Fulton County Files Lawsuit to Claw Back Election Evidence – Some Major Issues with Filing Revealed by Board Member

Fulton County Files Lawsuit to Claw Back Election Evidence – Some Major Issues with Filing Revealed by Board Member

Fulton County Files Lawsuit to Claw Back Election Evidence – Some Major Issues with Filing Revealed by Board Member
February 18, 2026

Two individuals walking side by side at night, one in a suit and tie, the other in a black jacket and cap.
Tulsi Gabbard was seen outside the Fulton County Elections warehouse last week during the federal agents’ raid.

Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice executed a search warrant on the Fulton County Elections and Operations Hub, seizing over 650 boxes of election records from the 2020 election.

The Gateway Pundit reported on the claims that led to the search, including missing ballot images (as admitted by Fulton County in the federal case Curling v. Raffensperger), missing tabulator opening tapes and unsigned closing tapes for all advance in-person voting locations, and numerous other issues.

Here’s What We Know Regarding Recent Developments in Fulton County Regarding the 2020 Election

 

Now, The Gateway Pundit has learned that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners [BOC] Chairman, Robert Pitts, the Fulton County Board of Registrations and Elections [BRE], as well as Fulton County itself, have sued the federal government in hopes of retaining those election records seized by the FBI.

The basis of the lawsuit (below) is Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 41(g), which regulates "unlawful search and seizure of property" and provides a means for returning said property.

However, according to a letter sent to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr by BRE member Julie Adams, several problems exist within the filing.

This article will deal with those issues rather than the substance of the lawsuit itself.  The substance will be covered in a following article.

No Vote To Join Litigation

The BRE never voted to authorize this litigation.  "The BRE had not met.  The BRE had not voted.  The BRE was not aware [that] they were plaintiffs on a federal lawsuit," Adams wrote to Carr.

More than three hours after the announcement of the lawsuit, the BRE Chair attempted to hold a vote by email, "even though the Open Meetings Act specifically forbids this practice," the letter states.

"I responded that I did not support litigation and noted violations of the Open Meetings Act," Adams wrote.  This particular act allegedly violated O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(b)(1) and § 50-14-3(b).

No Funding Approved for Lawsuit

Adams notes that Chairman Pitts, while using his official title, "made it quite clear" that he was suing the federal government in his individual capacity rather than as the Chairman of the BOC.

"Either way, the BOC must approve all county funding, and for an entity to file a lawsuit, they would have to approve this action," Adams wrote.  The letter states that the BOC didn't meet the day of the filing until 10:00 a.m., which was after the lawsuit filing was announced, and the agenda included no references to the lawsuit for authorization and funding.

Further, there was no public discussion nor a recorded vote.

Adams cites O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e)(1), O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e)(2), O.C.G.A. § 36-1-3, O.C.G.A. § 36-1-4, and O.C.G.A. § 36-5-22.1 for reference.

As a result, the County Attorney filed the lawsuit without a BOC vote, a BRE vote, or any meeting of either body prior to the filing, in violation of O.C.G.A. § 45-15-3.

The BRE Was Never Authorized to be a Plaintiff

Because the BRE agenda for its February 12th meeting did not contain an item referencing the litigation, yet the BRE voted to ratify anyway, it violates O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e)(2).

"Thus, the BRE was never legally authorized to be a plaintiff.

This is turning into a pattern in Fulton County.

Last year, the BRE Chair filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop a Georgia State Election Board subpoena for similar records.  In that instance, the BRE did not meet before the filing, there was no vote conducted, and the lawsuit was never brought up on any agenda for a meeting.

According to Adams:

• The BRE met after the lawsuit was filed and attempted to 'ratify’ authorization.
• The agenda contained only the standard Executive Session notice
• There was no mention of litigation.
• The public received no notice that a vote would occur.

In her letter, Member Adams requested the following from Attorney General Chris Carr:

1. Investigate whether the actions of the BRE Chair and BRE Attorney, Robb Pitts,
Chairman of the BOC, and the County Attorney for acting without legal authority.
2. Determine whether the Open Meetings Act was violated.
3. Assess whether the BRE is a proper plaintiff.
4. Provide guidance or corrective action before the federal hearing.
5. Notify Federal Judge Boulee of any improper filing of Plaintiffs.

