ATLANTA — An FBI probe into the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia, began with a lawyer linked to the Trump administration. This lawyer had previously worked to overturn that election, as revealed by a recently unsealed affidavit.
The affidavit, from FBI Special Agent Hugh Raymond Evans, prompted a judge to approve a warrant to search Fulton County’s elections hub. On January 28, the FBI seized over 650 boxes of ballots and other election materials.
Despite claims in the affidavit, which reference previously debunked allegations, Fulton County’s ballots were counted three times, confirming the results.
According to the affidavit, “This warrant application is part of an FBI criminal investigation into whether improprieties… violated federal criminal laws.” The investigation originated from a referral by Kurt Olsen, who was appointed by the President to oversee election security.
Olsen played a significant role in the Trump administration’s attempts to overturn the election results in Georgia and other key states. The White House has not commented on his involvement.
The affidavit highlights five supposed flaws in the election process. Many of these claims have already been investigated and dismissed by state officials. For example, allegations about missing scanned ballot images were invalid, as state law did not require them to be kept as records.
Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, who resisted efforts to overturn the election, criticized the investigation. He stated, “As Secretary of State, I’ve made Georgia the safest… place to vote. Instead of wasting time on baseless claims, let’s focus on building a safer future for all Georgians.”
David Becker, a former Justice Department official, described the affidavit as surprisingly weak. He noted, “After five years and numerous court cases, this is all they have? The affidavit suggests human error, not anything that would have changed the election outcome.”
Furthermore, the affidavit does not mention any foreign interference, raising questions about the involvement of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during the raid. Gabbard has defended her role in election security investigations, confirming that she organized a call for Trump to thank the FBI agents, stating he did not issue any directives during the call.
Despite the ongoing scrutiny, Trump and his supporters persist in claiming he actually won the 2020 election. They are also advocating for significant changes in how federal elections are handled, including litigation for access to voter rolls and calls for nationalized elections.
