The Biden administration defended the presence of Tulsi Gabbard at an FBI raid on a county election office in Fulton County, Georgia, saying her involvement was consistent with national election security responsibilities even as lawmakers criticized her participation.
An administration official confirmed that Gabbard was on the ground during the operation on Wednesday, which targeted election records from the 2020 presidential race. The official said Gabbard’s role as Director of National Intelligence includes safeguarding the security of U.S. elections against threats to voting systems, databases, and related infrastructure.
FBI agents executed a sealed court-authorized search warrant issued by a magistrate judge on Wednesday at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City, Georgia, seizing ballots, voting machine records, and other materials tied to the 2020 presidential election, according to law-enforcement sources and warrants reviewed by Fox News and other outlets.
FBI Atlanta confirmed that agents were conducting a court-authorized law-enforcement action at the facility on Campbellton Fairburn Road. Officials declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Photos and video from the scene showed boxes of election materials being loaded onto vehicles by FBI personnel. The warrant appears to be one of the most public steps to date in a federal inquiry into the handling or preservation of 2020 election records in Fulton County, Fox reported.
The operation comes amid broader legal activity involving Georgia election records. The Department of Justice last month filed a lawsuit seeking federal court orders to access certain 2020 election documents that local officials had not turned over in response to subpoenas.
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The raid drew mixed reactions from lawmakers across the political spectrum. Gabbard’s presence in what is typically a domestic law enforcement action raised questions about the appropriate role for the nation’s top intelligence official.
Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes, both senior Democrats on intelligence committees, wrote to Gabbard seeking clarification on her involvement, saying the intelligence community’s primary focus should be foreign threats and counterintelligence, not domestic law enforcement operations.
Gabbard’s office defended her participation, with a spokesperson saying that protecting election infrastructure from interference can involve coordination with investigative actions.
“Director Gabbard recognizes that election security is essential for the integrity of our republic and our nation’s security. As DNI, she has a vital role in identifying vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure and protecting against exploitation,” the spokesperson told Fox News. “We know through intelligence and public reporting that electronic voting systems have been and are vulnerable to exploitation. President Trump’s directive to secure our elections was clear, and DNI Gabbard has and will continue to take actions within her authorities, alongside our interagency partners, to support ensuring the integrity of our elections.”
The raid itself was part of a broader inquiry into election-related activities tied to the 2020 presidential race, though details remain limited and the warrant is under seal.
Critics of the operation have said they fear the appearance of politicization within federal agencies, while supporters argue that election integrity and security are legitimate national security concerns.
As of Thursday, Gabbard had not publicly addressed the criticism in detail, and congressional oversight efforts were expected to continue as lawmakers seek more information about her role and the scope of the federal action in Georgia.
Local officials expressed concern and criticized the action. Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts said at a Thursday news conference that county election results have been audited and recertified in the past, and that officials were unsure why the FBI needed to seize the materials or where they were being taken.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers have offered sharply different interpretations of the FBI action. Critics of the raid argue it could undermine public confidence in election administration, while supporters say federal authorities are legally entitled to pursue evidence as part of criminal investigations.