Adams attached the correspondence with fellow Board members in the PDF below:

Skip to PDF content

 

 

The post Fulton County Files Lawsuit to Claw Back Election Evidence – Some Major Issues with Filing Revealed by Board Member appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Brian Lupo

EPSTEIN & BLACK: DOJ Files Show Depths of Relationship of Late Pedophile With Wall Street Billionaire Leon Black, and Appear to Show Both Threatening His Russian Lover

EPSTEIN & BLACK: DOJ Files Show Depths of Relationship of Late Pedophile With Wall Street Billionaire Leon Black, and Appear to Show Both Threatening His Russian Lover

EPSTEIN & BLACK: DOJ Files Show Depths of Relationship of Late Pedophile With Wall Street Billionaire Leon Black, and Appear to Show Both Threatening His Russian Lover

February 18, 2026

Black’s ties with Epstein are getting scrutinized.

The ‘Epstein Files’ released by the DOJ, as well as the copious material previously released in multiple court lawsuits, show that Wall Street Billionaire Leon Black was Jeffrey Epstein’s biggest client – perhaps even bigger than Victoria’s Secret’s Les Wexner – paying the disgraced financier hundreds of millions of dollars.

Leon Black agrees to pay $62.5 million to settle Jeffrey Epstein-related lawsuits in the US Virgin Islands, avoiding legal claims tied to a sex-trafficking investigation.
Black has been dealing with the fallout of Epstein scandal for years.

The documents show Epstein giving the billionaire advice on business and personal matters.

In a deep dive on the files, Bloomberg found Epstein giving advice for an Eastern European model establishing herself in New York – not named in the report.

This same woman later appears in Black’s orbit as he hired her as a broker for art deals and showered her with more than $1.7 million of cash labeled as ‘gifts’ – which led the IRS to audit her.

Epstein bragged about coming to Black’s rescue – written in his almost illegible style:

“he has been kept =afe [safe] to date ONLY as a result of my maniacal devotion to friends. interview was canceled AFTER it was on the official requ=st”

Bloomberg reported:

“The Justice Department’s largest release yet of the Epstein files shows he was Black’s stealthy do-it-all fixer. Beyond mere estate planning, the convicted sex offender arranged family portraits, helped the billionaire leverage up a vast art collection, dug into his investment in the storied publishing house Phaidon and obscured some of his most sensitive secrets.”

Document detailing allegations against Leon Black involving sexual violence and abuse related to Jeffrey Epstein, including victim statements and legal representation notes.
DOJ Epstein files: Attorney Jeanne Christensen relays to law enforcement disturbing victims’ allegations against Black.

Bloomberg reported:

“The Justice Department’s largest release yet of the Epstein files shows he was Black’s stealthy do-it-all fixer. Beyond mere estate planning, the convicted sex offender arranged family portraits, helped the billionaire leverage up a vast art collection, dug into his investment in the storied publishing house Phaidon and obscured some of his most sensitive secrets.

[…] Black, 74, has acknowledged paying Epstein $158 million over the years, saying it was for advice on estate and tax planning. But the newly released documents show, often in Epstein’s own words, how enmeshed he was in Black’s financial and personal lives.”

Portrait of a man with gray hair, smiling slightly, set against a gradient background.
Epstein was reportedly paid 158 million over the years by Black.

Another one of Black’s mistresses, Guzel Ganieva, demanded $100 million from him in 2015. Epstein recommended having her surveilled.

Released emails show Epstein complaining about handling Black’s dealings discreetly, complaining that Black owed him fees: “he is well known and underestimates the risks . of disclosure.”

Epstein also worked on hiding Black’s relationship with his former Russian mistress Ganieva.

Epstein sent himself an email with the script of a potential warning from Black to her: “I ve decided to help you, However i am very disappointed by the fact that you felt it necessary to threaten me.”

“[The email] goes on: ‘you should also know that I felt it necessary to contact some friends in FSB’, the Russian security agency that succeeded the KGB. “And I though did not give them your name. They explained to me in no uncertain terms that especially now’, anyone ‘that would attempt to blackmail a us businessman would immeditaly become in the 21 century,what they terms . vrag naroda meant.’ The email offered a translation: ‘enemy of the people’. And enemies were ‘dealt with extremely harshly’.”

This may all seem like lies to scare Ganieva, but then we have this email:

Email discussing a potential blackmail situation involving a Russian girl in New York, sent from jeevacation@gmail.com to a recipient with a Russian name.
Email from Epstein to Sergeii Beliakov, understood to be a FSB intel agent.

And of course there are the emails from Epstein to Black, that have been widely understood to be a discreet form of blackmail.

