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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A religious leader appeared to seek to shape the political messaging of Tulsi Gabbard, who recently resigned as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, while she was in Congress,. according to an investigation by The Washington Post.
The Post on Sunday published a report detailing the scope of Gabbard’s relationship with Chris Butler, the leader of Science of Identity Foundation (SIF), a breakaway Hare Krishna group, whom Gabbard once described as her guru.
The Post’s investigation detailed internal documents provided by Rebecca Saltzburg, a former SIF member, that suggested Butler sought to shape Gabbard's decisions, at least from 2011 to 2017, which covers most of her first two terms in Congress. She would serve four in total.
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The Post also adds that the timeframe of the documents means they could not show whether Gabbard continued to receive guidance after 2017.
Saltzburg turned over the internal documents because she felt Gabbard “misled voters about Butler’s role and his influence on her decision-making,” reporter Jon Swaine wrote in the article.
According to the Post, the internal documents suggested policies that she should embrace, as well as talking points and directives for Gabbard during part of her time in Congress. The Post said there were several instances between 2014 and 2016 where Gabbard echoed the talking points outlined in the SIF memos.
Newsweek could not independently verify the claims made in the Washington Post report and has contacted Gabbard’s office for comment via email outside regular business hours. SIF has been contacted for comment via a contact form on its website.
Gabbard’s chief of staff said in a statement to The Washington Post that the “attacks on Director Gabbard’s faith and loyalty are not only false—they are a blatant example of anti-Hindu bigotry.”
The statement also described the reporting as “allegations tied to a failed $250,000 extortion attempt by a disgruntled former volunteer seeking personal profit, not truth.” The context for this line can be found below.
The newspaper also reported that a person who contacted The Washington Post on behalf of the group provided a statement that said: “Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu religious bigotry, that’s all this is. When a Hindu public figure has a spiritual teacher or shares views with a Hindu religious figure, that alone is somehow evidence of sinister control.”
Gabbard announced her resignation as director of national intelligence in May, saying she needed to leave office as her husband has been diagnosed with cancer. Gabbard’s departure from her post as the nation's top intelligence official is to take effect on June 30.
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Who Is Chris Butler?
Butler taught Krishnaism and meditation after dropping out of the University of Hawaii in the late 1960s, the Post reported.
In the years that followed, he attracted followers who believed he was directly communicating with Krishna.
Also known by his Sanskrit name, Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, Butler formally established his own organization in 1977 and ultimately settled on the Science of Identity as the name.
His followers adopt practices such as meditation, chanting and strict lifestyle rules, and many are based in Hawaii, Australia and Southeast Asia.
While supporters describe the organization as a legitimate spiritual community, some former members have characterized it as insular or cult-like—allegations the group has denied.
Butler himself is known for his secrecy, rarely appearing in public and communicating with followers largely through recorded lectures or intermediaries.
Longstanding Ties to Tulsi Gabbard
Gabbard’s relationship with Butler dates back to childhood.
Her parents held senior roles in the organization and she grew up attending schools run by Butler’s followers
She has described her religious practices as "transcendental Hinduism," a term recommended to her by Butler, according to a 2017 piece in The New Yorker.
"I've never heard him say anything hateful, or say anything mean about anybody," Gabbard told The New Yorker at the time. "I can speak to my own personal experience and, frankly, my gratitude to him, for the gift of this wonderful spiritual practice that he has given to me, and to so many people.”
She has also discussed her ties to Butler on other occasions.
In a 2015 address to honor the Hare Krishna 50th anniversary, she called Butler her "beloved grandfather" and "spiritual master.”
Tulsi Gabbard’s Political Career
Gabbard, who was raised in Hawaii, was first elected as a 21-year-old to Hawaii’s House of Representatives. She had to leave after one term when her National Guard unit deployed to Iraq.
She was later elected as a Democrat to Congress representing Hawaii. As the first Hindu member of the House, Gabbard was sworn into office with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu devotional work.
During her four House terms, between 2013 and 2021, Gabbard became known for speaking out against her party’s leadership.
Gabbard sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, but later dropped out and ended up backing Joe Biden, who ultimately won.
She subsequently campaigned for several high-profile Republicans, became a contributor to Fox News and started a podcast.
Gabbard endorsed Trump early in 2024. Trump tapped her to be his director of national intelligence shortly after winning the election.
What Do the Documents Say
The documents shared by Salzburg amounted to more than 25,000 pages. Many were memos attached to emails. Butler's name is never explicitly mentioned and Gabbard was rarely a direct recipient of the emails, according to The Washington Post.
The emails, with the attached memos, were often sent to a small group of people who, according to The Washington Post, were close to both Butler and Gabbard, including the latter's parents and Saltzburg. Saltzburg said this group was known as Butler’s “political team,” per The Washington Post.
According to Saltzburg, everyone who received them knew that Butler was behind the memos, The Washington Post reported. , A person close to Butler told the newspaper that he, not Butler, was behind the memos.
The Post cited one 2014 memo where the author pushed for Gabbard to propose legislation to punish countries with citizens who fought for the Islamic State and to issue a statement on the subject.
“Get it started in the morning,” it said. “You need to be the leader in this regard.”
Gabbard released a statement the following day, and introduced the bill a week later, the Post reported.
Another memo, from October 12, 2015, with the title “CNN Wolf Blitzer Talking points (Final)” reportedly had the following line about reports that she had been asked by Democratic leadership not to attend a presidential debate: “It’s not a ‘boohoo, I don’t get to go to the party’ situation, Wolf.”
The Washington Post said that she had used the line almost verbatim: “The issue here is not about me saying boo-hoo, I’m going to miss the party.”
The Post also specified that Saltzburg had demanded in a June 2024 letter $250,000 from one of Chris Butler's senior disciples as damages tied to her Texas arrest on a child-custody-interference allegation that prosecutors did not pursue in the end.
In the letter seen by the Post, she referred to allegations that the runaway she sheltered had been abused and said that the senior disciple initially asked her to help protect the runaway but later changed his story after the police got involved.
Saltzburg said that if she did not receive the money, she would sue and that a lawsuit could expose material embarrassing to Butler and Gabbard, while a settlement would mitigate their "reputational risks." She added the money would not buy her silence; Butler, via an aide, refused to engage, and Salzburg said she did not follow up.
Former Member Speaks Out
Robin Marshall, who had joined SIF when she was 19, told Newsweek in 2024 that Gabbard was “groomed for a political position because Chris Butler had political aspirations.”
Marshall said: ”He wanted the influence. It was very unusual because women in Science of Identity aren't really encouraged to do anything.”
Marshall said she joined after seeing a poster for a meditation class while living in California.
"It was all very attractive to me because it was like a family and all caring," Marshall said. "Then, I get to Hawaii, and it was a different story.”
Marshall said that living at the group’s accommodations, she would often clean. She said she one time "got screamed at" for picking out supplies from a cabinet and Butler saying that the product was too pungent.
"I never did [meet Chris Butler] but we were always told we should be ready for him to appear," she said. "How abusive Chris Butler was, I'm glad I never met him.”
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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