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FBI conducts search at Fulton County Election Hub
The FBI executed a court-authorized search at a Georgia election office on Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
In a statement to Reuters, the FBI confirmed it was carrying out "court-authorized law enforcement activity" at the Fulton County Election Hub in Atlanta. Fulton County officials later disclosed that the warrant targeted records tied to the 2020 elections.
Background: Georgia's contested 2020 election
Georgia played a pivotal role in the 2020 election, delivering its electoral votes to President Joe Biden after a razor-thin margin of just over 12,000 votes. The state had not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, when Bill Clinton won.
Former President Donald Trump, who lost both Georgia and its most populous county, Fulton, has repeatedly claimed without evidence that fraud cost him the election. His efforts to overturn the results included multiple lawsuits and public pressure on state officials, all of which were rejected by courts.
DOJ lawsuit preceded FBI action
In December, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Fulton County, demanding access to election materials from 2020. The lawsuit specifically sought "all used and void ballots, ballot stubs, signature envelopes, and corresponding digital files" from the general election.
Neither the FBI nor Fulton County officials responded to the BBC's requests for comment on Wednesday's search.
Local officials react with outrage
Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory condemned the FBI's actions during a press conference outside the election office. "This is an assault on your vote," she said, adding that officials were "trying to figure out what to do about this."
Witnesses reported seeing FBI agents in tactical vests entering the facility and loading materials into a truck. The search unfolded amid heightened scrutiny of Georgia's election processes, which have been a focal point of political disputes since 2020.
Trump's efforts to challenge results
Georgia became a central battleground in Trump's post-election strategy. In a recorded phone call, he urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn Biden's victory, saying, "I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have."
Raffensperger, whose office oversees Georgia's elections, later confirmed Biden's win after multiple recounts. His office did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
Legal fallout for Trump
Trump faced two criminal indictments related to election interference in Georgia. A federal case was dismissed after he returned to the White House in 2025, while a state racketeering case collapsed due to prosecutorial errors and was ultimately dropped.
"Numerous courts rejected the legal challenges and claims made by Trump and his allies," legal analysts noted.
