Fulton County lawsuit claims feds used \u2018gross mischaracterizations\u2019 to justify raid | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"Former federal elections expert Ryan Macias testifies that the FBI\u2019s Fulton County raid was based on "baseless" claims and "gross mischaracterizations" of the 2020 election process.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fulton-county-election-raid-expert-testimony-ryan-macias\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fulton County lawsuit claims feds used \u2018gross mischaracterizations\u2019 to justify raid\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Former federal elections expert Ryan Macias testifies that the FBI\u2019s Fulton County raid was based on "baseless" claims and "gross mischaracterizations" of the 2020 election process.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" 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<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"26.221830985915\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"35.656074766355\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fulton-county-election-raid-expert-testimony-ryan-macias\/\"> <span>Election Security<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> A former federal election official says the FBI’s affidavit justifying last month’s Fulton County raid misrepresented basic election facts, despite the agency’s claims having already been investigated and debunked by Georgia officials. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/87814\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg 6000w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-5.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> Ballots are tabulated on election night at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center on November 5, 2024 in Fairburn, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"39.769738242179\"><body readability=\"81.101752677702\"><\/p>\n<p>A former federal official who tested and certified voting machines used in Fulton County, Georgia for the 2020 presidential election told a court that the federal government misrepresented key facts and omitted exculpatory public evidence while seeking a warrant in <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fulton-county-election-raid-trump-administration-backlash\/\">last month\u2019s law enforcement raid<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The raid, carried out by the FBI and overseen by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, saw agents seize ballots and other documentation from the Fulton County election offices. A public affidavit cited five core allegations related to the county\u2019s recordkeeping, electronic ballot image storage, and election night reporting. Authorities allege these issues point to a potential conspiracy to intentionally manipulate the vote count in favor of Democrat Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>Fulton County officials <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.gand.355452\/gov.uscourts.gand.355452.30.0.pdf\">sued<\/a> the federal government in response, arguing that the affidavit used to obtain a warrant for the raid \u201cdoes not identify facts that establish probable cause that anyone committed a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.gand.355452\/gov.uscourts.gand.355452.30.1_1.pdf\">filing<\/a> includes sworn testimony from Ryan Macias, an elections expert who tested and certified the county\u2019s voting machines while at the Election Assistance Commission. In his testimony, Macias told the court that the government\u2019s key claims have already been investigated and have been found to be baseless. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He said the FBI\u2019s \u201cmany individual omissions and misstatements\u201d in its affidavit reflect \u201cgross mischaracterizations\u201d of how elections work and directly contradict the conclusions of multiple prior investigations into the Nov. 2020 election in Fulton County.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce the statements and omissions in the Affidavit are corrected and based on my experience administering elections, the Affidavit does not have a substantial basis in reality,\u201d Macias stated.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, the FBI\u2019s affidavit cites the absence of scanned images of all 527,925 ballots for the original count and recount. But Macias, who served as an adviser to Fulton County and witnessed pre and post-election operations in 2020, said this was standard practice. Jurisdictions typically send only the vote count records from their machines on election night, because ballot images and audit logs are much larger files that can slow down the reporting process.<\/p>\n<p>Macias also notes that the FBI affidavit omits that this issue was already investigated by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who found Georgia election workers weren\u2019t required by law to preserve such images until a state law passed in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>An investigator from Raffensperger\u2019s office later told the Board of Elections that \u201cit was \u201cimportant to note that ballots can be scanned and tabulated without capturing ballot images,\u201d while general counsel Charlene McGowan testified that ballot images play no role in the vote tabulation process and Fulton County\u2019s paper ballots \u2013 counted three times \u2013 were the \u201cmost important\u201d documents to verify the count.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThese explanations about the storing of ballot images have been publicly available for some time,\u201d Macias noted.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the FBI cites instances where some Fulton County ballots were scanned multiple times, claiming it shows evidence of \u201can intentional tabulation of ballots in a false matter\u201d to make the recount and original vote counts match. The bureau also pointed to small, non-determinative differences between the county\u2019s machine recount and totals from a hand-counted risk-limiting audit.<\/p>\n<p>But the federal government again failed to mention in its petition for a warrant that these claims were \u201cexhaustively\u201d investigated by the Secretary of State\u2019s office, which found the errors were benign, the duplicates weren\u2019t counted, and did not impact the final vote count in the state\u2019s count of the 2020 presidential contest.<\/p>\n<p>According to Macias, the government\u2019s affidavit also contains errors about basic facts about Fulton County\u2019s reporting process. This includes misreporting the correct official vote count and the date and time it was transmitted to state officials for tabulation.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.3491525423729\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<div class=\"popular-stories__stories\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__cards\">\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \" readability=\"21.263473053892\">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fulton-county-election-raid-trump-administration-backlash\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"506\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-2.jpg?resize=506%2C337&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-md size-ratio-16-9-md wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg 6000w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-6.