FBI Searches Georgia Election Site for 2020 Voting Records

fulton County, Georgia, officials said Wednesday that the FBI seized original 2020 voting records ⁤while serving a search warrant at the county’s Elections Hub and Operations Center.

The FBI earlier Wednesday ‍said they were conducting court-authorized activity⁤ at the facility.

The advancement comes after president Donald Trump has repeatedly said ther was voter fraud in the 2020 election, specifically in Georgia, that contributed to his election loss. Georgia officials audited and ‍certified ⁣the results following the election.

Fulton County officials⁤ expressed concern⁣ over the seizure of ‍the ballots.

“These ⁢are ‍the original voting records, original absentee ballots,” Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington, ⁢a Democrat, told ABC news regarding the materials seized by the FBI. “Once that stuff leaves our custody,⁢ where is the chain of custody? How can we know if we’re going to get everything back? How⁣ can we ⁤know if they might do somthing ⁣mischievous?”

Democratic County Commissioner‍ Mo Ivory said the boxes of ballots, which⁢ were previously archived and sealed, are⁤ stored on pallets — and that the FBI was “removing the whole pallets.”

Fulton County, Georgia, is ⁣set to reimburse⁤ $6 million in legal fees to individuals who were defendants in the case brought by Fulton County District ‍Attorney Fani Willis, ⁢following the disqualification of Willis and the subsequent⁢ withdrawal of charges against former president Donald Trump and others. This reimbursement is enabled by a recently enacted Georgia law.

Fulton County and the Legal Fee Reimbursement

Fulton County‍ is⁢ obligated to reimburse $6 million⁣ in legal fees incurred by defendants in the case brought by District Attorney Fani Willis. This obligation stems from Georgia Senate Bill 337, which allows defendants to seek⁣ reimbursement for legal expenses when a case⁤ is dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct.

The⁢ bill ⁣was signed into ⁣law on March 29, 2024, and specifically addresses situations where a prosecutor is found to have engaged in conduct creating a conflict of interest. the law applies retroactively to ⁢the case involving former President Trump and others.

On March 15, 2024, ⁢judge Scott McAfee ruled⁤ that Fani Willis could continue⁣ to prosecute⁢ the case, but onyl if Nathan Wade, the special‍ prosecutor ⁣with whom she had a personal relationship, was removed.