Senate Dems question Tulsi Gabbard’s presence during FBI election records search in Georgia

This story has been updated to reflect more details from Tulsi Gabbard's presence at Fulton County 2020 election probe.

Update: President Donald Trump confirmed that Tulsi Gabbard is involved in the Fulton County 2020 election probe. Speaking to the press at the Trump Kennedy Center screening of 'Melania' on Thursday, January 29, he shut down questions about why Gabbard was seen at the Georgia FBI raid.

Trump said, “She is working very hard and doing a very good job.” He added that whatever is necessary will be done to keep the country safe, stating, “We will keep the election safe.”

UNION CITY, GEORGIA: Democratic lawmakers in Georgia are seeking clarity after Tulsi Gabbard was spotted in Fulton County on Wednesday, January 28, as FBI agents removed boxes connected to the 2020 election. By Thursday, Democratic senators were formally calling for a briefing on the matter. 

Several lawmakers questioned her involvement, including Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Mark Warner of Virginia, Joaquin Castro of California, and others. Warner was particularly blunt, asking, “What the heck is she doing on the FBI serving a domestic warrant?” 

The search took place amid ongoing political disputes stemming from Trump’s repeated claims that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen.

Georgia Democrats demand answers on FBI election search

FBI agents searched the Fulton County elections office on Wednesday, removing about 700 boxes of records connected to the 2020 election, according to officials. Gabbard was seen at the site dressed in black, wearing a baseball cap and a long coat. She was observed standing near trucks loaded with election documents that are now five years old.

The warrant allowed agents to collect all ballots from the county’s 2020 election. It also included tabulator tapes, ballot images, and voter rolls. Gabbard has not explained why she was at the Georgia warehouse reviewing 2020 election records.

A senior official, speaking anonymously to CNN, defended Gabbard’s involvement. “Director Gabbard has a pivotal role in election security and protecting the integrity of our elections against interference, including operations targeting voting systems, databases, & election infrastructure.” The statement added, “She has and will continue to take action on President Trump’s directive to secure our elections and work with our interagency partners to do so.”

Gabbard’s office later told reporters that she would release a statement that day. No statement was shared. The search has since upset Georgia Democratic lawmakers, who are now asking for answers.

Lawmakers demand answers over Tulsi Gabbard’s role in FBI raid

Lawmakers have raised concerns about Tulsi Gabbard’s role in an FBI election records search in Georgia. Senator Jon Ossoff said the incident has unsettled both his constituents and the broader public.

“My constituents in Georgia and I think much of the American public are quite reasonably alarmed and asking questions, after the director of national intelligence was spotted bizarrely and personally lurking in an FBI evidence truck in Fulton County, Georgia, yesterday,” he said, as reported by The Guardian.

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia issued a sharply worded statement, saying, “What the heck is she doing on the FBI serving a domestic warrant? If this doesn’t concern the heck out of every American, it sure as hell should.” He added that her actions appeared tied to Trump’s fixation on the 2020 election result.

“This is a person who has got no business interfering in elections and to, frankly, follow up on President Trump’s obsession about the fact that he lost in 2020, that he lost the state of Georgia,” Warner said. Referring to photographs from the scene, he added, “So (I) would like to see the underlying basis for the war in the first place, but to see her, you know, skulking around in a baseball cap [in] the picture that was posted, you never thought you could make this stuff up.”

As reported by Just The News, Representative Joaquin Castro of California, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also called for answers.

“It’s extremely unusual that the DNI (director of national intelligence) would be present for this type of domestic operation, and it’s something that the intelligence committee should investigate right away, should exercise its oversight power and bring Tulsi Gabbard in to the committee to explain exactly what happened,” he said.

Other lawmakers also publicly raised concerns about Gabbard’s presence at the FBI search. Representative Nikema Williams said in a letter to the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, “The 2020 election has been litigated.”

“By continuing to raid election locations in Georgia, the Department of Justice (DOJ), this raid serves to intimidate Fulton County voters and election officials, rather than to further any legitimate law enforcement aim.”

House Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes said he wants answers about why Tulsi Gabbard was involved. He sent her a letter asking what her role was and what legal authority allowed her to take part.