The lawsuit, filed in a federal district court in Atlanta, demanded that Fulton County turn over “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, and corresponding envelope digital files,” from the 2020 election. It also accuses Fulton County Clerk Ché Alexander of violating federal laws for refusing to relinquish the records.

In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the records were needed to protect U.S. citizens from “vote dilution.”

Trump has long claimed — without evidence — that the 2020 election was stolen in Georgia and other swing states, blaming his loss on unfounded accusations of rampant voting fraud, even though two recounts affirmed former President Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia. In an interview with POLITICO published earlier this week, Trump claimed that in the next few months, evidence would emerge to prove that 2020 was “a rigged election.”

Dhillon first requested Fulton County’s 2020 election records in October, following a subpoena over the same records issued by the State Election Board in 2024. In a letter to the Fulton County Board of Election, she argued that the records were needed to “ascertain Georgia’s compliance” with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

However, Alexander denied Dhillon’s request, according to the lawsuit, stating that the records were under seal and could not be released without a court order. Alexander did not immediately reply to a request for comment Friday.

Max Flugrath, communications director at the voting rights organization Fair Fight, said the Justice Department is “recycling conspiracy theories that’ve been disproven in court, in audits, and by independent experts.”

“They’re abusing federal power to manufacture a reason to restrict ballot access in 2026 and beyond,” he added.

The Justice Department also filed lawsuits against Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada on Friday to compel the states to turn over their voter registration lists.

The Justice Department has requested voter data from 40 states and filed lawsuits against 18 states that refused to provide the records, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, which is tracking the requests. Officials told Stateline that the records will be shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in an effort to locate noncitizens on the voting rolls.

The post Trump’s Justice Department sues Fulton County to force release of 2020 ballot documents appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Local activist and musician Samuel Tunick was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI as part of what advocates call a wave of repression against political dissent across the U.S.

On Dec. 2, Tunick was arrested after being pulled over in Atlanta and asked to step out of the car to observe an issue with a taillight on his car. According to advocates for Tunick, he was then suddenly handcuffed and surrounded by the FBI and DHS.

Tunick was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at an airport while returning from an international trip in January and federal agents attempted to coerce him into providing full access to his phone. Information has not been shared publicly or with Rough Draft as to the specific airport in which Tunick was detained; updates will come as they are available.

During his first court appearance on Dec. 4 after one night in jail, Tunick was informed that he had been indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 13, following his detainment in January. The charge was for one count of destruction of evidence for allegedly destroying evidence on his phone, though the prosecution allegedly did not clarify what evidence they were looking for. The warrant for Tunick’s arrest was also issued on Nov. 13.

Tunick was a protestor with the Stop Cop City movement against the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a $118 million 85-acre police training facility in the South River Forest. Kamau Franklin, the director of Community Movement Builders, called the arrest “totally baseless” and evidence of the Trump administration’s scapegoating of legitimate protestors.

“The Trump administration is using political prosecution to distract from the growing unpopularity in the polls, defections within the GOP, and a persistent high cost of living,” he said.

“The ongoing harassment of local activists reflects the state’s struggle to convict Stop Cop City protestors,” local activist Evan Grace said in a statement. “Tunick’s situation reveals the apparent desperation and technical inadequacy of the FBI, perceived by many as a tool of the far-right agenda. This prosecution poses a significant threat not just to Tunick, but to the broader rights of individuals to use digital security tools essential for safeguarding democratic freedoms.”

In September 2023, 61 Stop Cop City activists were charged with coordination of violence, intimidation, and property destruction. These Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges were dismissed in September of this year by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer, who said they could not proceed because the proper authorization steps were not followed. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office called the protestors in a statement “domestic terrorists and violent criminals.”  

The case has been referred to by experts as the largest racketeering prosecution ever brought against protestors in U.S. history. Atlanta’s police training center opened earlier this year after years of protests, delays, and the death of a protestor by police.

As a condition of his bond, Tunick will be subjected to random visits from a parole officer and regular drug tests. A GiveSendGo account has been set up to help Tunick pay legal bills.

Related stories:
• Community calls for police accountability after fatal shooting of Linton Blackwell
• Trans woman still waiting for answers in DeKalb County library police incident

Editor’s note: Language surrounding Tunick’s indictment has been edited to clarify that he was indicted on Nov. 13, not Dec. 4.

The post Activists call FBI arrest of Samuel Tunick evidence of protestor repression appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Atlanta Public Schools confirmed that a fight broke out in the school’s cafeteria.

Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes obtained video of the fight, showing two teen boys getting physical with each other.

In the video, you see one of the teens holding a pair of scissors in their hand. Moments later, you see the other teen with a bloodied face.

“One student sustained an injury involving a pair of scissors. School staff responded to secure the area, ensure the safety of all students, and provide care to the injured student, who is currently being treated at a local hospital,” APS said in a statement. “This was an isolated incident involving only the two students. No other students were involved, and there is no ongoing threat to students or staff.”

Follow WSBTV.com for updates.

The post Student stabbed with pair of scissors, sent to hospital after fight at North Atlanta High School appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

In conjunction with their fourth quarterly briefing, The Atlanta Beltline held a World Cup-themed panel on Dec. 11 at The Chandelier Room at Monday Night Garage in West End.

