Controversy surrounds former U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi GabbardShe maintained long-standing ties to a Hindu sect described by critics as a “cult” after she resigned from a senior national security role, a major investigation has alleged.A Washington Post report detailed extensive communications between Gabbard’s advisers and associates of 78-year-old Chris Butler. Chris Butler is the Hawaiian founder of the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF), a new religious movement that broke away from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in the 1970s. The group, based in the United States, teaches a fusion of yoga and elements of Gaudiya Vaiṣṇavaism.The investigation said emails, internal documents and talking points showed close allies of Butler worked with Gabbard’s advisers for years to shape her public messaging and political positions. Rebecca Saltzburg, a former SIF member who worked on several of Gabbard’s congressional campaigns, provided materials suggesting Butler’s influence reached Gabbard and her family, according to the Worker Party report.According to the Washington Post, when Gabbard was a member of Congress from 2014 to 2016, she frequently used arguments that matched talking points purportedly from SIF-related documents. According to the report, these ideas appeared not only in her interviews, but also in her policy positions and legislative activities.One example cited in the investigation involved an email directive that read, “starting in the morning,” encouraging legislative action against countries whose citizens are fighting for the Islamic State. A week later, Gabbard introduced a similar bill to Congress.The report further alleges that the online activity was coordinated to boost Gabbard’s public image, including by social media accounts run by Butler supporters who often defended and praised her political career. One message read: “Director of National Intelligence Gabbard was a true patriot and will be missed.”Chris Butler is described by former members as an influential spiritual figure within the SIF and critics accuse him of having major control over followers. One former member said: “I grew up believing that Chris Butler was the voice of God on earth and if you questioned him or offended him in any way, you were actually offending God,” while another said he had ambitions beyond religion, saying: “He said he wanted to rule the world.“Butler was quoted by former colleagues as saying he had previously denounced U.S. intelligence and defense agencies, calling them “crazy”.The controversy has now risen to a political level, with Gabbard’s spokesperson denying the accusations and calling the report a “blatant example of anti-Hindu bias.” The defense comes as scrutiny of her relationships intensifies after she resigned from her intelligence role. She announced her resignation in May after months of speculation about her prospects in power.People close to Butler deny that he personally wrote the directives, while his colleague Sunil Hemani claimed to be responsible for writing them. However, the Post said its analysis found indications that Butler himself may have been the source, including mentions that he grew up in Hawaii.Of the 173 pages of material reviewed by the newspaper, first-person references and biographical details were more consistent with Butler than with his colleagues.Tulsi Gabbard grew up in a family influenced by Vaishnava Hinduism. Her mother, Carol Gabbard, adopted Hindu teachings, and Gabbard adopted the Hindu faith at a young age. A devout Hindu, she took the Bhagavad Gita oath in Parliament and identified with her roots in Vaishnavaism and the yogic tradition.
