Fulton County officials in Georgia remain locked in a high-stakes legal fight after a federal judge ruled the FBI can retain 2020 election records seized from a state-run warehouse. The decision, penned by Judge J. P. Boulee, rejected Fulton County’s demand to return 660 boxes of documents taken during a January 2023 search.

The judge acknowledged the case’s “unprecedented” nature but found insufficient evidence that federal agents acted with “callous disregard” for constitutional rights. Fourth Amendment concerns over the seizure’s legality persist, as Fulton County argued the warrant relied on debunked claims of election fraud. The ruling marks another chapter in a saga fueled by former President Trump’s push to overturn his narrow 2020 loss in Georgia, where he trailed Joe Biden by just 11,779 votes. County leaders, including Chairman Robb Pitts, vowed to appeal, calling the decision a “flawed” overreach.

Legal experts note the case could set precedents for federal intervention in state election processes. The FBI has not commented on whether the records will ever be returned, leaving the dispute unresolved as Georgia’s primary election nears.