A controversy emerged around former US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, with a major investigation claiming she maintained long-standing ties with a Hindu sect described by critics as a “cult”, as she stepped down from her senior national security role.A report by The Washington Post has detailed extensive communications between advisers linked to Gabbard and associates of Chris Butler, 78, the Hawaii-based founder of the ‘Science of Identity Foundation’ (SIF), a new religious movement formed in the 1970s after breaking away from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The group is based in US and teaches a blend of yoga and elements of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.The investigation claims that emails, internal documents and talking points show Butler’s close allies working with Gabbard’s advisers to shape her public messaging and political positioning over a number of years. According to the WP report, former SIF member Rebecca Saltzburg, who worked on several of Gabbard’s congressional campaigns, provided material suggesting Butler’s influence reached Gabbard and her family.Between 2014 and 2016, when Gabbard was a sitting member of Congress, The Washington Post reported that she frequently used arguments that matched talking points said to have come from documents linked to the SIF. The report said these ideas appeared not only in her interviews but also in her policy positions and legislative activity.One example cited in the investigation involved an email instruction that read: “Get it started in the morning,” rencouraging legislative action against countries whose citizens fought for Islamic State. Gabbard introduced a similar bill in Congress a week later.The report further claims that online activity was coordinated to promote Gabbard’s public image, including social media accounts run by Butler supporters that regularly defended and praised her political career. One message read: “DNI Gabbard is a true patriot and will be missed.”Chris Butler, described by former members as an influential spiritual figure within SIF, has been accused by critics of wielding major control over followers. One former member said: “I was raised to believe Chris Butler was God’s voice on Earth, and if you question him or offended him in any way, you were effectively offending God,” while another said he had ambitions beyond religion, saying: “He wanted, he said, to rule the world.”Butler has been quoted by former associates as having previously condemned US intelligence and defence institutions, calling them “madmen.”The controversy has now taken on a political dimension, with Gabbard’s spokesperson rejecting the allegations and calling the report “a blatant example of anti-Hindu bigotry.” The defence comes as scrutiny of her associations intensifies following her resignation from her intelligence role, announced in May after months of speculation over her future in office.Those close to Butler have denied that he personally authored directives attributed to him, with his associate Sunil Khemaney claiming responsibility for writing them. However, The Washington Post said its analysis found indicators suggesting Butler himself may have been the source, including references to his upbringing in Hawaii.In 173-page material reviewed by the newspaper, first-person references and biographical details aligned more closely with Butler than his associates.Tulsi Gabbard was raised in a Vaishnava Hindu-influenced household. Her mother, Carol Gabbard, embraced Hindu teachings, and Gabbard adopted Hindu beliefs early in life. She is a practising Hindu, took oath on the Bhagavad Gita in Congress, and identifies with Vaishnavism and yoga-based traditions roots there.
