Lawyers for Fulton County, Georgia, officials on Wednesday filed a motion in federal court seeking the return of all 2020 election files seized by the FBI last week.
County Commission Chair Robb Pitts announced the move during a news conference, saying the filing asks a federal judge to order the return of ballots and records seized during what he described as a surprise raid at the county elections warehouse.
The motion, filed under seal, also seeks to unseal the affidavit used to justify the FBI’s search warrant.
"We don't know where they are. We don't know who has them. We don't know what they're doing with them," Pitts told reporters. "That's why we want them back — so we can take an inventory."
The FBI executed a court-authorized search at Fulton County's elections hub in Union City last week, removing about 700 boxes of materials tied to the 2020 presidential election.
Federal officials have not publicly detailed what prompted the search, though a law enforcement official told Reuters it is connected to ongoing investigations related to the 2020 election.
Pitts and other county leaders have cast the raid as part of a broader political effort by President Donald Trump and his allies to relitigate the 2020 election — claims Trump has repeatedly raised since losing Georgia to Joe Biden.
Trump has argued that Fulton County, home to Atlanta, was a focal point of election irregularities, while state and federal reviews found no evidence of fraud sufficient to change the outcome.
At Wednesday's press conference, Pitts said the FBI's actions could amount to federal overreach and voter intimidation ahead of future elections.
He said Fulton County has successfully conducted more than 1,700 elections since 2020 without incident and is currently focused on administering “free and fair” elections in 2026.
"We must do this without interference or threats of a federal takeover," Pitts said, adding Fulton County has become a national "test case."
Conservatives counter that the county’s rhetoric sidesteps legitimate questions about transparency and election integrity.
Trump has openly called for greater federal involvement in elections and has suggested national standards to prevent irregularities — comments that have alarmed Democrat officials but resonate with GOP voters who remain skeptical of how the 2020 election was handled.
The FBI has said only that it was carrying out a lawful search. Neither the Justice Department nor Fulton County prosecutors have commented on whether charges or arrests are imminent.
Pitts acknowledged he has no direct evidence of wrongdoing by investigators but said contacts in Washington told him arrests could be forthcoming.
Despite his criticism, Pitts said he has "no issue" with rank-and-file FBI agents and that county officials cooperated fully during the search.
Still, the legal fight now shifts to federal court, where Fulton County is seeking to reclaim its election materials and force greater transparency about the investigation.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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