Gabbard says Trump asked her to attend FBI raid at Georgia elections hub

Zoom in: Gabbard said in the letter to Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) she was only present for a brief period of time.

• "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 counter-intelligence, foreign and other malign influence and cybersecurity," Gabbard wrote.
• She thanked FBI agents at the field office in Atlanta "and facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally for their work," per the letter that Gabbard shared on X.
• "He did not ask any questions, nor did he or l issue any directives."

What they're saying: Rachel Cohen, a spokesperson for Warner, said in an emailed statement Tuesday: "While Director Gabbard's letter attempts to justify her presence at the Fulton County search, it raises more questions than it answers. Senator Warner plans to continue pressing for accountability."

Of note: Fulton County officials objected to the search and said it amounted to retaliation by Trump's allies over his 2020 election loss and subsequent election interference case, which was dropped in November.

• They plan to file a motion in court challenging "the legality of the warrant and the seizure of sensitive election records, and force the government to return the ballots taken," Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington said in a media statement Monday.

Go deeper: Patel defends FBI raid as Georgia officials demand answers

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Rachel Cohen, a spokesperson for Warner.