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Ballots arrive at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center on election night on November 5, 2024 in Fairburn, Georgia. The FBI carried out a raid on the Fulton County election offices (Photo by Megan Varner\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\" readability=\"1.8917910447761\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fulton-county-election-raid-trump-administration-backlash\/\"> Lawmakers, election officials blast Trump administration after Fulton County raid <\/a> <\/h3>\n<p> State election officials pressed White House officials for their legal rationale and expressed concern about the impact of similar raids tied to the 2026 elections. <\/p>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/derek-johnson\/\"> Derek B. Johnson <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/doj-sues-fulton-county-georgia-over-2020-voter-data\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"252\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-3.jpg?resize=252%2C168&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg 5513w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-7.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 NOVEMBER 19: Attorney General Pam Bondi, accompanied by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche (L) and FBI Director Kash Patel (R), speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department on November 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Department of Justice is suing Fulton County, Georgia and its election clerk over the county\u2019s refusal to hand over voter records, part of a larger nationwide project to collect as much election and voter information as possible from state and local governments ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections. (Photo by Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/doj-sues-fulton-county-georgia-over-2020-voter-data\/\"> DOJ sues Fulton County over 2020 voter data <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/derek-johnson\/\"> Derek B. Johnson <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/trump-executive-order-elections-mail-in-voting-machines\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"252\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-4.jpg?resize=252%2C168&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg 5813w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid-8.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA \u2013 OCTOBER 29: Election equipment and supplies that will be distributed to polling locations in Bucks County are seen at a warehouse on October 29, 2024 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. According to Deputy Director of Communications for Bucks County Jim O\u2019Malley, county employees work with a shipping vendor over several days to move supplies and equipment in place at Bucks County\u2019s 304 voting precincts where the supplies remain locked until accessed by poll workers on Election Day. (Photo by Hannah Beier\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/trump-executive-order-elections-mail-in-voting-machines\/\"> Trump threatens executive order on elections, claims states must obey <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/derek-johnson\/\"> Derek B. Johnson <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest Podcasts\t<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"top-categories\">\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Government<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Technology<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/main> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--bottom \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"interstitial\" class=\"welcome__container\"> <button id=\"close-modal-1\" class=\"welcome__clickable_area\"><\/button> <\/p>\n<div class=\"welcome__ad_wrapper\">\n<p> <button id=\"close-modal-3\" class=\"welcome__continue-button\">Continue to CyberScoop<\/button> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>   <\/body> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fulton-county-election-raid-expert-testimony-ryan-macias\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fulton County lawsuit claims feds used \u2018gross mischaracterizations\u2019 to justify<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,1685,292,273,5965,1946,117,1694,290,1558],"tags":[86,1688,298,279,5966,1948,119,1695,296,1563],"class_list":["post-8360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cybersecurity","category-disinformation","category-election-security","category-fbi","category-fulton-county","category-georgia","category-government","category-lawsuit","category-trump-administration","category-voting-machines","tag-cybersecurity","tag-disinformation","tag-election-security","tag-fbi","tag-fulton-county","tag-georgia","tag-government","tag-lawsuit","tag-trump-administration","tag-voting-machines"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"Cyber Scoop","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/cyberscoop\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/cybersecurity\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Cybersecurity<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/disinformation\/\" rel=\"category tag\">disinformation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/election-security\/\" rel=\"category tag\">election security<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/fbi\/\" rel=\"category tag\">FBI<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/fulton-county\/\" rel=\"category tag\">fulton county<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/georgia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Georgia<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/government\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Government<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/lawsuit\/\" rel=\"category tag\">lawsuit<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/trump-administration\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Trump administration<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/voting-machines\/\" rel=\"category tag\">voting machines<\/a>","tag_info":"voting machines","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8360\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

{"id":8360,"date":"2026-02-18T09:59:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T15:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=87814"},"modified":"2026-02-18T09:59:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T15:59:15","slug":"fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2026\/02\/18\/fulton-county-lawsuit-claims-feds-used-gross-mischaracterizations-to-justify-raid\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulton County lawsuit claims feds used \u2018gross mischaracterizations\u2019 to justify raid"},"content":{"rendered":"