Judge Allows DOJ to Retain Seized 2020 Election Ballots

A judge has decided that the U.S. Department of Justice can keep the ballots from the 2020 election that were taken during a raid in Fulton County, Georgia, earlier this year.

Federal District Judge J.P. Bouley turned down a request for the original documents to be returned after they were seized by the FBI in January, as reported by Reuters.

Bouley found some issues in the FBI affidavit used to obtain the search warrant but determined that they didn’t indicate a “callous disregard” for the rights of the county, which is the legal standard for returning records. He noted that while the affidavit wasn’t flawless, it didn’t omit all significant facts or involve intentional deceit, as he stated in his 68-page ruling.

Bouley, who was nominated by Trump, unsealed the search warrant affidavit back in February, which authorities used to back their actions, according to AFP.

This document indicates that the FBI is looking into claims of “election fraud” related to the 2020 election and whether any acts of fraud were intentional violations of federal law.

The FBI’s criminal probe originated from a referral by Kurt Olsen, an appointee of the president to oversee Election Security and Integrity, reported a newspaper.

Officials from Fulton County, which leans Democratic, indicated they are considering legal options following Bouley’s refusal to return the election records, as noted by the Associated Press.

The AP also mentioned that the county didn’t demonstrate the necessity of the documents being returned or that they would face irreparable harm without them. Bouley highlighted that this was particularly relevant since copies of the documents had already been provided to the county by the Department of Justice.

According to Breitbart News, the ruling arrives amid President Trump’s assertions of widespread voter fraud, with the White House advocating for Congress to pass the Save America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration.

The proposed legislation reportedly enjoys strong bipartisan support, with a Harvard Harris School poll indicating that 71 percent of registered voters back it, including 91 percent of Republicans, 50 percent of Democrats, and 69 percent of independents, as reported on March 10.