{"id":2568495,"date":"2026-02-10T17:46:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T22:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fulton-county-fbi-raid-prompted-by-trump-2020-election-lawyer\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T17:49:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T22:49:05","slug":"fulton-county-fbi-raid-prompted-by-trump-2020-election-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fulton-county-fbi-raid-prompted-by-trump-2020-election-lawyer\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulton County FBI raid prompted by Trump 2020 election lawyer"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffulton-county-fbi-raid-prompted-by-trump-2020-election-lawyer%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2568495&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece reports on an FBI raid at Fulton County\u2019s election facilities in Union City, Georgia, prompted by a referral from Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who helped President Donald Trump challenge the 2020 election. The raid, carried out on January 28, 2026, focused on whether Fulton County\u2019s handling of the 2020 presidential election involved federal law violations, including the preservation of election records and the integrity of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>Key points from the article:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; An unsealed 22-page FBI affidavit by agent hugh Raymond Evans describes how investigators sought a search warrant as part of a criminal probe into possible election irregularities in Fulton County. The affidavit states the examination is about potential federal-law violations, not about accusing any specific person.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The search warrant aimed to seize physical ballots from the 2020 general election, absentee ballots, tabulator tapes, and voter rolls documenting absentee, early, and Election Day voting. The filing was made in support of the warrant after Fulton County\u2019s officials and others sought the return of seized ballots.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; the affidavit notes that Fulton County admitted it does not have scanned images for all ballots counted during the original count or the recount,and that some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount. It also cites auditors\u2019 findings of tally discrepancies in certain batches and other irregularities around the recount deadline.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article notes that trump lost Georgia to Joe Biden by fewer than 12,000 votes out of nearly 5 million, and that three counts found no discrepancies large enough to change the result.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Democratic lawmakers criticized the raid and the involvement of Tulsi Gabbard, who attended the operation at Trump\u2019s direction, saying the move could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/did-president-trump-spring-a-trap-on-treasonous-democrats-on-election-night\/\" title=\"Did President Trump Spring a Trap on Treasonous Democrats on Election Night?\">undermine public confidence<\/a> in elections. Some called for a classified briefing on election security.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; kurt Olsen, who helped bring the referral, was appointed by Trump in 2025 as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-biden-coronavirus-adviser-announces-last-day-in-job\/\" title=\"Top Biden Coronavirus Adviser Announces Last Day in Job\">special government employee<\/a> to investigate election integrity issues, and has been involved in related litigation. The affidavit lists Thomas Albus,the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of missouri, as counsel for the government.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The investigation follows a broader dispute between Fulton County officials and other parties who have sought the return of the seized ballots after the raid.<\/p>\n<p>the article describes a federal probe into Fulton County\u2019s election handling tied to a referral from a Trump ally, the unsealing of the supporting affidavit, and the political controversy surrounding the raid and its participants.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Fulton County FBI raid prompted by Trump 2020 election lawyer&rsquo;s criminal referral<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2499739\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A referral by a lawyer who assisted President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>&lsquo;s efforts to challenge his 2020 election defeat, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1373035\/dershowitz-and-pro-trump-2020-attorney-join-forces-for-dominion-lawsuit\/\">Kurt Olsen<\/a>, led to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4437558\/fbi-executes-search-warrant-at-fulton-county-election-facility\/\">recent FBI raid that seized<\/a> 2020 election ballots from Fulton County, Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>A newly unsealed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.gand.355087\/gov.uscourts.gand.355087.22.1_1.pdf\">22-page affidavit<\/a> by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\">FBI<\/a> agent Hugh Raymond Evans shows the FBI, during the Jan. 28 raid, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4441397\/how-fulton-countys-election-wars-escalated-into-an-fbi-raid\/\">sought a search warrant<\/a> as part of a criminal investigation into whether alleged irregularities in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fulton-county\/\">Fulton County<\/a>&rsquo;s handling of the 2020 presidential election were intentional and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-in-texas-stops-biden-deportation-freeze\/\" title=\"Federal judge in Texas stops Biden deportation freeze\">violated federal law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4452808\/chuck-grassley-secret-subpoenas-call-logs-undercut-protections\/\">Grassley says secret subpoenas for lawmakers&rsquo; call logs undercut congressional protections<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4452876\/indefensible-epstein-survivors-slam-dojs-incomplete-release-of-files\/\">&lsquo;Indefensible&rsquo;: Epstein survivors slam DOJ&#8217;s &#8216;incomplete&#8217; release of files<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4452427\/don-lemon-codefendant-seeks-toss-face-act-indictment-st-paul-church-storming\/\">Don Lemon codefendant seeks to toss FACE Act indictment in church storming case<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center is seen Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Georgia, near Atlanta, as FBI agents search at the main election facility. (AP Photo\/Mike Stewart)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;The FBI criminal investigation originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen, Presidentially appointed Director of Election Security and Integrity,&rdquo; Evans wrote in the affidavit, which was filed in federal court in Atlanta and unsealed Tuesday. The affidavit also identifies Georgia State Election Board member Janice Johnston, a supporter of Trump who has questioned the county&rsquo;s handling of the election, as a secondary source of information for the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Evans said investigators were examining whether election improprieties in Fulton County amounted to violations of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-fbi-raid-warrant-demanded-seizure-of-literally-any-record-trump-ever-saw-during-4-year-presidential-term\/\" title=\"BREAKING: ... ... Demanded Seizure Of Literally Any Record Trump Ever Saw During 4...Year Presidential Term\">federal statutes governing<\/a> the preservation of election records and the knowing deprivation of a fair election. The affidavit does not accuse any specific individual of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p>The filing was unsealed by U.S. District Judge&nbsp;J.P. Boulee&nbsp;after the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and the county Board of Registration and Elections <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4445674\/fulton-county-sue-fbi-raid\/\">sued last week<\/a> seeking the return of the seized ballots.