by Andrew Walden
Hawaii politics is supposedly all about seniority and connections. But shortly after the June, 2013 news that Tulsi Gabbard parted ways with former Abercrombie staffer Amy Asselbaye and professional congressional staffer Jennifer Goedke, she passed up legions of experienced former Inouye and Akaka staffers to quietly install Anya F. Anthony as her new Office Manager.
Who?
That would be Anya F Anthony, formerly agent of “Sunset Studios,” which Daily KOS identifies as a front for the Chris Butler Cult. According to DCCA business registration records, Sunset Studios was originally incorporated in Australia and registered in Hawaii as a foreign partnership in 2002. According a September, 2012, post on a cult watch website, Anya F Anthony is a “NZ disciple.”
Anya Anthony’s name comes up three times in a February 2012 Daily KOS expose of the links between the Gabbard campaign and the Chris Butler cult. KOS lists Anthony among a select group of donors to cult-linked political candidates over three decades--either Rick Reed’s 1994 campaign or Mike Gabbard’s 2004 campaign and also to Tulsi Gabbard’s 2012 Congressional campaign.
Chris Butler was born in 1948, the third son of Willis Butler, the ILWU’s Red Doctor of Molokai. But the red diaper baby became a Hare Krishna and, after taking LSD, led one of the many 1977 Hare Krishna splinter groups making himself ‘Jagadguru’ of the so-called Science of Identity foundation. They run the Down to Earth ‘natural food’ markets which profit from the anti-GMO hype spread by Rep Tulsi Gabbard. They also have a long history of sponsoring cult members as Hawaii political candidates starting with the 1970s third party effort, “Independents for Godly Government.” Until Tulsi flip-flopped in order to win against Mufi Hannemann in the 2012 campaign, they were known mostly for their opposition to gay marriage.
According to media accounts and cult emails forwarded to Hawai’i Free Press by a former cult member, Tulsi Gabbard’s father, State Senator Mike Gabbard, is “Krishna Katha das“ in the cult and her mother Carol Gabbard is “Devahuti dasi.”
Allegedly cult members give 25% to the Jagadguru and are honored to eat his yummy toenail clippings. He is said to own three oceanfront Lanikai mansions.
Cults are known for their ability to draw in devotees and make them worship the leader. In a recent poll, Tulsi Gabbard’s popularity was tops among Hawaii politicians at 76%. Republicans vying to become her opponent include a homeless dude in a van, and a lady who recently threatened to ‘choke’ the superintendent of schools.
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