When Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard was spotted at the site of the FBI’s raid on a Fulton County, Georgia election hub late last month, it immediately drew scrutiny. As the nation’s top intelligence officer, Gabbard’s role primarily concerns national security threats from abroad, raising questions about her presence at a domestic election office raid.
Unusual Involvement and Presidential Order
Gabbard’s presence in Fulton County reportedly came at the request of President Donald Trump, who personally ordered her to be there and coordinated her actions with one of the two deputy FBI directors leading the operation. This involvement has fueled speculation and connected to long-held conspiracy theories.
For some election deniers, Gabbard’s involvement signaled that the Trump administration’s investigation would confirm a conspiracy: that the government of Venezuela secretly controlled voting companies Dominion and Smartmatic and rigged the 2020 election for Joe Biden. Patrick Byrne, who aided Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, said the Fulton County raid was “exactly what we were asking [Trump] to do” in 2020.
The Venezuela Conspiracy
The conspiracy theory falsely claims that Dominion and Smartmatic are secretly Venezuelan companies founded to rig elections for Hugo Chávez. The origins of this claim reportedly started with Gary Berntsen, a former CIA case officer, and Martin Rodil, a Venezuelan-born consultant. Berntsen, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2010, has close ties to key figures in the Trump administration.
Prominent Trump figures like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell similarly falsely claimed that Dominion and Smartmatic were Venezuelan companies. Despite these claims, both companies’ origins are publicly documented: Smartmatic was incorporated in Delaware in 2000 by three Venezuelan-born engineers who had since expatriated.
Further Investigations and Origins of the Probe
A Reuters report revealed that Gabbard led an investigation in May into Puerto Rico’s voting machines, allegedly to probe claims that Venezuela hacked the U.S. Territory’s voting machines, though the investigation reportedly found no evidence of tampering. This investigation was allegedly spurred on by Kurt Olsen, recently appointed director of election security and integrity, who was deeply involved in “Stop the Steal” efforts.
The FBI’s search warrant affidavit for the Fulton County raid revealed the entire criminal probe originated with Olsen and relied heavily on debunked claims of voter fraud. Though the Venezuela conspiracy wasn’t mentioned in the affidavit, election deniers believe the two are connected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted Tulsi Gabbard’s presence at the FBI raid?
Gabbard’s presence reportedly came at the request of President Donald Trump, who personally ordered her to Fulton County and coordinated her actions with one of the two deputy FBI directors leading the operation.
What is the Venezuela conspiracy theory?
The conspiracy theory falsely claims that the government of Venezuela secretly controlled voting companies Dominion and Smartmatic and rigged the 2020 election for Joe Biden.
Who originated the claims about Venezuelan involvement in the 2020 election?
The origins of the claims reportedly started with Gary Berntsen, a former CIA case officer, and Martin Rodil, a Venezuelan-born consultant.
As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what further evidence may emerge and how these findings will impact ongoing discussions about election integrity. What role will continued scrutiny of these claims play in shaping public trust in future elections?
