FBI personnel are pictured at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center on January 28, 2026, in Union City, Georgia, which is located near Atlanta.Mike Stewart/AP
The Justice Department, during the preceding month, requested the identities and contact details for each and every election employee in Fulton County, Georgia, who was connected to the 2020 vote, based on legal documents made public this week.
The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections is currently petitioning a federal court within Atlanta to nullify the grand jury subpoena issued by federal officials, which sought the names, physical addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of every staff member involved in the 2020 electoral process.
"Its objective is to single out, badger, and penalize what the President sees as his political adversaries; it is excessively broad and has no reasonable basis; it cannot uncover any proof that would give rise to a criminal case," lawyers speaking for the Fulton County authorities stated in the submission made on Monday to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
The Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center one day following the execution of a search warrant by the Federal Bureau of Investigation related to the 2020 election in Union City, Georgia, on January 29, 2026.Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters
The subpoena seems to intensify the Trump administration’s strain on Fulton County in the midst of an active federal probe into alleged irregularities in the 2020 election.
Spurred partly by Trump allies who unsuccessfully attempted to utilize disproven theories to subvert the election outcome, federal agents, back in January, took possession of all ballots and official records from the 2020 election.
Over a number of months, Fulton County officials have implored a federal judge to mandate the return of the records, although that judge has not yet rendered a decision.
FBI agents are seen at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga, near Atlanta.Mike Stewart/AP
DOJ attorneys have asserted that the search stemmed from indications of possible wrongdoing and have charged Fulton County authorities with speculating regarding "some type of sweeping conspiracy."
Within the document submitted on Monday, legal representatives for Fulton County described the recent subpoena as the "most recent initiative to single out and harass what the President deems his political adversaries." They contend that the period allowed by law to start criminal proceedings for any purported offense has lapsed and that the inquiry lacks a valid justification.
"Grand juries are not intended to undertake extensive explorations unconnected to a criminal matter that can be legally prosecuted," the filing explained.
Robb Pitts, who presides over the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, characterized the subpoena as an "excessive federal intervention that is frankly astonishing and is intended to frighten and discourage individuals from participating in elections" within a statement.
The DOJ did not promptly provide a response to ABC News' solicitation for their input.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com