Email excerpt dated November 2, 2015, detailing Jeffrey Epstein's payment terms to Leon Black, including annual fees and agreement conditions.


Read more:

Jes Staley Versus Jamie Dimon: Wall Street Giants Play the Blame Game Over Epstein Trafficking Ring Association

The post EPSTEIN & BLACK: DOJ Files Show Depths of Relationship of Late Pedophile With Wall Street Billionaire Leon Black, and Appear to Show Both Threatening His Russian Lover appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Paul Serran

Lara Trump Says ‘Many’ More Members of the Trump Family May Run for Office: ‘It May Not End Just with Donald Trump!’ (WATCH)

Lara Trump Says ‘Many’ More Members of the Trump Family May Run for Office: ‘It May Not End Just with Donald Trump!’ (WATCH)
February 18, 2026

Two women with distinct hairstyles and outfits are engaged in a video discussion, with a city skyline and water backdrop behind one of them.

In a recent appearance on Miranda Devine’s Pod Force One podcast, Fox News host Lara Trump said the family’s political ambitions might extend far beyond President Donald Trump himself.

Lara, who is married to Eric Trump, said that “many” members of the iconic family could soon throw their MAGA hats into the ring for public office.

“I have looked at my father-in-law over the past eleven, almost twelve years now, and I’ve watched the impact that he’s been able to make in people’s lives and it’s amazing. Look, he’s dealt with hell, right? He has gone through so much,” Lara Trump said.

She continued, “So it’s really inspired me, and I think it’s inspired everyone in our family, so much so that I’d consider running for a possible Senate seat. So, I would never say never to anything. What I do feel like, and whether it’s for Donald Trump running, who thought about running for president for a long time before he actually did, or a Senate run, or whatever it might be for me or I think anyone in our family, I think the timing has to be right, and it didn’t work out for me in 2022, it didn’t work out for me in 2025. Just the timing had to be right.”

“I would say that at this point, we’ve all kind of dipped our toe in the water of politics enough to know that it’s something that I think possibly interests many of us in our family, and I know the Democrats would love to hear that, that it may not end just with Donald Trump, but I do think the timing has to be right for all of us,” she said.

Divine asked, “What does Donald Trump say about that? You know, does he encourage you to run for office? Does he encourage Eric or Don?”

Lara Trump said that the president was one of her biggest champions when she wanted to run for Senate, and she thinks he would be the same for any of “the kids.”

“I don’t think I had a bigger champion in running for a Senate seat than my father-in-law,” Lara Trump responded.

“In fact, so much so that he would call me multiple times a week with multiple people from different backgrounds to say, ‘This person thinks you’d be great. You gotta do it,’” she continued. “So he is absolutely a champion of mine, of I’m sure any of the kids. He certainly would have their backs on it. But yeah, I think he’s, you know, he’s gonna cheer for all of us or any of us if the time came for whatever that might be.”

Divine asserted, “So we may see President Trump of the new generation, but which one it is is still to be filled out. Maybe all three!”

WATCH:

The post Lara Trump Says ‘Many’ More Members of the Trump Family May Run for Office: ‘It May Not End Just with Donald Trump!’ (WATCH) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Cassandra MacDonald

WATCH: “You’re Kidding Right?” Karoline Leavitt Shreds CBS Reporter Suggesting Trump has Never Falsely Been Called Racist

WATCH: “You’re Kidding Right?” Karoline Leavitt Shreds CBS Reporter Suggesting Trump has Never Falsely Been Called Racist
February 18, 2026

A CBS reporter on Wednesday unironically asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt when President Trump had been falsely accused of racism, and she responded with incredulity. 

“You’re kidding, right?” Leavitt fired back in disbelief, adding that she will compile a list of “radical Democrats, throughout the years,” falsely calling Trump a racist.

The Democratic Party’s playbook for years has been to call Trump a racist.

Just this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed Trump and the GOP were trying to implement “Jim Crow 2.0” by trying to require voter ID and proof of citizenship for registered voters. Days before this, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claimed that Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro was arrested by the US military solely because Venezuela is “below the equator.”

WATCH: “Let’s Admit the Truth” – Chuck Schumer who Claims the SAVE Act is “Jim Crow 2.0” EXPOSED Railing Against Immigration Fraud, Demanding Voter ID and Proof of Citizenship on House Floor in 1996

And don't forget about other Democrats like Jasmine Crockett, who constantly plays the victim and labels Trump and the GOP as racists.

