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The FBI is investigating Fulton County’s handling of the 2020 election, according to newly filed search warrant affidavits outlining alleged ballot irregularities and record-keeping failures.
The FBI special agent who wrote the affidavits, which were filed Tuesday in federal court by the Department of Justice, described a wide-ranging probe into missing ballot images, inconsistent recount totals and chain-of-custody problems, raising allegations long leveled by President Donald Trump and his base.
The agent, Hugh Evans of the FBI Atlanta Field Office, said in the affidavits that physical ballots were needed to determine whether the irregularities were administrative errors or intentional.
FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA
Ballots arrive at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center on election night on Nov. 5, 2024 in Fairburn, Ga. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
Evans noted that the FBI was investigating possible criminal activity in Fulton, Georgia's most populous county, and that it did not matter whether the activity affected the final outcome of Georgia's race, which Trump lost in 2020 by a razor-thin margin.
"If these deficiencies were the result of intentional action, it would be a violation of federal law regardless of whether the failure to retain records or the deprivation of a fair tabulation of a vote was outcome determinative for any particular election or race," Evans said.
Evans said the FBI investigation originated from a referral the bureau received from Kurt Olsen, who is described as a Trump-appointed director of election security and integrity. Olsen also helped Trump raise election challenges after 2020.
The affidavits come after the FBI executed court-authorized search warrants at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in January and explain the probable cause used to justify the warrants.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to [email protected].
