Legal Action Reignites 2020 Election Dispute

The Trump administration has launched a lawsuit against Fulton County, Georgia, seeking access to voting records from the 2020 US presidential election. The move revives long-running claims by President Donald Trump that the election was improperly decided.

Filed by the US Department of Justice, the lawsuit demands the release of ballot-related materials from the county, arguing that local officials unlawfully refused to comply with a federal subpoena.

What the Lawsuit Is Demanding

According to court filings, the justice department is requesting a wide range of election materials, including:

• All ballots used and voided in the 2020 general election
• Ballot stubs
• Signature envelopes
• Digital copies of corresponding envelope records

The records relate specifically to Fulton County, which includes much of the Atlanta metropolitan area and played a decisive role in Georgia’s election outcome.

Justice Department Cites Civil Rights Act

The lawsuit alleges that Fulton County violated the Civil Rights Act by refusing to turn over the materials. County officials reportedly told federal authorities that the ballots were sealed and could only be released under a court order.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the federal government was acting to protect the integrity of elections, warning against what she described as “vote dilution.”

“We will not allow states to undermine the effectiveness of elections by ignoring federal election laws,” Dhillon said, adding that the department would intervene if states failed to safeguard the ballot.

Georgia’s Narrow 2020 Result

Donald Trump lost Georgia to Joe Biden by a slim margin in 2020, one of several battleground defeats that ended his presidency. The loss made Georgia a central focus of Trump’s post-election legal and political efforts.

Multiple recounts and audits conducted by Georgia election officials reaffirmed Biden’s victory.

Subpoena Issued Before Lawsuit

The justice department said it issued a subpoena to Fulton County election officials in October, citing the need to examine compliance with federal election law. The county’s refusal to comply led directly to the lawsuit.

Fulton County officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the filing.

Trump’s Post-Election Pressure Campaign

After the 2020 vote, Trump repeatedly alleged widespread fraud, claims that were rejected by courts across the country. Georgia featured prominently in those efforts.

In a now-infamous phone call, Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s victory. Raffensperger refused and later certified the election results.

Raffensperger’s office declined to comment on the current lawsuit.

Criminal Case in Fulton County

Fulton County later became the site of Trump’s most serious legal threat related to the election. District Attorney Fani Willis charged him under Georgia’s racketeering laws, accusing him of leading a conspiracy to overturn the state’s results.

Trump pleaded not guilty in August 2023. However, the case suffered multiple procedural setbacks and was formally dismissed earlier this month.

Trump’s return to the White House in 2025 effectively halted the prosecution, ending what had once been considered the most dangerous of his four criminal indictments.

Why the Georgia Case Mattered

Unlike federal charges, the Georgia case carried unique risk because Trump would not have been able to pardon himself from state-level convictions. For that reason, it was widely viewed as the most consequential legal challenge he faced.

While the criminal case has ended, the new lawsuit signals that disputes over the 2020 election and Georgia’s role in it remain politically and legally unresolved.