‘Appalling’: Fulton County sues for return of 2020 ball… — Transcript

Fulton County sues for return of 2020 ballots seized in FBI raid amid concerns over election integrity and federal overreach.

Key Takeaways

The FBI raid on Fulton County ballots raises serious concerns about election security and federal overreach.
Legal avenues to access search warrant details are limited, complicating transparency efforts.
The situation is viewed as part of a broader political strategy to influence future elections, especially in Democratic areas.
State sovereignty and the 10th Amendment may provide a constitutional basis to challenge federal interference.
Protecting local election administration and voter rights is critical amid ongoing political and legal battles.

Summary

Fulton County officials describe the FBI seizure of 2020 election ballots as 'appalling' with concerns about chain of custody and ballot integrity.
The county is suing to recover the ballots and seeking details about the criminal search warrant used in the raid.
There is skepticism about the stated criminal investigation, with allegations that the raid is politically motivated to influence future elections.
Fulton County Commissioner Chairman Rob Pitts emphasizes the constitutional stakes and warns about federal government overreach into state election processes.
Legal challenges face difficulties due to criminal procedure rules limiting access to search warrant information before indictment.
Potential constitutional claims based on the 10th Amendment could argue federal interference in state-administered elections.
Concerns are raised about nationalization of elections and targeting of Democratic-run states by federal authorities aligned with Trump.
The discussion highlights fears of politicization of election oversight and intimidation tactics, including ICE presence at polling places.
The current political control in Georgia, with a Republican legislature and MAGA-controlled elections board, poses risks to election integrity.
The need for a Secretary of State committed to protecting voter rights and county election autonomy is stressed to prevent state takeovers.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

the way these boxes were seized from our elections warehouse, um, was appalling and I think even if we get them back at this point, we don't really know what happened in the interim. We had a minimal receipt of what was taken. Uh, we don't know where the boxes are now. We don't know who's been rifling through them and there's no guarantee that what we get back will be what was taken, but we have to at least try.

Speaker B

You have to at least try. I also think it's interesting that you're asking to see the affidavit.

Speaker A

Yeah.

Speaker B

What is the information you think that will convey?

Speaker A

Well, look, I mean, this is a criminal search warrant. So what's the crime? What are we really looking at? The two crimes sort of listed at the high level of the warrant that we did see are vague and we want to know what this is all about.

Speaker A

So we know what to protect ourselves from.

Speaker A

At the end of the day, we all know this is Trump trying to get control of the 2026 elections. And look, we had a process set to deliver those ballots with a set process that both sides would agree on in a few days.

Speaker A

But the Trump administration came in and did this with an FBI raid because they knew that if we did it in a process and we agreed with what was taken,

Speaker A

they couldn't make up what was inside those boxes. Now they're going to say whatever they want to say about what was there and what it means.

Speaker C

You know, let's play some from

Speaker C

Fulton County Commissioner Chairman Rob Pitts. This was him today saying the Constitution is at stake.

Speaker D

We will fight.

Speaker D

We're using all resources against those who seek to take over our elections.

Speaker D

Our Constitution itself is at stake in this fight.

Speaker D

The president himself has mentioned some 15 plus other states where he believes that there are problems.

Speaker D

That's why I say that this is a very complicated situation and has implications far beyond Fulton County, Georgia.

Speaker C

I think the question every American should be asking themselves right now is if

Speaker C

the government can walk into the most populous county in a state, seize its election records,

Speaker C

a state that the president of the United States currently lost, by the way.

Speaker C

Six years after that election, then what is to stop them from doing that to any

Speaker C

populous county in this country the day after the next election?

Speaker E

Yeah.

Speaker E

A lot to unpack there and absolutely the Constitution is at stake in these sorts of crises.

Speaker E

Let's talk about the micro first, which is unfortunately Fulton County is going to have a very difficult time legally

Speaker E

getting the information that it's seeking about the search warrants.

Speaker E

So, you know, our system is really not designed for

Speaker E

criminal investigations to reveal search warrants before an indictment.

Speaker E

And the specific legal vehicle that Fulton County is using right now, Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41,

Speaker E

is really used for getting property or evidence after a trial has been completed.

Speaker E

So it's going to be tough for them to proceed here.

Speaker E

I will say, I think that they're going to have some more luck and I think other jurisdictions are going to have some more luck

Speaker E

bringing not a sort of narrow statutory claim, but a constitutional one.

Speaker E

And one angle for them to be thinking about, again, not just Fulton County, but other counties,

Speaker E

other counties, other states as well.

Speaker E

Think about the 10th Amendment, which gives states, you know, sovereignty over everything that the federal government doesn't have authority over.

Speaker E

Here the argument would be something like the states have a sovereign interest in administering their own elections.

Speaker E

The federal government is interfering in that process by stealing ballots.

Speaker E

And, you know, you have evidence that this is more than just an ordinary criminal investigation by the fact that

Speaker E

the president says that he wants to nationalize the elections,

Speaker E

that he believes falsely, that he says falsely that the ballots have been falsely counted in Georgia before.