<\/p>\n<p>Federal prosecutors submitted the affidavit <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/990009269\/1-28-26-Fulton-Warrant\">in support of a search warrant<\/a> authorizing agents to seize physical ballots from the 2020 general election in Fulton County, including absentee ballots, as well as tabulator tapes from every voting machine and voter rolls documenting absentee, early, and Election Day voting.<\/p>\n<p>Evans wrote that following the Nov. 3, 2020, election, &ldquo;there were many allegations of electoral impropriety relating to the voting process and ballot counting in Fulton County, Georgia,&rdquo; noting that while some claims had been disproven, others had been substantiated through admissions by the county.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The tabulator machines used by Fulton County are designed to create and save a scanned image of each ballot,&rdquo; Evans wrote. &ldquo;Fulton County has admitted that it does not have scanned images of all the 528,777 ballots counted during the Original Count or the 527,925 ballots counted during the Recount.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Among the issues cited in the affidavit, Evans said Fulton County officials acknowledged they do not possess scanned images for all ballots counted during the original tally or the subsequent recount. He also said county officials confirmed some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The tabulator machines used by Fulton County are designed to create and save a scanned image of each ballot,&rdquo; Evans wrote. &ldquo;Fulton County has admitted that it does not have scanned images of all the ballots counted during the Original Count or the Recount.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The affidavit also references auditors who reported vote tallies during a hand count that were inconsistent with the actual number of votes in certain batches, as well as discrepancies in the county&rsquo;s reported ballot totals around the recount deadline.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If these deficiencies were the result of intentional action,&rdquo; Evans wrote, &ldquo;it would be a violation of federal law regardless of whether the failure to retain records or the deprivation of a fair tabulation of a vote was outcome determinative for any particular election or race.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump lost Georgia in the 2020 presidential election to Democrat <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden<\/a> by fewer than 12,000 votes out of nearly 5 million cast statewide. Three separate counts were conducted following the election, none of which displayed discrepancies large enough to affect the results of the election.<\/p>\n<p>The Jan. 28 raid drew national attention after&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tulsi-gabbard\/\">Tulsi Gabbard<\/a>, the director of national intelligence, was present at the Fulton County election center when FBI agents executed the warrant.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard enters the Fulton County Election Hub as the FBI takes Fulton County 2020 election ballots, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Georgia, near Atlanta. (AP Photo\/Mike Stewart)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gabbard later said she attended at the direction of Trump. The president more recently said her presence was at the insistence of Attorney General&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\">Pam Bondi<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic lawmakers have sharply criticized both the raid and Gabbard&rsquo;s involvement, arguing the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >actions risk undermining public confidence<\/a> in elections ahead of the midterm cycle. Sens.&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3465495\/alex-padilla-ice-identities-conceal-ban-bill-uptick-attacks\/\">Alex Padilla<\/a> (D-CA)&nbsp;and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mark-warner\/\">Mark Warner<\/a> (D-VA)&nbsp;called on Gabbard to schedule a classified briefing for senators on election security concerns.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The request comes amid unprecedented investigations by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, purportedly to address &lsquo;evidence&rsquo; of election vulnerabilities and manipulation of election results, which have not been substantiated,&rdquo; the senators&rsquo; offices said in a joint <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.warner.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/pressreleases?id=034E7EA8-CE31-48E3-9AA6-A099C103A6A0\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Olsen, who rose to prominence after the 2020 election while advancing claims that Biden&rsquo;s victory was tainted by fraud, was appointed by Trump in October 2025 as a special government employee tasked with investigating election integrity issues.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4450543\/judge-search-warrant-georgia-raid-unsealed-tuesday\/\"><strong>JUDGE ORDERS SEARCH WARRANT FOR GEORGIA FBI RAID UNSEALED<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He previously worked on postelection litigation seeking to overturn Trump&rsquo;s loss and later represented&nbsp;former <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/arizona\/\">Arizona<\/a> Republican gubernatorial and Senate candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kari-lake\/\">Kari Lake<\/a>&nbsp;in challenges to Arizona&rsquo;s election systems and the 2022 gubernatorial results.<\/p>\n<p>The warrant also lists Thomas Albus, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, as counsel for the government. Albus was appointed by Bondi as a special attorney overseeing election integrity matters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FBI raid linked to Trump ally&#8217;s referral<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2568496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26028752529576.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651,538],"tags":[32675,32501,32987,4742,3634],"class_list":["post-2568495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-2020-election","tag-fbi-raid","tag-fulton-county","tag-lawyer","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26028752529576.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2568495"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2568499,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568495\/revisions\/2568499"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2568496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2568495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2568495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2568495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}