A Washington Post investigation, based on 25,000 documents, says former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s political actions were guided for years by the spiritual leader Chris Butler. The paper says many of the documents contain explicit instructions that appear to come from Butler, and that Gabbard often carried them out almost word for word.
According to the report, most of the guidance dates to Gabbard’s first two terms in Congress. Examples cited include a 2014 memo urging her to push sanctions on countries whose citizens fought for ISIS, after which she issued a statement the next day and filed a bill a week later. In another case, she reportedly posted exact wording about Syria on X one day after receiving it. The Post says she repeated messages or lines from Butler in dozens of public appearances.
The documents were obtained from a former secretary in Butler’s organization, Science of Identity Foundation, who later fell out with him. They also describe efforts by Butler’s network to create the appearance of broad public support for Gabbard on social media and in online comment sections, including direct guidance on which articles to influence.
Gabbard, who until three days ago held one of the most sensitive roles in the U.S. security system, rose to the post after two House terms and an alliance with Donald Trump. The report notes that she once called Butler her guru, that her parents worked for his group, and that critics have described it as a cult. Her office said attacks on her faith and loyalty were false and reflected anti-Hindu prejudice. Butler declined to comment. The Post says it told Gabbard about the story at the end of last month, and Fox later reported she was stepping down two days after that notice, citing her husband’s rare cancer diagnosis.
