Trump-Appointed Prosecutor Met With Lawyers Seeking to Overturn 2020 Election
A Missouri prosecutor appointed by former President Donald Trump met with lawyers working to reinvestigate the 2020 election results, according to documents and sources familiar with the meetings. The meetings, which began last fall, involved Thomas Albus, the U.S. Attorney for Missouri’s Eastern District and attorneys tasked with challenging the outcome of the presidential election.
Albus, appointed by Trump last year, held multiple meetings with top administration lawyers to discuss “election integrity,” a term frequently used by the Trump administration to describe investigations into unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud. Among those present at the meetings was Ed Martin, a Justice Department lawyer who led a group investigating what the president described as the department’s “weaponization” against him and his allies. White House lawyer Kurt Olsen, who was tasked with reinvestigating the 2020 election, also participated in at least one of the meetings.
Both Martin and Olsen previously worked to overturn the 2020 election results. Olsen was even sanctioned by a federal court for making false claims about the reliability of voting machines in Arizona. The meetings reveal the extent of preparations leading up to the January FBI raid on Fulton County, Georgia, which election and legal experts have described as a significant escalation in Trump’s efforts to challenge democratic norms.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi granted Albus special authority to handle election-related cases nationwide, despite his lack of prior experience in election law. The meetings with Martin, Olsen, and other Justice Department lawyers centered on “election integrity,” according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
The meetings took place as Martin faced challenges in obtaining election materials from Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold. In August, Martin sent a letter demanding access to tens of thousands of absentee ballots for a “Department of Justice” investigation, but reportedly received no response. Martin discussed these difficulties on a podcast, suggesting the need to “get” the ballots, prompting a question from Steve Bannon about using U.S. Marshals to seize them.
Shortly after the meetings, Albus and Olsen began interviewing witnesses. Kevin Moncla, a conservative researcher, told ProPublica he spoke with both Albus and Olsen around the turn of the year. Moncla identified himself as Witness 7 in the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant for the Fulton County election records, and authored a 263-page report activists believe justified the raid.
In late January, Albus was listed as the government attorney on the search warrant authorizing the seizure of roughly 700 boxes of election material in Georgia. Former U.S. Attorneys from both parties noted that it was unusual for a federal prosecutor from one region to take on cases in other states or be granted nationwide authority.
The involvement of several Missouri lawyers in these efforts highlights a pattern of Trump administration officials relying on a close-knit group. Jesus Osete, the principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, also participated in the meetings. Prior to joining the Justice Department, Osete worked in the Missouri attorney general’s office, representing the state in lawsuits against the Biden administration.
Andrew Bailey, another Missouri lawyer, was in charge when the FBI raided Fulton County’s election center. As Missouri’s attorney general, Bailey had pursued cases against prominent Democrats and expressed support for investigating Biden and his administration. Roger Keller, a federal prosecutor from Albus’ office, was also brought in to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James in a separate case, which was later dismissed.
Trump’s solicitor general, D. John Sauer, previously served as Missouri’s solicitor general and signed an amicus brief supporting efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Albus’ connection to these other Missouri lawyers dates back decades.
Emails from 2007 show Albus exchanging messages with Martin when Albus was an assistant U.S. Attorney and Martin was chief of staff to then-Gov. Matt Blunt. Albus recommended a lawyer for an appellate court judgeship, who was ultimately selected by Blunt. Albus was praised by then-Missouri Attorney General Josh Schmitt upon his nomination as U.S. Attorney.
Albus’ tenure as U.S. Attorney also included a controversial decision to drop a fraud case involving developers in St. Louis. The developers were represented by Brad Bondi, the brother of Pam Bondi, and argued that the case was legally irrelevant due to the Trump administration’s position on race- and gender-based tax breaks. Albus personally delivered a $1 million restitution check to City Hall, a move that raised ethical concerns among Congressional Democrats.
The meetings between Albus and the Trump-aligned lawyers occurred around the time Albus posed with Martin in Martin’s office, with a framed photo of Trump and a copy of Phyllis Schlafly’s “A Choice, Not an Echo” visible in the background. Martin posted the photo on X with the caption, “Good morning, America. How are ya’?”
