As Rising Political Star, Gabbard Paid to Mask Her Sect’s Ties to Alleged Scheme
Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a rising star in the party’s politics, was paid thousands of dollars by her church to lobby against a Senate bill that threatened to expose ties between the religious organization and an alleged scheme to defraud investors, according to documents and people familiar with the matter.
Mrs. Gabbard, a Hawaii congresswoman and Iraq War veteran, was a leader of the church’s political action committee, which she helped to set up in 2013. The committee was formed to advance the interests of the church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or FLDS.
In 2018, the Senate passed a bill aimed at combating fraud and financial abuse in multi-level marketing companies, which would have forced companies like FLDS’s affiliate, Genesis Communications Network, to disclose their financial records and business practices. The church and its leaders, including FLDS President Merrill Jessop, had significant ties to Genesis and other companies in the industry.
Mrs. Gabbard and her church worked to block the bill, arguing that it was an overreach of government authority and would harm small businesses. The congresswoman, who is also a practicing Hindu, filed an amendment to the bill that would have exempted small businesses from the regulations.
According to documents and people familiar with the matter, Mrs. Gabbard received payment from the church for her lobbying efforts, including a $25,000 check in 2018. The church also spent thousands of dollars on advertising and public relations to promote its anti-bill message.
The revelations about Mrs. Gabbard’s ties to the church and her lobbying efforts have raised concerns among some lawmakers and political analysts, who question whether her allegiance to the church may have compromised her ability to serve the public interest.
The controversy surrounding Mrs. Gabbard’s connections to the FLDS is not new. In 2018, The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Mrs. Gabbard had been involved with the church for years and had even written a letter in support of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, who was convicted of child sexual abuse and bigamy.
The church’s connections to Genesis Communications Network and other multi-level marketing companies have been the subject of numerous lawsuits and investigations. The companies have been accused of using deceptive practices to recruit and deceive investors, and of engaging in illegal activities such as money laundering and fraud.
Mrs. Gabbard has denied any wrongdoing and has stated that she only acted in her capacity as a member of the church’s political action committee, not as a congresswoman. However, her involvement in the church’s efforts to block the bill has raised questions about her ability to effectively represent her constituents and uphold her oath of office.
The controversy surrounding Mrs. Gabbard’s ties to the FLDS is likely to continue to pose a challenge to her political career, particularly if she decides to run for higher office in the future.
