A federal judge in Atlanta has raised significant doubts about the Justice Department’s renewed investigation into former President Trump’s unproven allegations of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race. The judge indicated that the five-year statute of limitations for potential crimes linked to the election had already expired. This decision represents a major obstacle to further legal action related to these claims.

This opinion from Judge William M. Ray II emerged from a detailed order disallowing a grand jury subpoena. Prosecutors had issued this subpoena in April, demanding substantial personal data about numerous election workers from Fulton County, Georgia. These workers managed the election count and recount in 2020.

The ruling constitutes a significant setback for the Justice Department’s attempts to support one of Trump’s enduring false claims: that widespread fraud was responsible for his election loss to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Federal enforcement agencies have already taken unusual steps in support of Trump’s claims. In January, the FBI agents seized hundreds of boxes with records, including original ballots, from a Fulton County election storage facility. Recently, a large deployment of FBI analysts was tasked with examining these materials.

Judge Ray’s decision does not entirely halt the prosecution’s inquiry in Fulton County; however, it presents a substantial challenge by formally asserting that the time has run out for anyone to face charges related to the 2020 election fraud claims. This finding also underscores concerns election experts have voiced about the investigation’s true aim—undermining voter confidence in U.S. elections.

Judge Ray stated, “These records, even if they lead the DOJ to identify Fulton County workers supportive of the theory of an unfair 2020 election, would not yield information that could be used for viable charges, because the statute of limitations for any such crime expired.”