An FBI investigation that led to the seizure of more than 650 boxes of 2020 election ballots from Fulton County, Georgia, was initiated by Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who previously worked on President Trump's failed efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, according to a federal affidavit unsealed Tuesday. Olsen now serves as the presidentially appointed Director of Election Security and Integrity in the Trump administration.
The affidavit, written by FBI Special Agent Hugh Raymond Evans, states that the criminal investigation "originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen" and focuses on five alleged "deficiencies or defects" with the 2020 election in Fulton County. The FBI executed the search warrant on January 28. Fulton County's 2020 ballots were counted three separate times, with results affirmed each time.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic officials and election security experts have criticized the investigation as politically motivated and based on previously debunked claims. David Becker, a former Justice Department official and executive director of the Center for Election Information & Research, called the affidavit "much weaker than I suspected."
"After more than five years, dozens of court cases, and over a year in total control of the federal government, this is all they've got?" Becker said in a statement. "If taken at its word, this entire affidavit at most alleges human error after a late night during a global pandemic, all of which had no impact on the outcome of the race."
Critics also noted the affidavit does not mention any evidence of foreign election interference, raising questions about why Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present at the raid site. Democrats have expressed concern about Olsen's access to classified intelligence given his history of promoting unsubstantiated election fraud claims.
What the Right Is Saying
The White House has defended Olsen's role and the investigation. When asked about Olsen's access to classified material, a White House official told NBC News: "President Trump has the authority to provide access to classified material to individuals as he deems necessary. The entire Trump administration is working together to ensure the integrity of U.S. elections."
Trump administration officials have framed the investigation as a legitimate inquiry into potential election irregularities. Ed Martin, the United States pardon attorney and head of the Weaponization Working Group, indicated in a January appearance on Steve Bannon's War Room that he was working with Olsen on election integrity matters that would intersect with the FBI investigation.
The affidavit alleges five specific deficiencies including missing scanned images of ballots, though it does not provide evidence these issues affected election outcomes. Supporters of the investigation argue that examining these claims is necessary to restore public confidence in election systems.
What the Numbers Show
Fulton County's 2020 election results were counted three separate times: the initial count, a machine recount, and a hand recount. All three counts affirmed Joe Biden's victory in Georgia by 11,779 votes statewide. The FBI seized more than 650 boxes of ballots and election materials on January 28, 2026.
Several of the claims cited in the affidavit have been previously investigated by Georgia state officials. A 2023 performance review by the Georgia Secretary of State's office examined allegations about missing ballot images and found that state law at the time did not require counties to maintain scanned ballot images as records.
Trump lost Georgia by 0.24 percentage points in 2020. The state's results have been the subject of multiple lawsuits, audits, and investigations over the past four years, none of which found evidence of fraud sufficient to change the outcome.
The Bottom Line
The revelation that Olsen initiated the FBI investigation adds a political dimension to what the administration has characterized as a routine law enforcement matter. Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who resisted Trump's 2020 pressure campaign and is now running for governor, criticized the probe as a waste of resources on "baseless and repackaged claims."
The investigation continues as the Trump administration pursues broader efforts to exert federal control over election systems, including lawsuits to obtain unredacted voter rolls from states. The unsealing of the affidavit is likely to intensify debate over the appropriate role of federal law enforcement in investigating state-run elections and the use of classified intelligence resources for election-related inquiries.