Politics
A quick rundown of this week’s stunning turn of events.
FBI agents appear at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, as the bureau conducts a raid. Fulton County officials called the raid alarming. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
What happened?
Federal agents on Wednesday descended on Fulton County’s election operations center to execute what an FBI spokesperson called a “court-authorized activity.” The 600,000-square-foot elections hub in south Fulton is used for voting and county election board meetings.
It also houses documents from 2020, including the physical ballots cast by voters, which have been kept under a court-ordered seal because of pending litigation.
skcurt eht eht eht maet lareves nees deruocs revo fo fo fo gnidaol egral otni sderdnuh .sruoh .ytilicaf esruoc dluoc gnidliub sexob dniheb eb stnega IBF stnegA A
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Did the FBI have a warrant?
saw eciwt eht eht ecnis dengis lenap no fo fo .segduj daeh sah remrof yb yb hcneb neeb detnioppa a .seY .S.U .S.U ,yteicoS .sanilaS sanilaS etartsigaM lageL egduJ tI tcirtsiD truoC truoC enirehtaC atnaltA diA A ,5102
yhw tnarraw raelcnu eht eht eht eht yltnecer rotucesorp no fo fo fo ton deman detsil si si si si devlovni ni rof rof laredef .tnemucod demrifnoc tub yenrotta yenrotta eetnioppa a .S.U .S.U ,pmurT samohT erodoehT ehT nrehtroN .iruossiM tI ,grebztreH ,aigroeG nretsaE dlanoD tcirtsiD tcirtsiD ,sublA ,sublA
What are they looking for?
An FBI agent brings boxes of evidence into a truck at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. A team of agents scoured the building over the course of several hours. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
erew ,tnarraw yeht eht eht gnikees dias :sdrocer slaiciffo gniwollof laredef nI notluF ytnuoC
- Physical ballots from the 2020 general election, in-person, absentee and other ballots and absentee ballot envelopes.
- Tabulator tapes for every voting machine used.
- Ballot images produced during the original ballot count beginning on Nov. 3, 2020.
- Voter rolls from the 2020 general election from absentee, early voting, in person, and any other voter roll.
What are the alleged crimes?
sraey dluow ylluflliw hcihw hcihw saw .tnarraw sretov ot eht eht eht taht taht naht setutats etutats seriuqer sdrocer tup edistuo swaltuo rehto slaiciffo fo elbaton tsom erom .shtnom niatniam detsil snoitatimil nwonk ti ni .tneluduarf rof raey-evif evif laredef laredef noitcele noitcele gniduarfed .semirc srevoc gnitnuoc yb eb stollab era ,oga owT ehT enO s’tI 22
Why was Tulsi Gabbard there?
saw saw esuoheraw ot eht eht eht taht dettops kaeps etis etuor sretroper .ylcilbup tcejorp ecneserp slaiciffo fo .aidem yam wal retal demrofni ni ni sruoh reh gnivig ,ecnedive tnemecrofne ne citsemod denilced detcelloc .esac feirb ta sa devirra dna dna stnega noonretfa a a yadsendeW isluT ehS ehS lanoitaN ecnegilletnI drabbaG laredeF rotceriD
eht noitubirter ,detroper ylsuoiverp lacitilop ezinagro slaiciffo fo ,noitan devlovni ni sih gnipleh depleh sah puorg .seof tcaxe snezod dnuora tsniaga a pmurT sretueR drabbaG
United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (center) appears at Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, as the FBI conducts a raid related to the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
ecno“ saw eciv rettu ot eht eht eht taht desoppus ”.tnuts ehs ehs dias lacitilop eciffo fo fo nasitrap-non gnidael kcal si otni ecnegilletni gnitcejni sdloh reh rof ssentif citsemod gnitartsnomed ytinummoc namriahc yb eb niaga a ,renraW .S.U etaneS .neS kraM ecnegilletnI drabbaG citarcomeD ,eettimmoC
Why is this happening now?
— — raey tuohtiw gnilliw saw desu ot ot ot ot ot ,seiroeht eht eht eht taht saneopbus kees .deggir detarogivnier noitceleer .sdrocer eusrup srewop fo ssol .detagitil tsal deussi tsisni ni ni sih sih sih sah sah .secnaveirg evisnapxe evitucexe ecnedive noitcele deunitnoc ycaripsnoc hcnarb htob gnieb sa era dna dna seilla ssecca .S.U pmurT pmurT esohT etatS ecniS ecitsuJ eoJ siH s’aigroeG aigroeG noitcelE tnemtrapeD tarcomeD draoB ,nediB 4202 0202 0202
What is Fulton County saying?
efas“ deirrow tahw erew saw yeht eht eht eht eht eht ”eruces dias .sdrocer diar slaiciffo fo ytirgetni ni ni fi eh sneppah laredef .ytilicaf dednefed .ydotsuc tnedifnoc dellac stollab era dna dna gnimrala tuoba bboR sttiP s’eH notluF ytnuoC ytnuoC noissimmoC riahC
eW“ — — dlrow erehw s’tahw ew ot ot esoht er’yeht .meht eht eht eht taht .nekat llits ”,eruces yfsitas .dias ylno fo fo ton on regnol wonk wonk eh neppah gniog t’nod t’nod snezitic snezitic nac tub gnieb stollab era eW oS ,atnaltA
What are Trump’s allies saying?
t’ndluoc“ snaigroeG“ saw ot eht eht eht emos ”.elas dias nur thgir .diar s’tnediserp stsilayol eudrevo-gnol nrael tsuj ni woh ,ronrevog teg rof eslaf :noitcele deohce ,rednetnoc smialc etadidnac ekab era dedualppa srewsna dna tuoba tuoba a a .S.U s’pmurT desrodne-pmurT pmurT ehT etaneS .peR tnediserP .tL ,senoJ .voG notluF ytnuoC ,retraC truB ydduB dnA ”.0202 0202
Correction
This story has been corrected to show that an FBI spokesperson called the search “court-authorized.”
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
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.