CBS's Ed O'Keefe pointed to President Trump's comments following the death of Reverend Jesse Jackson, where Trump memorialized Jackson as "a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and 'street smarts,'” while noting that he is "falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left" despite working with Jesse Jackson on numerous occasions. O'Keefe then asked, "Where or when does the President believe he's been falsely called racist?"

Clearly holding back her laugh, Leavitt responded, "I'm going to get my team in that room to start going through the internet of radical Democrats throughout the years, Ed, who have accused this president falsely of being a racist. And I'm sure there's many people in this room and on network television across the country who have accused him of the same." She further highlighted the President's upcoming Black History Month Reception this afternoon at the White House, as well as the accomplishments he made for black Americans in his first term, and what he continues to do today.

"He has, absolutely, been falsely called and smeared as a racist, and I'm happy to provide you those receipts, and we gladly will right after this briefing," she added. 

WATCH:

O'Keefe: Yesterday, in his statement about Jesse Jackson, the President said, "Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way." Where or when does the President believe he's been falsely called racist?

Leavitt: You're kidding, right? I will pull you a plethora of examples. I'm going to get my team in that room to start going through the internet of radical Democrats throughout the years, Ed, who have accused this president falsely of being a racist. And I'm sure there's many people in this room and on network television across the country who have accused him of the same.

In fact, I know that because I've seen it with my own eyes, and the President very much looks forward to having a event later this afternoon, at 3pm, to celebrate Black History Month and to talk about how his policies are advancing opportunity and prosperity for all Americans through record tax cuts, through the Trump accounts that all Americans can access regardless of race.

These are a great thing for the next generation of Americans. The President has also awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding to strengthen educational outcomes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country. Again, the President is protecting the hard earned benefits of the 2.4 million black veterans, who honorably served in our nation's armed forces by reducing the black backlog of veterans, waiting for their VA benefits and for their home loans through the Department of Veterans Affairs. So, there is a lot this president has done for all Americans, regardless of race.

And he has, absolutely, been falsely called and smeared as a racist, and I'm happy to provide you those receipts, and we gladly will right after this briefing.

The post WATCH: “You’re Kidding Right?” Karoline Leavitt Shreds CBS Reporter Suggesting Trump has Never Falsely Been Called Racist appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Jordan Conradson

CNN to Release Hour-Long Documentary Framing Charlie Kirk’s Memorial as ‘Christian Nationalist’ Rally

CNN to Release Hour-Long Documentary Framing Charlie Kirk’s Memorial as ‘Christian Nationalist’ Rally
February 18, 2026

The packed house at Charlie Kirk's memorial service Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.
The packed house at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service Sunday in Glendale, Arizona. (@DrFrankTurek / X screen shot)

CNN anchor Pamela Brown has announced an upcoming hour-long “documentary” about what she describes as the “growing influence of Christian nationalism in America,” in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

The special, set to air this weekend, frames the assassination of the Turning Point USA founder as a “pivotal moment” that unified Christian nationalists and the Trump administration, and his memorial as some sort of “Christian Nationalist” rally.

“Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and prominent Christian nationalist, was assassinated. It became a rallying call for those who believed in his message. And it was a call to action,” Brown says in a teaser for the documentary.

Brown continues, “For the past several months, I’ve been working on a special project examining the growing influence of Christian nationalism in America….Experts say [Kirk’s assassination] was a pivotal moment for the movement and an occasion where the tragedy of his loss unified Christian nationalists and the Trump administration.”

The documentary features an interview with Matthew Taylor, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, who called Kirk’s memorial service “one of the most prominent examples of this shift in our culture.”

Taylor claimed the assassination “activated” and “radicalized” a large segment of American Christians, leading them to believe they must “stand up for their rights.”

WATCH:

Following Kirk’s death, faith leaders reported a 15 percent increase in church attendance nationwide, The Post Millennial noted in a report about the upcoming documentary.

The memorial service, held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, featured prominent speakers, including President Trump, who described it as “an old-time revival.”

Kirk, known for his conservative activism and outspoken Christian faith, had always maintained that his faith was central to his life, stating many times prior to his death that he wanted to be remembered for “courage for my faith.”

Kirk was assassinated on September 10 during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.

Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old living with a transgender furry boyfriend, has been charged with Kirk’s murder.

The post CNN to Release Hour-Long Documentary Framing Charlie Kirk’s Memorial as ‘Christian Nationalist’ Rally appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Cassandra MacDonald