large part to his strong performance in Fulton County, before Trump reclaimed the state in the 2024 election.
The post Judge Lets Trump Administration Keep Seized Georgia 2020 Election Ballots appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
