Kurt Olsen Refers Fulton County 2020 Election Investigation to FBI, Received by DOJ Special Attorney by 9:03 AM

What happened

Kurt Olsen referred a criminal investigation of Fulton County’s 2020 election to the FBI. The Justice Department’s court filing says he formally referred it no later than January 5, 2026, at 9:03 AM EST, the time a Special Attorney to the Attorney General received a copy of the referral. That is a received-by date; the referral document itself was not read.

Same-day sequence

The same filing records that the motion to dismiss in the civil litigation was filed on January 5, 2026, at 8:36 PM EST. An FBI assessment was opened on January 6, 2026, and the full investigation was approved on January 14, 2026. The warrant application was submitted on January 27, 2026.

Source for the referral’s origin

The search warrant affidavit says that the investigation originated from a referral from Kurt Olsen, Presidentially appointed Director of Election Security and Integrity.

Dates, by kind

• Referral received by DOJ (no later than): January 5, 2026, 9:03 AM EST.
• Civil motion to dismiss filed: January 5, 2026, 8:36 PM EST.
• Assessment opened: January 6, 2026.
• Full investigation approved: January 14, 2026.