Fulton county accuses FBI of ‘callous disregard’ over ballot seizures

Fulton County is accusing the FBI of making misrepresentations in an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant for a January raid of the county's election offices that seized 2020 election records. Lawyers representing the county argued in federal court Friday that the FBI's affidavit rose to the legal standard of "callous disregard" for the county's rights and lacked evidence of criminal intent, which is essential to the charges being pursued. Attorney Abbe Lowell contended that the FBI is pursuing crimes for which the statute of limitations has already expired. The case centers on whether the FBI properly justified seizing the election materials and whether those seizures should be returned. The ruling could determine whether Fulton County regains access to its 2020 election records and may affect ongoing investigations into the county's election handling.