Judge: Justice Department can keep seized 2020 Fulton ballots

Politics
Fulton Commission Chairman Pitts: ‘We’re at war. … We have to defend ourselves — defend democracy.’
FBI agents enter the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, as the FBI conducts a raid. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the U.S. Department of Justice does not have to return 2020 election ballots seized by FBI agents to Fulton County.
It is the latest twist in the bitter fight between Fulton County and the Trump administration over the county’s 2020 election records. Fulton could appeal the ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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Caleb Groves is a general assignment reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s politics team and a Kennesaw State University graduate.
Caleb Groves is a general assignment reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s politics team and a Kennesaw State University graduate.



