US Intelligence Chief Defends Omitting Foreign Election Threats From Annual Assessment

Summary

Tulsi Gabbard defended omitting foreign election threats from the annual assessment. Lawmakers warned the risk persists and cited CISA cuts and vacancies; Gabbard said she observed an FBI search of a Georgia election office at the president’s request.

Key points

Gabbard defended excluding foreign election interference from this year’s annual threat assessment.
Sen. Mark Warner warned that the omission does not mean the threat has disappeared and said foreign efforts to influence U.S. democracy have not declined.
Lawmakers cited CISA cuts and the absence of a Foreign Malign Influence Center chief as concerns ahead of the midterms.
Gabbard said she observed the FBI search of a Georgia election office at the president’s request but did not participate in law enforcement activity.
The article says there was no evidence to date of a foreign nexus to the Georgia election-records investigation.
The public hearing focused largely on Iran, with brief discussion of an expiring surveillance tool and the Volt Typhoon operation.

Article Details

Event Type: Congressional hearing on the U.S. intelligence community’s annual threat assessment, its omission of foreign election interference, and Tulsi Gabbard’s presence during an FBI search of Georgia election records.
Impact: Lawmakers warned that omitting foreign election interference from the assessment could obscure ongoing efforts to influence U.S. elections. They also raised concerns about cuts to CISA and the absence of a chief for the Foreign Malign Influence Center. Gabbard said she observed the FBI search at the president’s request and did not participate in law enforcement activity.

People

Donald TrumpThe president whom Gabbard said requested that she observe the FBI search of Georgia election records.Jon OssoffSenator who asked Gabbard when the president requested that she attend the FBI search of Georgia election records.Mark WarnerSenator and top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee who questioned the omission of foreign election threats and warned that foreign efforts to interfere in U.S. elections had not declined.Tulsi GabbardDirector of National Intelligence who defended the omission of foreign election interference from the threat assessment and said she observed the FBI search of Georgia election records at the president’s request.

Threat Actors

Volt TyphoonDescribed in the article as a Chinese hacking operation that burrowed into U.S. critical infrastructure networks.

Countries

ChinaPrevious clandestine community assessments have documented, at least at a high level, attempts by Iran, Russia or China to sway voters with online propaganda or through cyber operations.IranThe public hearing focused on Iran and briefly referenced an expiring surveillance tool and the Volt Typhoon hacking operation.RussiaPrevious clandestine community assessments have documented, at least at a high level, attempts by Iran, Russia or China to sway voters with online propaganda or through cyber operations.United StatesMark Warner warned the omission could hide ongoing foreign efforts to influence U.S.