Tulsi Gabbard defends her presence at FBI search of Georgia elections hub

WASHINGTON — Tulsi Gabbard on Monday defended her presence during an FBI raid at an election center in Fulton County, Ga., that raised questions about her involvement as director of national intelligence.

In a letter to top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, Gabbard said she was at the center last week in accordance with U.S. law and her responsibilities as the nation’s top intelligence official.

Gabbard stood by her decision not to brief lawmakers on intelligence on possible threats to election security before her trip to Georgia, saying she would not “irresponsibly share incomplete assessments.”

“I will share our intelligence assessments with Congress once they are completed,” she wrote.

Gabbard went on to assert that she had broad authority as director of national intelligence to oversee efforts to ensure the security of U.S. elections and to identify and analyze any potential foreign threats to elections or voting systems. In her letter, she acknowledged arranging a call with FBI personnel and President Donald Trump.

Gabbard wrote that she called Fulton County to allow Trump to express his gratitude to the FBI agents who conducted the search.

“He asked no questions, and he or I gave no directions,” Gabbard wrote.

Two sources confirmed the phone call to NBC News on Monday. A source said Trump did not respond at first, but eventually called back and spoke briefly with the agents, including the supervisory agent assigned to the case.

The New York Times was first to report the call.

Gabbard said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s Office of General Counsel found his actions “consistent and entirely consistent with my statutory authorities as director of national intelligence.”

Monday’s letter — Gabbard’s first direct comments on her actions in Georgia, which have faced criticism deemed inappropriate in a national case — comes a day after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said “I don’t know why” she was on the FBI’s trail.

“She is not part of the grand jury investigation, but she certainly plays a key role in our efforts to ensure election integrity and ensure free and fair elections,” Blanche said on CNN. “She is an expert in this area, and it’s a big part of what she and her team look at every day.”

Blanche also said Sunday that she did not believe Trump was involved in the raid, which was overseen by the FBI and Justice Department. Trump previously told reporters that federal agents “meddled with the votes… You’re going to see some interesting things happen.”

On Friday, Blanche emphasized that Gabbard “does not work for the Justice Department or the FBI,” but he said her presence in Georgia is “something that should surprise no one.”

The Georgia raid was linked to 2020 presidential election records; Fulton County officials have announced plans to sue the Trump administration over the matter. Gabbard’s presence attracted the attention of national security experts and raised questions about whether Gabbard, who was excluded from the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was seeking relevance in Trump’s eyes.

It would be highly unusual for a director of national intelligence to accompany FBI agents on a raid. In her role, Gabbard oversees the country’s spy agencies and is barred from participating in domestic law enforcement.

An official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told NBC News on Monday that Trump asked Gabbard to visit Fulton County and that federal law gives the person in Gabbard’s position the role of leading counterintelligence efforts related to election security and analyzing foreign interference. The FBI’s intelligence and counterintelligence divisions fall under Gabbard’s authority as national intelligence director overseeing the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, the official said.

FBI Headquarters, as well as the FBI Atlanta Field Office, declined to comment.