Speaker E

That Tulsi Gabbard, the head of DNI, which ordinarily has no domestic law enforcement authority,

Speaker E

is involved here.

Speaker E

And then there's some allegations that information is being released from the investigation,

Speaker E

telling Fulton County officials that they're going to be arrested now.

Speaker E

All of that suggests that this is a political operation.

Speaker F

It is.

Speaker F

It is a political operation.

Speaker F

This is all this is.

Speaker F

This isn't about the fact that some states have decided to go rogue in their voting and in and in their process of voting.

Speaker F

And and in the idea that citizens can trust the ballots in that state.

Speaker F

And the federal government, which would then have a legitimate question about, okay, so what are you doing?

Speaker F

Um,

Speaker F

but they're the problem.

Speaker F

And commissioner, that's that's the rub that you're going to run into.

Speaker F

Um, if you're successful in becoming the one who's in charge of and looking after the vote in the state of Georgia.

Speaker F

And and and understanding exactly what what's required.

Speaker F

When you have the President of the United States, uh, tell us that we should lock down and control.

Speaker F

Republicans should control 15 states, all Democratic states, democratically run.

Speaker F

With uh, Democratic leadership uh, across the state.

Speaker F

When you have Steve Bannon saying that, oh, we're going to just, we're going to surround the polls.

Speaker F

Um, with ice agents.

Speaker F

My question is, what polls are you talking about, Stevie?

Speaker F

Are you talking about, oh, I don't know, polls in your backyard?

Speaker F

Are you talking about polls in black and brown communities?

Speaker F

Are you talking about putting polls here in Maryland, in Prince George's County?

Speaker F

Largest black county in in the state of Maryland.

Speaker F

You talking about putting polls there?

Speaker F

Are you talking about putting polls in Mike Johnson's district?

Speaker F

Where he has to go, Mr. Johnson, Speaker Johnson, are you ready to have ice agents at your polls?

Speaker F

Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, my bad.

Speaker F

Your your district is majority white.

Speaker C

Not those polls, Michael Steel.

Speaker F

Oh, that's right. You won't have that problem, now will you, sir?

Speaker F

But you oversee the house and can do something about it, but you won't because you're scared.

Speaker F

You're scared of Steve Bannon.

Speaker F

You're scared of Donald Trump.

Speaker F

And I've heard you over the last few days, hubba, hubba, hubba, hubba, line through your teeth.

Speaker F

That's the problem that you're going to have, commissioner.

Speaker F

When you take control of federal government that doesn't give a damn about your sovereignty as a state, doesn't give a damn about your process.

Speaker F

So how do you, what are you saying to to the the people that you're hoping elect you,

Speaker F

uh, that you're going to go and be able to protect their most precious asset and that is the vote.

Speaker A

Well,

Speaker A

listen,

Speaker A

one of the things that you said, um, you know, you talked about

Speaker A

him going after blue states.

Speaker A

But we're a swing state.

Speaker A

And right now, our state legislature is controlled, um, by Republicans.

Speaker A

And our state elections board is controlled by Maga.

Speaker A

And so we are in danger right now, um, in this current year,

Speaker A

before I even get a chance to be elected into that job,

Speaker A

um, of the state elections board taking over our elections.

Speaker A

So they may back off from this nationalization thing and say,

Speaker A

okay, okay, you're right, we can't go against the Constitution.

Speaker A

But go ahead, state of Georgia elections board, take over the elections.

Speaker A

And that will have the same effect.

Speaker A

Uh, if the state elections board in Georgia takes over,

Speaker A

um, then, you know, there go the voters of Fulton County's votes.

Speaker A

And there go the state of Georgia votes from all Democrats.

Speaker A

And potentially there goes, uh, some of our our major elections here.

Speaker A

And, you know, if that continues into 2028,

Speaker A

there goes the presidential, right?

Speaker A

So we have to have a Secretary of State who is defending our rights.

Speaker A

Not only as a to allow a state takeover, but to allow the counties to run their elections the way they were intended to.

Speaker A

And to not allow these changes to state law, uh, that are going to infringe on voters.

Speaker A

And I'm sure there are similar things happening, um, all across the country in states like ours.

Topics:Fulton CountyFBI raid2020 ballotselection integrityelection interferenceconstitutional rights10th AmendmentGeorgia electionsTrumppolitical overreach

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Fulton County suing for the return of the 2020 ballots?

Fulton County is suing because the seizure of the ballot boxes from their elections warehouse was deemed 'appalling.' They are concerned about what happened to the boxes in the interim, who has accessed them, and if the returned contents will be what was originally taken.

What is the speaker's concern regarding the criminal search warrant for the ballot boxes?

The speaker is concerned about the vagueness of the two crimes listed at a high level in the warrant. They want to understand the specific charges to know how to protect themselves, suggesting the action is politically motivated by Trump to influence future elections.

According to Fulton County Commissioner Chairman Rob Pitts, what is at stake in this situation?

Chairman Rob Pitts states that the Constitution itself is at stake in this fight. He emphasizes that they will use all resources against those attempting to take over their elections, highlighting the broader implications beyond just Fulton County, Georgia.

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