WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday ruled that the Justice Department can keep 2020 election ballots seized during an FBI search in January, a win for President Donald Trump's administration as it pursues the president's false claims of widespread voter fraud.
Atlanta-based U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee rejected Fulton County’s request for the return of original copies of the seized material. Lawyers for the county had argued that the FBI’s search of the county's election hub relied on faulty and discredited evidence and violated protections under the U.S. Constitution.
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Boulee determined there were flaws in an FBI affidavit used to secure a judge's permission for the search, but concluded that those shortcomings did not amount to "callous disregard" for the county's rights, the legal standard required to have the records returned.
"While the Affidavit was certainly far from perfect, this is not a situation where an officer left out all the facts that might undermine probable cause or where an officer intentionally lied," Boulee wrote in a 68-page ruling.
Spokespeople for Fulton County, the FBI and the Justice Department didn't immediately...
Judge found FBI affidavit flawed but not enough to return ballots Probe part of Trump administration effort to reexamine 2020 loss Fulton County argued FBI relied on discredited evidence WASHING...