A Washington Post investigation says many of Tulsi Gabbard’s political moves were directed for years by Chris Butler, a spiritual leader she once described as her guru. The report is based on 25,000 documents reviewed from an internal source at Butler’s organization, Science of Identity Foundation, and on testimony from a former secretary who worked there. Gabbard’s office dismissed the allegations as false and said the story reflected anti-Hindu prejudice.
According to the Post, dozens of documents contained explicit instructions from an anonymous source that evidence suggests was Butler. In many cases, Gabbard followed those directions almost exactly, including what bills to advance, which states to adopt, and how to present herself on television. The newspaper said that in some instances she repeated Butler’s words verbatim in public speeches and statements.
Most of the directives were sent during Gabbard’s first two terms in Congress. One 2014 memo urged her to back sanctions on countries whose citizens fought with ISIS, and she issued a statement the next day and filed a bill a week later. In another case, she was given the exact text of a post on X about Syria and published it the following day. The report also says Butler’s network tried to manufacture apparent online support for Gabbard through social media and news-site comments, and even steered her toward coverage to influence.
Gabbard, who served until three days ago as Director of National Intelligence after being appointed by Donald Trump, had called Butler her guru in the past. Her parents worked for his organization, which followers describe as a Hindu movement while critics have called it a cult. In 2019, she said Butler was “not at all” her political mentor. Her office said the new reporting attacked her faith and loyalty, while Butler declined to comment. The Post says it told Gabbard it planned to publish the story, and two days later Fox reported she was leaving her post, saying her husband had been diagnosed with a rare cancer.
