Gabbard’s expanded role in election security draws scrutiny
Gabbard’s expanded role in election security draws scrutiny
Publish Date: 2026-02-09 14:06:00
Source Domain: www.nextgov.com
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has become increasingly involved in election security and integrity efforts, drawing scrutiny over whether the role aligns with her office’s mandate and concerns that it could undermine public confidence in future elections.
The concerns follow a series of election-related actions by Gabbard, including her recent appearance during an FBI raid of a Fulton County, Georgia elections office that was at the center of President Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud in 2020. Her team seized voting machines in Puerto Rico last year, per Reuters reporting, and has since said the systems contain cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Gabbard’s agency is formally tasked with addressing foreign interference in U.S. elections, prompting questions about its expanding involvement in domestic election matters. The intelligence agencies overseen by ODNI are similarly focused on foreign threats and are generally restricted from conducting spying activities inside the United States.
“It’s highly unusual for the Director of National Intelligence to be involved in election issues,” Samantha Tarazi, CEO of Voting Rights Lab, said in an email. “The U.S. Constitution is clear that determining how our elections work is left to the states and Congress, not the federal executive. As neither the states nor Congress seem to have authorized the DNI’s actions here, the constitutionality of those actions is highly questionable and deeply concerning.”
Gabbard’s work has spanned across multiple government agencies and involves several officials and advisors. Since the beginning of this year, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem have met multiple times to discuss election security topics, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Gabbard has been present in at least one of those meetings, added the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details about the…
