FBI raids Georgia elections office
Executive summary
FBI agents executed a court-authorized search warrant at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City, Georgia, seizing roughly 700 boxes of 2020 election-related material — described in reporting as ballots, voter rolls, ballot images, tabulator tapes and other records — on or about Jan. 28, 2026 as part of an investigation tied to the 2020 presidential contest [1] [2] [3]. The move has triggered immediate legal challenges from Fulton County, widespread political denunciations, and a fierce national debate over federal authority, election security and possible political motivations [2] [4] [5].
1. What happened: the raid and what was taken
FBI agents carried out a search warrant at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center and removed hundreds of boxes of materials related to the 2020 election; local officials and multiple outlets reported that the warrant sought ballots, tabulator tapes, ballot images and voter rolls and that about 700 boxes were seized [1] [2] [3]. The FBI described the operation as a “court-authorized law enforcement activity” and declined to provide further public detail about the probe while it is ongoing [6] [1].
2. Legal basis and prosecutorial posture
Reporting indicates the warrant was obtained in a criminal matter tied to the 2020 election and cites federal statutes concerning potential fraud by election workers; the criminal warrant was reportedly obtained by U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus, who has been designated by the administration as a point-person on election-integrity cases [7] [3]. Court filings and affidavits that would explain probable cause had not been publicly disclosed in the reporting available, and legal experts quoted by outlets express concern about chain-of-custody safeguards and whether statutes of limitations or other legal limits might constrain prosecutions [8] [9].
3. Local and civil-rights responses: lawsuits and outrage
Fulton County officials have said they will challenge the seizure and are preparing litigation to seek return of property and protections for voter information; county filings cite the cost and operational disruption caused by the removal and ask for the documents to be kept in-state under seal [2] [10]. Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, condemned the raid as an overreach by the Department of Justice and the administration, calling it an intimidation of election workers and a threat to public trust in elections [5].
4. Political context and accusations of motive
The raid takes place against a politically fraught backdrop: Fulton County was central to post-2020 litigation and indictments tied to efforts to overturn Georgia’s results, and critics argue the action fits a pattern of the administration using federal power in politically charged ways — assertions amplified by outlets warning the move could be a rehearsal for 2026-2028 election interference [2] [10] [11]. Reporting also notes high-level contacts after the raid — including a New York Times-sourced report that President Trump spoke with some FBI agents and that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard met with agents after the operation — details that critics cite as evidence of political involvement while the White House framed the contacts as part of “election integrity priorities” [12] [7].
5. Stakes and unanswered questions
Election-law scholars and administrators quoted in public reporting worry the raid may set a precedent that chills election officials and complicates chain-of-custody norms for ballots and records, particularly ahead of midterms, but those concerns coexist with proponents’ claims that the seizure responds to alleged misconduct that warrants investigation [8] [10]. Key factual documents that would clarify the FBI’s probable-cause claims — the supporting affidavit and a fuller judicial record — were not available in the reporting provided, so definitive assessment of the legal sufficiency of the raid cannot be made here [3] [9].