WASHINGTON — The FBI carried out a court-authorized search at a Georgia election operations facility on Wednesday, reopening scrutiny around former U.S. president Donald Trump’s long-standing claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election — allegations that have repeatedly been rejected by courts and election officials.
Federal agents executed a warrant at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operations Center in Union City, a large facility opened in 2023 to support election administration in the Atlanta area. The FBI confirmed the search but offered limited details, describing it only as a lawful enforcement action.
Fulton County officials said the warrant sought records connected to the 2020 presidential election. A law-enforcement source familiar with the matter said investigators were looking for computers and ballots believed to be stored at the site as part of a broader probe into alleged election interference.
Renewed focus after Trump remarks
The search came days after Trump again raised claims of election rigging during public remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he suggested prosecutions were forthcoming over the 2020 vote.
Joe Biden narrowly carried Georgia in that election, helping secure his victory over Trump. Multiple recounts, audits, and legal reviews later confirmed the outcome.
Trump, who returned to the White House after winning the 2024 election, has continued to assert that the earlier contest was illegitimate — a claim rejected by state officials from both parties.
Legal fight over ballots
The FBI action follows a separate legal effort by the Trump administration to obtain Fulton County’s 2020 ballots. Last month, the administration filed a lawsuit seeking access to physical ballots and related election materials, arguing they are necessary for federal review.
Fulton County’s court clerk has asked a judge to dismiss the case, stating that the ballots remain sealed under Georgia law and cannot be released without a court order. The clerk also argued that the administration directed its request to the wrong authority.
It remains unclear where all physical ballots from the 2020 election are currently stored.
Long-running Georgia dispute
Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s election results have been among the most closely examined episodes of the post-2020 period. He previously pressured state officials to “find” votes and later faced criminal charges in Fulton County related to alleged election interference.
That prosecution was dismissed last year following controversy involving the district attorney’s conduct in the case.
Since returning to office, Trump’s Justice Department has launched or revived multiple investigations involving states, election officials, and political opponents. Several states have challenged federal demands for voter data, arguing that election administration is a constitutional state responsibility. Courts have dismissed some of those cases.
Broader implications
Legal scholars say the Georgia search underscores continuing tension between federal authority and state-run election systems — a fault line likely to sharpen as the U.S. heads toward future national elections.
Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, remains a Democratic stronghold and was a focal point of Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 outcome.
Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department has indicated whether further searches or charges are expected.
