Judge declines to force DOJ to return Fulton County's 2020 ballots

A federal judge, JP Boulee, refused Fulton County’s bid to compel the DOJ to return ballots and other 2020 election materials seized by the FBI, saying the county hadn’t met the high legal bar to intervene. While the court found some aspects of the affidavit used in the search to be problematic, it noted the FBI provided information that undermined some claims and that the DOJ has since supplied the records. The ruling emphasized the seizure did not interfere with the 2020 election or its certification, and county concerns about public records and future seizures were noted, with potential implications for the 2026 midterms.