The FBI has called on field offices across the United States to send more than 200 personnel to support its ongoing investigation into the 2020 presidential election in Georgia’s Fulton County.
An internal memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press instructs the bureau to “surge” a total of 260 investigative analysts and staff operations specialists to the effort. The memo characterizes the probe as a “priority investigation.”
According to the memo, each assigned staffer is expected to review an estimated 708 records by July 17. While the document itself does not spell out the nature of the investigation, individuals familiar with the matter — who requested anonymity to speak about internal decisions — confirmed the request is tied to the Georgia 2020 election probe.
Earlier this year, FBI agents seized hundreds of boxes of ballots and other election-related documents from Fulton County, Georgia’s most populous county. The county is heavily Democratic and encompasses most of the city of Atlanta. A Fulton County spokesperson declined to comment, citing the pending investigation. The memo’s contents were first reported by MS NOW.
President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly and falsely claimed that widespread voter fraud denied him victory in the 2020 election. Georgia’s presidential vote was tallied three separate times — including one full hand recount — and every count confirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
The Justice Department has previously stated that it is examining “irregularities that occurred during the 2020 presidential election in the County.”
