ATLANTA (PulseWire News) — In a significant development, the FBI executed a search warrant to seize hundreds of boxes of ballots from election offices in Fulton County, Georgia. This action is part of a criminal investigation into alleged deficiencies or defects in the vote count from the 2020 presidential election, a contest that President Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden by about 11,800 votes.

The recently unsealed affidavit provides the first public rationale for the FBI's search that took place last month. Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold, has been a focal point for Trump's claims regarding election fraud. Despite multiple audits and rulings from courts asserting the legitimacy of the election results, the investigation continues based on claims forwarded by former Trump campaign lawyer Kurt Olsen.

The apprehension surrounding this investigation highlights growing fears among Democrats of potential political retribution by Trump against the election outcome. Notably, the affidavit does not present any explicit evidence of foreign interference in the 2020 election, despite conspiracy theories widely circulated among Trump's supporters.

The FBI is examining whether the alleged deficiencies were due to intentional misconduct, which would constitute a violation of federal law. The inquiry extends to the possibility that election records were improperly destroyed or manipulated, which raises serious legal implications under U.S. election law.

Fulton County officials have previously admitted that during the recount, some ballots were scanned multiple times, further complicating the narrative surrounding the election integrity. An independent monitor's assessment post-election noted issues with electoral processes but found no evidence of intentional wrongdoing.

As the investigation proceeds, it continues to pit the claims of Trump and his allies against a backdrop of systematic reviews that have consistently refuted allegations of election fraud. The county has urged for a swift return of the seized materials, reinforcing the position that the 2020 election results have undergone comprehensive scrutiny without discovering any significant improprieties.