Fulton County official slams 2020 ballot seizure as FBI director says there was 'probable cause'
FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday that a federal judge determined there was probable cause to carry out Wednesday's search of the Fulton County Elections and Operations Hub in Georgia.
County officials said the FBI seized original 2020 voting records Wednesday while serving a search warrant at the facility.
"What we did yesterday was, we presented our facts and the findings of the investigation, and the judge determined there was probable cause, and then you saw the results, we went and executed the search warrant and collected the information pursuant to that search warrant to continue our investigation," Patel told "The Charlie Kirk Show" on Thursday.
He said "these things take time" for people to see.
A top Fulton County official blasted the seizure Thursday, saying the move is about "intimidation and distraction."
The search warrant authorized the FBI to search for "All physical ballots from the 2020 General Election," in addition to tabulator tapes from voting machines and 2020 voter rolls, among other documents, according to a copy of the warrant obtained by ABC affiliate WSB. The warrant says the material "constitutes evidence of the commission of a criminal offense" and had been "used as the means of committing a criminal offense."
Specifically, the warrant listed possible violations of two statutes -- one which requires election records to be retained for a certain amount of time, and another which outlines criminal penalties for people, including election officials, who intimidate voters or to knowingly procure false votes or false voter registrations.
Patel said he "can't predict" where the investigation is going to go and said it takes time to go through "truckloads" of evidence.
He said they will "follow the facts and the law," and "the results will speak for themselves."
The FBI's action comes after Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims that there 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, and numerous lawsuits challenging the election results in the state were rejected by the courts.
"Every audit, every recount, every court ruling has confirmed what we the people of Fulton County already knew: Our elections were fair and accurate and every legal vote was counted," Robb Pitts, the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, said at a press briefing Thursday.
"These ongoing efforts are about intimidation and distraction, not facts," said Pitts, who said the FBI seized 700 boxes of materials.
Last month, the Justice Department sued Fulton County for access to its 2020 election records, including ballot stubs and signature envelopes.
Asked why the county did not turn over the records then, Pitts said "there is a fight" over the ballots, but that county attorneys reviewed the warrant and said was in their best interest to comply.
"Fulton County has nothing to hide," he said, "Fulton County elections are fair and lawful, and the outcome of the 2020 election will not change."
After Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was seen and photographed outside the Fulton County Election Hub and Operations Center during the FBI's execution of the search warrant, Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Rep. Jim Himes, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to Gabbard Thursday seeking an explanation for her involvement.
"It is also deeply concerning that you participated in this domestic law enforcement action," the pair wrote, requesting that she appear before both committees immediately.
"Director Gabbard recognizes that election security is essential for the integrity of our republic and our nation's security," ODNI press secretary Oliva Coleman said in a statement. "As DNI, she has a vital role in identifying vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure and protecting against exploitation. President Trump's directive to secure our elections was clear, and DNI Gabbard has and will continue to take actions within her authorities, alongside our interagency partners, to support ensuring the integrity of our elections."
