Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner slammed Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard over her presence during the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) execution of a search warrant at the Fulton County Election Hub in Georgia on Wednesday.
Warner claimed Gabbard “has got no business interfering in elections” and warned that her actions should “concern the heck out of every American.” His attack is yet another example of Democrats ignoring clear federal statutes in an attempt to control the narrative.
Federal law explicitly assigns the DNI a leadership role in safeguarding elections from foreign exploitation. Under 50 U.S.C. § 3371d, the DNI oversees counterintelligence matters related to election security, including assessing risks to voting systems, software, voter registration databases, and other infrastructure. Warner’s claim that Gabbard has “no business” in elections also ignores 50 U.S.C. § 3024, which requires all Intelligence Community (IC) elements to provide the DNI access to necessary intelligence for oversight and integration.
Warner’s attack frames the DNI investigation as domestic meddling, but it’s central to the DNI’s counterintelligence duties. Gabbard’s presence at the Fulton County raid falls within her authority as DNI. In fact, it would arguably be negligent of her office if she chose not to participate in the investigation into potential voting system and election security vulnerabilities.