FBI raided Georgia election office over 2020 ‘defects’ on command of Trump’s ‘Stop the Steal’ lawyer – UK Times

The FBI raided an elections office in Georgia and seized ballots from the 2020 presidential election in connection with a federal investigation into “deficiencies or defects” into Donald Trump’s loss in the state, according to newly unsealed documents.

An affidavit for the search signed by a judge last month reveals that the investigation followed a referral from Trump’s former campaign-linked attorney Kurt Olsen, who is now working in the White House directly under the president.

The document from FBI Special Agent Hugh Raymond Evans says federal law enforcement agencies launched a “criminal investigation into whether any of the improprieties” alleged during the ballot-counting process in Fulton County “were intentional acts that violated federal criminal laws.”

That investigation was sparked by Olsen, who worked closely with Trump’s campaign in 2020 to challenge election results as part of a “Stop the Steal” movement that was largely rejected by courts across the country.

He was later sanctioned by a federal judge for “false, misleading and unsupported factual assertions” in support of Republican Kari Lake’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn her loss in the 2020 race for Arizona governor.

The latest revelations follow growing scrutiny from voting rights advocates and Democratic officials in the wake of last month’s raid, which appears to be fueled by familiar claims and conspiracy theories amplified by the president’s allies and debunked by top election officials.

Allegations in the affidavit appear to be largely based on complaints that were previously made in court or to the state’s election board. It cites several witnesses whose names are redacted but whose actions mirror the efforts from Trump’s allies to challenge the state’s results, which were largely tossed out.

It also does not name any alleged offenders or suggest who is responsible for the alleged criminal activity.

“Following the November 3, 2020, presidential election, there were many allegations of electoral impropriety relating to the voting process and ballot counting in Fulton County, Georgia. Some of those allegations have been disproven while some of those allegations have been substantiated, including through admissions by Fulton County,” according to Evans’ affidavit.

“This warrant application is part of an FBI criminal investigation into whether any of the improprieties were intentional acts that violated federal criminal laws,” he wrote.

This is a developing story