The Justice Department is pursuing interviews with poll workers and ballot counters from the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia. This move is part of an effort to gather more information about the ballot-processing procedures, as revealed by prosecutors during a recent court hearing.
Details of the Investigation
Prosecutor William McComb, working with a grand jury in Fulton County, informed a federal judge on May 19 that federal investigators would seek to speak with election workers once their names and addresses are obtained. This step is intended to identify individuals who may have witnessed or participated in activities relevant to the investigation.
Judge William Ray II questioned the approach, asking how the department planned to use the information of election workers. McComb clarified that the intention is to contact and question these individuals as witnesses, with no other means available beyond a grand jury subpoena.
Concerns and Legal Challenges
The Fulton County elections office has requested the judge to block the subpoena, arguing that it is an invasive investigation that could deter civic participation in future elections. The county expressed concerns that releasing workers’ personal information could lead to targeting and harassment by those seeking to challenge the 2020 election results.
During the hearing, Kamal Ghali, a lawyer for the county, argued that the subpoena is overly broad and could discourage election workers from participating in future elections. The judge acknowledged the potential concerns of election workers regarding the release of their private information.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The Justice Department maintains that the grand jury seeks this data to determine if there are grounds for criminal investigation related to the 2020 election. While details of the department’s reasoning remain private, McComb emphasized the need to understand what, if any, improprieties occurred during the election and whether these issues persist.
Previously, the Justice Department seized all of Fulton County’s 2020 election ballots and related materials. A separate federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the county to retrieve these materials.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
