LEILA FADEL, HOST:
For more on the FBI's seizure of 2020 election records in Fulton County, Georgia, we are joined by Robb Pitts. He's the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. It's a position he also held during the 2020 election. Good morning, chairman, and welcome to the program.
ROBB PITTS: Thank you for having me.
FADEL: So you said during a press conference yesterday that this was about, quote, "intimidation and distraction, not facts." Distraction from what?
PITTS: I think everything that's going on possibly in Minnesota. I think it's also in preparation for this year's elections and then in 2028. So we're very, very concerned about this, and I think that it is having a chilling effect on even those who would want to come forward and serve as poll workers. This all goes back, I believe, to 2020 when I had some words with the president and then Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz from Florida. And I told him to - really to stay the hell out of Fulton County. I control Fulton County. I know what we're doing. Our elections were fair, they were open and they're transparent, and that we've undergone since then some six or seven audits, including hand counts. And in every instance, we've come up clean. So this is all politics. It's all about intimidation and distraction.
FADEL: Now, you told - you said you told the president to stay out of Fulton County. Now the federal - FBI came and is targeting your county. Why do you think that is?
PITTS: I think it's all - again, they must have a - there's a plan. Typically, I'm told that when a raid like this happens, the subjects are given some advanced notice, copies in writing of what's going to happen. That was not the case here. They simply showed up, and we still don't know - we haven't - I've never even seen the subpoena that they had. Our county attorney saw it. I personally have never seen it. If you really want to know what I think, I think this is about an effort to take over our state elections - for the takeover, rather, and run Fulton County elections in 2026 and 2028, to take it over by the state elections board. There has to be something much bigger than just an FBI raid coming to Fulton County. These - all of this information was secure. It was safe as long as it was in our custody. But once about 10 o'clock, the other night, when that last FBI truck left our elections hub, I have no idea where these ballots are. I have no idea who has them. I have no idea what's happening to them. Are they being opened? Are they being tampered with? Are other ballots being inserted in so that if there is a count, this magical 11,000-plus can be found so he can be declared the winner? I've said time and time again, the 2020 elections are over and the count is not going to change. It's over.
FADEL: But what does this mean then for elections in the fall?
PITTS: We're concerned. We're totally concerned about what's going to happen, but we will be ready. I've been through many, many elections. There's no such thing as a perfect election. There's always a possibility of mechanical failure, human error. But our elections - once again, they've been open, they've been fair and they've been transparent. And going back to 2020, once again, if anybody knows what happened that night, it's Fulton County chairman Robb Pitts. I was there in that arena for the count. I saw everything that happened, and I've assured the people of Fulton County, Georgia, people of the world that nothing, absolutely nothing happened. They know that. So there has to be something sinister that's going on here, and it's much bigger than this raid.
FADEL: So you've made it clear that you think this is about the elections come '26 and '28.
PITTS: It is absolutely about this election.
FADEL: Have you been in contact with federal officials since the raid? And if so, what have they told you, and have you told them these things that you believe this is political and this is about the elections?
PITTS: I have not been contacted by anyone from the federal government. I would love to have a chance to talk with them. It has not happened.
FADEL: Robb Pitts is the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Chairman, thank you so much for being on the program.
PITTS: Thank you for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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