A Syrian defector was told to hide his face while testifying to US Congress about the horrors of the Assad regime amid fears Tulsi Gabbard would leak his identity, according to former state department officials.
Ms Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran accused of echoing Russian and Syrian propaganda, is facing a battle to secure her nomination to the post of Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
On Thursday, she will appear before the Senate intelligence committee, which could complicate her path to the role by sending her on to a full vote in the Senate without its approval.
Donald Trump reportedly views Ms Gabbard as the most vulnerable in his slew of unorthodox cabinet appointments.
Russian state TV propagandists have referred to the 43-year-old former Democrat as “our girlfriend” after she repeated false claims that the US funded biolabs in Ukraine, and backed Vladimir Putin’s case for war in Ukraine.
She is also facing renewed questions about her links to the Science of Identity foundation, an offshoot of Hare Krishna dubbed a cult by former acolytes, who say members sprinkled the toenails of its leader on their food.
If confirmed, Ms Gabbard will have oversight of America’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the CIA and NSA, and play a crucial role in sensitive espionage operations involving America’s network of undercover agents.
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