Moderated by local photographer Cam Kirk, the panel featured Beltline President and CEO Clyde Higgins, Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer Dallas Austin, City of Atlanta Director of Initiative and External Relations and interim Director of Showcase Atlanta Lamar Stewart, and Soccer in the Streets founder Kaseem Ladipo. They discussed the Beltline’s role in bolstering small businesses, fostering relationships between locals and World Cup visitors, and maintaining an impact that lasts beyond the sporting event next summer. 

The World Cup is estimated to bring around 300,000 visitors to Atlanta in June and July 2026. As one of 16 host cities, Atlanta will host eight World Cup matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including one semifinal. 

By the World Cup, the Beltline will feature 17 miles of continuous trail. Additionally, the Beltline has created 30,000 jobs to date, not including an estimated 40,000 temporary construction jobs. 

“We’ve got to think about what Atlanta’s going to look like in the future,” Higgins said. 

“The World Cup is an economic engine for Atlanta,” explained Kelvin Collins, Vice President of Economic Development for the Atlanta Beltline. The World Cup is one of Atlanta’s largest tourism pushes since the 1996 Olympics, and one that Collins said will “strengthen the city as a global beacon.”

The event at Monday Night Garage maintained an infectious energy that felt genuinely local. Songs by Atlanta-based artists like OutKast and T.I. soundtracked the evening. Attendees were encouraged to wear their favorite soccer team’s jersey, but many took the opportunity to wear sharp, colorful outfits in bold shades. A few younger children slept in their parents’ arms, while others kicked a soccer ball around an alcove adjacent to the bar. 

The event kicked off with a lengthy progress report from a series of Beltline leaders.

For example, the Beltline will launch its Commercial Affordability Consortium and the Beltline Business Facade pARTnership Grant next year. Beltline Vice President Lynette Reed said that affordable housing remains one of the team’s highest priorities as the Beltline approaches completion. Mayor Andre Dickens wants to extend the Beltline’s Tax Allocation Districts through 2030. 

Kim Wilson, Vice President of Design and Construction, announced that 85 percent of the trail is either complete or under construction, and that the Southside trail should be completed by the World Cup next summer. Additionally, two parks on Atlanta’s west side are currently in development. 

Collins unveiled the Beltline Information Hub, a “digital front door” that will help prepare residents and guests for the World Cup matches. Collins also announced the second cohort application of the Small Business Readiness Program, discussed the Beltline Marketplace, and unveiled the Beltline Fest, a free, weeks-long event providing a “connected circuit of celebration.” 

More FIFA 2026 World Cup coverage.

After the updates, Kirk segued into the panel portion of the night. He asked the panelists questions, including what success looks like after the World Cup, how they see Atlanta’s history, music, and culture shaping the city’s identity on a world stage in 2026, citywide prep and planning updates, and how World Cup activations will strengthen the Beltline’s broader mission. 

The brunt of the discussion focused on uplifting small businesses and local creators. Stewart emphasized that plenty of resources are available to small businesses that openly communicate with the city. FIFA Fan Fest, for example, is a state entity, so businesses interested in working the event need to be a supplier within the city, state, and county. Additionally, any business interested in hosting watch parties must obtain a viewing party license through the Mayor’s Office of Special Events. 

“There’s so much out there and we want to help,” Stewart said. 

Kirk and Ladipo also discussed how the Beltline can become a launchpad for youth soccer. Soccer drives economics for local communities, like playing soccer in neighborhood parks and pubs with amateur teams seeking places to regularly host matches.

“We need to show that we don’t need to find a field to play,” Ladipo said. 

Finally, the panel addressed the importance of promoting a variety of communities and actual neighborhoods in Atlanta. The Beltline is intentionally hosting Beltline Fest in the Pittsburgh neighborhood, located in the city’s southwest sector near Castleberry Hill, Adair Park, and Mechanicsville. 

The panel closed with a Q&A. Discussions with audience members ranged from bringing international soccer culture to Atlanta to concrete steps entrepreneurs can take to legally participate in World Cup activations. The panel also addressed how the Beltline’s ongoing projects and World Cup plans are being designed to include the neurodivergent population, particularly those on the autism spectrum.

“The games may happen at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the real magic will happen on the Beltline,” Collins said of the World Cup in Atlanta. 

The post Atlanta Beltline officials discuss preparing the pedestrian trail for the World Cup appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

The Midtown Development Review Committee (DRC) reviewed a proposal to expand Lutheran Tower at its Dec. 9 meeting.

The existing 15-story Lutheran Tower, at the southeast corner of Juniper and 4th streets, would expand eastward toward Piedmont Avenue, according to a recap of the meeting from Midtown Alliance.

The design includes 172 new senior living units arranged in two offset wings that frame a raised central amenity terrace.

The approximately 92,900-square-foot expansion will step down in height from eight to five stories as it approaches 730 Piedmont Ave., a long-standing residence that will be adaptively reused. The existing two-story parking deck, accessible from 4th Street, will be expanded from 66 spaces to 102 spaces and will receive façade improvements. Back-of-house service areas will be upgraded while maintaining access via the lower-level entrance along 4th.

The committee raised several concerns, including: ensuring all architectural plans are cohesive and unified; preserving the visual character of the residence along Piedmont Avenue; improving the streetscape, building facades, and pedestrian access along 4th, reconfiguring the existing driveway on Juniper, and providing a green buffer southward. Detailed recommendations are detailed below:

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