FBI Executes Search Warrant at Fulton County Election Center Amid Renewed 2020 Probe

2026-01-29 politics

Atlanta, Wednesday, 28 January 2026.
On January 28, 2026, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Georgia’s Fulton County Elections Hub, marking a significant escalation in the investigation regarding the 2020 election. This enforcement action follows a recent Department of Justice lawsuit demanding access to specific ballot records, signaling a pivotal and aggressive shift in federal scrutiny regarding local election administration and document retention.

Operational Details of the Federal Action

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) descended upon the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operations Center in Union City, Georgia [1][2]. An FBI spokesperson confirmed that agents were executing a “court authorized law enforcement action” at the facility located at 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Road, which serves as a central warehouse for election equipment and office space for county agencies [1][5]. While the Georgia Bureau of Investigation stated it was not involved in the operation, reports indicate the FBI is taking custody of election ballots, with sources confirming the probe is directly connected to the 2020 presidential election [1][6]. The facility, which opened in 2023 to streamline county election processes, has now become the focal point of a renewed federal inquiry [3].

Legal Battles Over 2020 Election Records

The raid occurs against a backdrop of intensifying legal disputes between federal authorities and local election officials. In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections and Clerk of Courts Che Alexander [1][5]. The DOJ is seeking compliance with a subpoena requesting comprehensive records from the 2020 General Election, including used and void ballots, stubs, signature envelopes, and digital files [4][8]. Alexander recently filed a motion to dismiss this lawsuit; however, the government responded on January 20, 2026, asserting that Title III of the 1960 Civil Rights Act mandates the production of voting records upon the Attorney General’s demand [5]. The DOJ has subsequently asked a federal judge to order the production of these records within five days of a court ruling [5][8].

Federal Escalation and Administrative Disputes

This federal intervention aligns with ongoing scrutiny from the State Election Board (SEB), which has been re-examining fraud complaints related to the 2020 election [5]. In July 2025, the SEB passed a resolution seeking assistance from the U.S. Attorney General to access voting materials, followed by its own subpoenas issued to the county in October 2025 [4][5]. Administrative irregularities have further fueled these inquiries; in December 2025, Fulton County officials admitted that over 130 tabulator tapes from early in-person voting in 2020 lacked the required signatures from election workers [5]. While Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has maintained that all voters were verified with photo ID, the persistence of these administrative discrepancies has provided a basis for continued investigation [5].

Political Leadership and Agency Changes

The timing of the search warrants coincides with significant leadership changes and political rhetoric at the federal level. The FBI, now under the leadership of Director Kash Patel, has been described as moving quickly to pursue the political grievances of President Donald Trump [7]. Just days prior to the raid, on January 20, 2026, the FBI moved to replace Paul W. Brown, the top agent in its Atlanta office, for reasons that were not immediately publicized [4][8]. Concurrently, President Trump asserted last week that “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did” in reference to the 2020 election, signaling a potential shift toward criminal prosecution regarding past election administration [7]. This aggressive posture marks a departure from previous findings by state and federal investigators, who had previously debunked claims of widespread fraud at the county’s former counting site at State Farm Arena [6].

Sources

Election Integrity Federal Investigation