ATLANTA, GEORGIA – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a federal lawsuit against Fulton County, Georgia, seeking the release of sealed ballots and related records from the 2020 presidential election. The move marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s long-running effort to investigate and promote discredited claims of widespread voter fraud from the contest.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta, specifically demands “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, and corresponding envelope digital files” from the 2020 General Election in Fulton County. The DOJ, through Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division, claims the records are necessary to determine the county’s compliance with federal election laws. Dhillon issued a statement asserting, “At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws.”
Fulton County officials have resisted previous demands for the documents, informing the DOJ that the 2020 ballots and records are currently sealed by a standing court order from an unrelated piece of litigation that had challenged the election results. Their position is that a separate court order is required to unseal the materials. The county’s refusal led the DOJ to file the suit, alleging a violation of federal law, including Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which grants the Attorney General the authority to demand and inspect election records.
The lawsuit comes five years after the 2020 election, a contest that saw Democrat Joe Biden narrowly win Georgia, a result confirmed by multiple recounts and various investigations that found no evidence of intentional misconduct or widespread fraud, only routine human errors. The DOJ’s action is in line with President Donald Trump’s repeated insistence that the election was “rigged.” The State Election Board, which has a right-wing majority, had previously attempted to subpoena the same documents last year and later passed a resolution asking the U.S. Attorney General to intervene.
The litigation against Fulton County is not an isolated incident. On the same day, the DOJ announced it had filed federal lawsuits against four states—Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Nevada—for failing to hand over their complete, unredacted statewide voter registration lists. The DOJ’s expansion of election-related legal actions underscores its determination to use federal law to investigate election practices, despite criticisms that these efforts are aimed at reviving debunked claims.
Sources and Links
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Trump Justice Department sues Fulton County to obtain 2020 ballots
- The Washington Post: DOJ sues Georgia county as Trump pushes debunked 2020 election fraud claims
- U.S. Department of Justice: Justice Department Sues Four Additional States and One Locality for Failure to Comply with Federal Elections Laws
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