Report: Surfing Politician Tulsi Gabbard Accused of Being Controlled by Cult Leader
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It appears Tulsi Gabbard, the former progressive congresswoman, surfer, and ex-member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, might have more skeletons in her closet than any of her constituents realized. Few politicians have undergone the ideological transformation Gabbard has, and a new report in The Washington Post alleges that she was heavily influenced by a divisive religious leader whose network used fake social media accounts to shape public narratives around the Hawaiian politician.
The article, published June 21, draws on tens of thousands of files and communications provided by a former member of a Hare Krishna-affiliated religious group led by Chris Butler – known as the Science of Identity Foundation. Former members have alleged the group functioned as a cult, claiming Butler exerted control over followers’ major life decisions while maintaining a deep interest in political influence. The SIF mixes yoga with aspects of another religious movement, Gaudiya Vaishnavism. It asks members to practice vegetarianism, refrain from alcohol use, and is also known to be anti-homosexual and anti-Islamic.
According to the report, both of Gabbard’s parents held senior positions in Butler’s group, and Gabbard herself had called Butler her guru. Some former members claim her unprecedented rise in politics as a 21-year-old elected to Hawaii’s House of Representatives — and then U.S. Congress — is a direct result of Butler’s influence.
The files and communications obtained by the Post reveal the extent of the influence an anonymous figure — whom the evidence suggests was Butler — allegedly wielded over Gabbard. Thousands of emails, Skype messages, and meeting transcripts between Gabbard, the anonymous figure, and members of the religious group show how directives attributed to him often became reality. According to former members, Butler did not use a computer; instead, delivering instructions verbally during meetings that were later transcribed and circulated. Gabbard introduced legislation that originated in those communications. She repeated talking points from the messages — sometimes verbatim — in television appearances.
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Content retrieved from: https://www.theinertia.com/surf/tulsi-gabbard-politician-cult-leader-washington-post/.
