A new Washington Post investigation says Tulsi Gabbard took direct orders from her religious group's leader during her years in Congress, and she resigned as Director of National Intelligence days before the story ran — bad for her credibility, awkward for the Trump team that named her.

• A former group member handed over hundreds of memos from an old Gmail account, holding talking points and directives sent to Gabbard.
• The memos appear to come from guru Chris Butler, head of the Science of Identity Foundation, the group Gabbard grew up in.
• In 24 of 32 interview prep memos, she used the wording almost word-for-word, including odd phrases like "boohoo, I'm going to miss the party."
• Some memos gave exact marching orders — put out a press release, then file a bill — and she did, on schedule.
• The tone toward her was often harsh and demeaning, which reads like the control tactics seen in cults.

Outlook: Gabbard says she left to care for her husband, who has cancer, but the timing — she quit hours before her response deadline — will keep fueling questions about how much of her career was scripted.