FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and two Georgia Democrats are pressing the Justice Department for answers following an FBI raid of the Fulton County Election Hub, warning the action could further undermine public confidence in elections already subjected to years of false fraud claims.
What they're saying:
In a letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Warnock, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath requested an immediate briefing on the Jan. 28 search, which targeted records connected to the 2020 presidential election. The lawmakers said the warrant was executed at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City and was "unusually" filed by the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The Democrats cited long-standing findings that Georgia’s 2020 election was accurate and secure, including conclusions reached by former Attorney General William Barr during President Donald Trump’s first administration. They said continued false claims about the election threaten election workers and public trust, and argued the seizure "only heightens those concerns."
The letter also seeks an explanation for the reported presence of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during the operation and asks whether any foreign-intelligence component is being investigated, which would require congressional notification. The lawmakers requested a DOJ briefing by Feb. 13. The FBI and Justice Department have not publicly detailed the basis for the search.
RELATED: DNI's Tulsi Gabbard defends presence at FBI Fulton County raid last week
Keisha Lance Bottoms releases statement
What they're saying:
Democratic candidate for governor and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has also released the following statement related to the raid and the presence of Gabbard. In the statement, she references a report by the New York Times and mentions plans by Fulton County leaders to file a motion.
"This report from the New York Times makes clear what we already suspected: Donald Trump continues to use taxpayer dollars to direct his administration to chase conspiracy theories about an election that he lost six years ago," Bottoms said. "Now we also know that he is going even further and coordinating with the Director of National Intelligence to manufacture lies about the 2020 election. It’s alarming that we continue to see this administration abuse its power and threaten free and fair elections, while families in Georgia are struggling with rising costs and face losing their health care coverage due to Trump’s cuts.
"I commend the elected leaders in Fulton County for going to court and using every tool to stand up for Georgians against threats to their rights and privacy. As Governor, I will stand up for Georgians, and I will take Donald Trump to court whenever he interferes with our rights."
FBI raids Fulton County election office
Federal agents executed a search warrant on Jan. 28 at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center where county officials store and process election records. The Federal Bureau of Investigation sought materials tied to the 2020 presidential election.
The search and seizure of voting records comes after years of claims about the inaccuracy of the 2020 election results in Georgia, which have repeatedly been upheld as accurate by state officials, courts and prior federal reviews. The U.S. Department of Justice has not publicly detailed the scope or purpose of the investigation.
PREVIOUS STORIES
- FBI raid at Fulton County election facility has state lawmakers split down party lines
- FBI agents spend hours searching Fulton County election facility
- Fulton County pushes back on FBI raid, sealed warrant released
- Fulton County leaders react to FBI raid at election center near Atlanta