Search warrant allowed FBI to seize ballots, voting records in Fulton County

A search warrant obtained by Scripps News gives a clearer picture about what federal agents were doing at the Fulton County elections headquarters in Georgia on Wednesday.

The search warrant authorized agents to seize and review a wide range of election records related to the 2020 presidential election in the country. That includes all physical ballots cast in the election, tabulator tapes from voting machines and voter rolls from the 2020 election.

President Donald Trump has long claimed there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia, a state he narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. State and federal officials have repeatedly said there was no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the outcome.

Court records show the warrant is tied to potential violations of federal election laws.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during the search, according to a senior administration official, who said her role was tied to election security efforts.

Mike Stewart/AP

“Director Gabbard has a pivotal role in election security and protecting the integrity of our elections against interference, including operations targeting voting systems, databases and election infrastructure,” the official said in a statement to Scripps News. “She has and will continue to take action on President Trump’s directive to secure our elections and work with our interagency partners to do so.”

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In 2023, Fulton County prosecutors charged Trump and several allies over alleged attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. After a court barred District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from continuing the case because of concerns about an appearance of impropriety, a successor declined to pursue the charges and a judge dismissed the case late last year.