justice Department Sues Georgia County for 2020 Election Records
teh Department of Justice is pursuing legal action to gain access to 2020 election materials in Fulton County, Georgia, as former President Donald Trump continues to challenge the results of the presidential election.
The federal lawsuit, filed Friday, seeks “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, and corresponding envelope digital files from the 2020 General Election in Fulton County.†The government alleges the county is in violation of the Civil Rights Act, after local officials indicated the ballots were sealed and inaccessible without a court order.
trump narrowly lost the state of Georgia to Joe biden in 2020, a key defeat contributing to his loss of the White House. According to the lawsuit, the Justice Department initially issued a subpoena to Fulton County election officials in October requesting these materials, citing a need to investigate “compliance wiht federal election law.â€
In a statement released Friday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon emphasized the importance of safeguarding against “vote dilution.†“At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws,†she stated. “If states will not fulfil their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will.â€
Fulton County officials have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Following his defeat to Biden in 2020, Trump repeatedly claimed widespread election fraud. These allegations were consistently rejected by numerous courts, dismissing legal challenges brought forth by his campaigns and allies.
Georgia, and specifically Fulton County and the Atlanta metropolitan area, became a central focus of Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Famously, Trump contacted Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the election, requesting, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Becuase we won the state.â€
Raffensperger, who oversees Georgia’s elections and certifies results, affirmed Biden’s victory in the state even after multiple recounts and audits. His office has declined to comment on the Justice Department’s current lawsuit.
Fulton County was also the site of criminal charges brought against Trump in connection with a scheme to subvert the state’s election results. Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis initiated a racketeering case alleging Trump led a criminal conspiracy to undermine the election. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges in August 2023.
However,the case was dismissed earlier this month following a series of procedural setbacks and with Trump’s potential return to office in 2025 effectively halting the prosecution. The Georgia election interference case had been considered the most significant of Trump’s four criminal indictments, as he lacks the ability to pardon himself for state-level crimes.
