Gabbard Defends Presence at FBI’s Fulton County Search in Letter to Congress

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has responded to congressional inquiries regarding her presence at an FBI search of election offices in Fulton County, Georgia, explaining she was there at President Trump’s direct request.

In a letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, Gabbard told Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-Conn.) that her involvement was within her statutory authority to oversee election security matters.

“For a brief period of time, I accompanied FBI Deputy Director Bailey and Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Ellis in observing FBI personnel executing that search warrant, issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia pursuant to a probable cause finding,” Gabbard wrote in the letter dated Monday.

The director’s response comes after Warner and Himes requested an explanation for why she was present during the FBI’s search of Fulton County’s election offices on January 28, 2026. The search warrant authorized the seizure of election records, voting rolls, and other data tied to the 2020 election.

Gabbard emphasized that her involvement was part of her broader mandate to address election security. “My presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence, foreign and other malign influence and cybersecurity,” she stated.

The letter further explained that in twelve FBI field offices across the country, including Atlanta, the senior FBI official serves in a dual capacity as her Domestic DNI-Representative, through a program established in 2011 via a Memorandum of Understanding between the ODNI and FBI.

During her visit to the Atlanta FBI Field Office, Gabbard said she thanked agents for their work and facilitated a brief phone call with President Trump, who also expressed gratitude to the agents. “He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives,” she noted.

Gabbard also addressed concerns about proper notification to Congress regarding intelligence operations. She cited the National Security Act of 1947, which she said “does not require that the president obtain approval from the congressional intelligence committees before initiating a significant intelligence activity.”

The search of Fulton County’s election facilities has drawn significant attention, as the location became a focal point for election fraud allegations following the 2020 presidential election. Gabbard previously announced in April 2025 that ODNI was investigating electronic voting systems as part of efforts to protect election integrity.

In her letter, Gabbard reiterated these concerns, stating: “There is information and intelligence reporting suggesting that electronic voting systems being used in the United States have long been vulnerable to exploitation that could result in enabling determined actors to manipulate the results of the votes being cast with the intent of changing the outcome of an election.”

President Trump commented last week on Gabbard’s efforts, saying: “She’s working very hard on trying to keep the election safe. And she’s done a very good job. And they, as you know, they got into the votes, you got a signed judge’s order in Georgia…And you’re going to see some interesting things happening.”

The ODNI’s Office of General Counsel has determined Gabbard’s actions to be “consistent and well within my statutory authority as the Director of National Intelligence,” according to her letter.

Gabbard promised lawmakers she would share ODNI’s intelligence assessments with Congress once they are complete, but cautioned against “irresponsibly sharing incomplete intelligence assessments concerning foreign or other malign interference in U.S. elections.”

Meanwhile, the Justice Department has been engaged in separate legal action against Fulton County since December, seeking access to ballots related to the 2020 election. County officials are contesting the lawsuit, claiming the Justice Department has not presented a valid argument for accessing the records.