Unsealed Filings: Election Skeptics Prompted FBI Seizure Of Fulton County Ballots

Newly unsealed court filings show that longtime skeptics of the 2020 election helped trigger an FBI search warrant that led agents to seize ballots and other election materials from Fulton County, Georgia — a central battleground in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 loss.

Referral and Allegations

According to an affidavit the FBI filed with the search-warrant application, the agency's investigation "originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen, [a] presidentially appointed Director of Election Security and Integrity." Before taking that post, Olsen was involved in legal efforts contesting the 2020 presidential results.

The affidavit centers on allegations that have circulated widely in far-right networks: missing ballot images, duplicate scans, and other irregularities — including concerns about missing tabulator tape, the paper record created when voting machines are closed out. The warrant states the FBI sought seized materials to "corroborate the analysis that evinces that election records were destroyed and or the tabulation of votes included materially false votes, either through duplicated scanning of specific ballots, interjection of pristine ballots, or other methods described above."

Official Responses And Context

Georgia election officials and independent reviews have repeatedly affirmed the integrity of the state's 2020 contest. The presidential tally in Georgia was confirmed by an audit and a hand recount.

The affidavit itself records both the allegations and skepticism from election professionals. It cites witnesses who raised questions about missing images and tapes — including a Georgia resident and chemical engineer who filed a 2022 complaint claiming "extra" absentee ballots were added — and Republican-appointed, Trump-aligned members of the State Election Board who reported missing ballot images in Fulton County records.

By contrast, the affidavit also quotes officials who downplayed the significance of those discrepancies. Former Georgia Election Director Chris Harvey said the hand count did not audit image discrepancies and that audits focus "less about the images and more about the ballots and voter count." A former investigator for the Georgia Secretary of State's office told investigators that tabulator tapes were not central to the statewide recount because the recount examined the underlying ballots.

Political Reaction And Legal Fight

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger sharply criticized the probe, urging officials to stop "wasting time and tax dollars trying to change the past with baseless and repackaged claims" and to focus on other priorities. Raffensperger, who resisted pressure to "find" votes after the 2020 election, is running for governor.

Fulton County has filed a lawsuit seeking the return of the seized materials. The FBI says its investigation includes possible violations of a statute requiring election officials to retain records for 22 months after an election and a separate criminal statute that addresses false tabulation of ballots.

Broader Concerns

The seizure has amplified worries among some state election officials about federal intrusion ahead of the midterms, particularly as the Justice Department under the prior administration sought broader access to state voter rolls — including sensitive personal data. This month, a federal judge rejected an administration lawsuit seeking Michigan's voter lists, marking a recent string of judicial setbacks for efforts to compel states to turn over full voter-roll data.

Bottom line: The unsealed affidavit ties the FBI probe to referrals from election skeptics and relies on disputed theories about ballot images and machine tapes. At the same time, official audits and recounts have upheld Georgia's 2020 result, and the legal fight over the seized materials is ongoing.