The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has defended Director Tulsi Gabbard's presence at the FBI's raid on the Fulton County election management center, stating it falls within her purview.

In a statement, ODNI spokesperson Oliva Coleman said, "Director Gabbard recognizes that election security is critical to the integrity of our Republic and national security." She added, "As the Director of National Intelligence, she plays a crucial role in identifying vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and preventing their exploitation."

"We are aware through intelligence and public reporting that electronic voting systems have been vulnerable to exploitation," she stated. "President Trump's directives on election security were clear, and Director Gabbard has taken, and will continue to take, actions within her authorities to support ensuring election integrity in partnership with interagency partners."

The FBI raided the Georgia facility this week as part of a criminal investigation linked to the 2020 election. President Donald Trump has long claimed he legitimately won the state of Georgia but that fraudulent activity affected the outcome.

The scope of the investigation remains unclear. However, following the FBI raid, President Trump re-shared a video on Truth Social from July 22nd, where he told reporters at the White House that there was election fraud and interference, naming former President Barack Obama as the mastermind. The video was overlaid with the word "TREASON" in large letters.

Gabbard's attendance drew attention from Democratic lawmakers, with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) suggesting her involvement indicated an attempt by the Trump administration to interfere with the election.

"Why was Tulsi Gabbard participating in a raid on an election office? We need to stand up to this administration's interference in our elections," he questioned on X on Thursday.

JustTheNews reported that an ODNI official pointed to a series of statutes that explicitly grant the ODNI the authority to investigate counterintelligence matters related to election integrity.

According to 50 U.S.C. § 3371d, "The Director of National Intelligence shall designate a national counterintelligence executive within the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) to lead, manage, and coordinate counterintelligence activities related to election security."

The statute further authorizes the official to address election security supply chains, voting systems and software, registration databases, election infrastructure, and other related goods and services.

This encompasses issues of hacking or election interference from foreign intelligence agencies, fueling speculation that Director Gabbard's appearance at the FBI raid was an attempt to ascertain evidence of external hackers manipulating election results.

By Sung Ku Hong, Chief Reporter of US NNP / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com