U.S. Justice Department Files Federal Lawsuit Against Fulton County Clerk

Atlanta, GA – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Atlanta against Fulton County Court Clerk Ché Alexander, alleging violations of federal law for refusing to turn over sealed election records from the 2020 presidential election.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, seeks access to a broad set of materials including:

• All used and void ballots from the 2020 election
• Ballot stubs and signature envelopes
• Corresponding digital files linked to absentee ballots

The DOJ claims that these records are required under federal election law and that the clerk’s office has not complied with lawful requests. Fulton County officials have maintained that the documents are sealed under court order and cannot be released without judicial authorization.

The suit centers on allegations that the clerk and Fulton County violated federal statutes — including provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 — which govern the preservation and availability of election records for federal review. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division argues these steps are necessary to ensure compliance with federal election‑integrity requirements.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated in court filings that the DOJ will not allow local entities to withhold records that “jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections” by refusing to turn over federally mandated materials.

Alexander responded that the requested documents are currently sealed by court order and cannot lawfully be handed over without proper judicial authority, setting up a legal confrontation between federal and local interpretations of record access and election transparency.

The Fulton County action is part of a broader push by the DOJ—under the Trump administration—to obtain election data from local jurisdictions and several states. Recent lawsuits have also targeted four states for refusing to provide detailed voter registration information, with federal officials arguing such data is essential to prevent “vote dilution” and ensure proper enforcement of election law.

The legal action comes amid ongoing national debates about the 2020 election and transparency. In Georgia, Fulton County was the site of extensive legal battles over the 2020 results and subsequent election interference prosecutions, though charges in the high‑profile case against former President Donald Trump and others were dismissed earlier this year. The official reason the case ended was that the prosecutor currently handling it — Peter Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia — requested the charges be dropped, and a Fulton County judge granted that motion. Skandalakis concluded the case should not proceed further, saying it would not serve the interests of justice to continue a prosecution that could take many years without a realistic path to trial. The case was dropped largely for practical and procedural reasons rather than a full legal determination on the merits.

Critics of the DOJ’s approach argue the demands risk infringing on voter privacy and exceed federal authority, while supporters contend that access to election records is necessary to enforce federal law and reassure the public of election integrity.

The court will now consider whether to compel the release of the sealed records, potentially setting a significant precedent for federal powers in overseeing local election administration.