FBI SEARCH: Tensions over the results of the 2020 presidential election arose again Wednesday as FBI agents executed a search warrant at the elections office in Fulton County, Ga.
An FBI statement revealed that agents carried out a “court authorized law enforcement action” at the county’s main office in Union City, south of Atlanta.
“Our investigation into this matter is ongoing so there are no details that we can provide at the moment,” the statement said.
Fulton County was a centerpiece of Trump’s false claims of voter fraud costing him reelection in 2020, and he has continued to rail against the electoral practices in the county since then.
Democrats slammed the search as threatening voters’ ability to cast their ballot and a government overreach.
"Every Georgian should be alarmed that Donald Trump is wielding federal law enforcement to push his baseless, dangerous lies about winning the 2020 election,” Georgia Democratic Party Chair Charlie Bailey said in a statement.
“This is an assault on your vote,” Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint against Fulton County last month for information related to the 2020 presidential election.
The lawsuit requested the county turn over “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, and corresponding envelope digital files” from the 2020 general election. The request is to ensure “compliance with federal law,” according to the complaint.
The county also has personal significance for Trump, as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) indicted him in 2023 on racketeering charges, alleging he and 18 others conspired to undermine former President Biden’s victory in Georgia in 2020.
The case was dropped in November with Trump back in office.
The search will almost certainly raise anxiety and doubts about the integrity of the electoral process, potentially from both sides of the political aisle.
Polls have shown many of Trump’s supporters still question Biden’s victory in 2020. Meanwhile, Democrats have recently raised concerns about the administration potentially trying to interfere in the midterm elections in November, pointing at the DOJ’s wide-ranging efforts to gain access to voter rolls.
▪ WABE: Appeals court upholds parts of Georgia election law.
NEW VIDEO: Footage emerged Wednesday revealing that Pretti, the man killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis over the weekend, brawled with officers 11 days before his death during a protest.
The Associated Press reported the videos show the agents took Pretti to the ground after he kicked out a taillight of their vehicle. A family representative confirmed to CBS News that the man in the videos is Pretti and the family knew about the incident previously.
“A week before Alex was gunned down in the street — despite posing no threat to anyone — he was violently assaulted by a group of (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents,” Steve Schleicher, an attorney representing Pretti's parents, said in a statement. "Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.”
A DHS spokesperson told NewsNation's Kellie Meyer that Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the new video.
AGENTS ON LEAVE: The two federal agents who shot Pretti were placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into their conduct.
A DHS official told NewsNation, The Hill’s partner network, that they were placed on leave on Saturday, which is standard policy for officer-involved shootings. They said this is different from restrictive duty, which would result in losing their gun, badge or pay.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin separately told HuffPost that the ICE officer who killed Renee Good earlier this month in Minneapolis had also been placed on leave, though she did not specify when that had taken place.
The Trump administration has generally taken a different approach to Pretti’s killing, with Trump and other officials saying they support an investigation taking place following bipartisan calls for transparency.
Still, the president and others have sought to shift blame onto Pretti for having a gun with him. Trump said Pretti shouldn’t have had a firearm with him, while FBI Director Kash Patel said people don’t have the right to “incite violence” at protests.
Pretti was licensed to carry his gun, and he didn’t appear to take it out prior to being shot, according to eyewitness videos.
Some gun rights groups have pushed back on officials’ comments about Pretti having a gun.
“Carrying an extra magazine implies nothing,” the National Association for Gun Rights wrote on the social platform X in response to Patel’s remarks. “Holsters designed to carry spare magazines are common and widely sold. Training resources and guides across the internet actively recommend it. Thousands of law-abiding Americans do this every day. This is standard, not overkill.”
▪ The Hill: Judge blocks removal of 5-year-old in Minnesota.
▪ The Hill: Tom Homan says meetings with state officials have been productive.
OBAMA FACTOR: Former President Obama weighed in Wednesday calling attention to ways for those wanting to push back on ICE activities to get involved.
The former president highlighted a story from Vox about how to help the "resistance to ICE" in Minneapolis and beyond.
"In Minneapolis and many other communities across the country, we're seeing people come together to peacefully protest and support their neighbors. If you're looking to get involved, here are some ways to help," he said in a post on X.
FED INTEREST RATE HOLDS: The Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates steady Wednesday amid pressure from the Trump administration to move quicker in reducing them.
The Federal Open Market Committee voted 10-2 to keep the baseline interest rate range at 3.5 to 3.75 percent. Fed board members Christopher Waller and Stephen Miran voted to cut rates by 0.25 points.
Economists had expected the Fed to keep interest rates at their current point after three straight cuts that started in September. But the decision took on greater prominence as it was the first one since the DOJ was revealed to be investigating Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
The probe is apparently looking into Powell’s congressional testimony about the cost of ongoing renovations to the Fed’s headquarters. But Powell publicly denounced the investigation as one designed to pressure him and the Fed to yield to the president’s wishes on interest rates.
He declined to comment on the probe during his press conference following the Fed’s vote, but he defended the role that the agency plays in keeping the economy stable.
▪ Politico: How Trump is overshadowing the Fed rate decision.
RUBIO TESTIFIES: Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted the Trump administration reserves the right to attack Venezuela again if its acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, doesn’t cooperate with the U.S.
Rubio told senators during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that military action remains on the table, though the administration isn’t currently positioned to take such action. His statement appears to be a stronger assertion of the possibility of U.S. intervention after Rubio previously told senators that military operations in Venezuela would be limited to the raid to capture former President Nicolás Maduro.
Rubio also set low expectations for the potential pace of change in the South American country. He laid out the administration’s plan for Venezuela to transition from an authoritarian regime to a democracy, but he said he couldn’t give a timeline.
▪ The Hill: Five takeaways from Rubio’s hearing.
▪ The Hill: Rubio, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) argue if Maduro’s capture was act of war.
IRAN THREATS: Tensions with Iran are on the rise again after Trump warned the Middle Eastern country that the U.S. may launch an attack “far worse” than the strikes conducted last summer.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” he said in a Truth Social post Wednesday.
Trump has increasingly clashed with Iranian leaders since he seemingly backed away from the possibility of striking Iran over the rising death toll amid the nationwide protests that the regime sought to crush. U.S. assets have been traveling to the region, leading countries in the area to brace for a possible attack.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations warned in response to Trump’s comments that it would respond “like never before” if the U.S. launches a preemptive attack.
▪ The Hill: Rubio raises possibility of striking Iran.
