Tony Ortega's Blog, page 332
April 22, 2021
Q patriots debate whether the vaccinated are dangerous to be around
Some links to Q-related items today…
The vaccinated bear the mark of the beast, or something.
A fun look at Q patriot reactions to the Chauvin verdict.
What, already?
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's new social platform, "Frank," has gone offline. pic.twitter.com/JILCosdY4o
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) April 21, 2021
Arizona is the best.
QAnon show RedPill78, which attended the insurrection (https://t.co/EF1erg7AoQ), has announced that Arizona secretary of state candidate & state Rep. Mark Finchem — who has shared QAnon content on Gab (https://t.co/BJBtVpJKz9) — will be going on the show in May. pic.twitter.com/CqDu5WEYvX
— Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) April 21, 2021
Cullen on some early Q history.
Before the tripcode, anyone could have written QDrops. The pseudonym "Q" emerged as part of an evolving story. Anons guessed which drops were "officially" Q.
Drop 34: "Q Clearance Patriot" mentioned
Drop 61: First time a drop is signed "Q"
Drop 128: Tripcode introduced https://t.co/4iK0JxMXzX pic.twitter.com/lj0fB3gz1M
— Cullen (@CullenHoback) April 22, 2021
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent recent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
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THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you’re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 22, 2021 at 8:05
Why Danny Masterson’s attacks on Leah Remini aren’t helping him in court
For months Danny Masterson’s criminal defense attorney Tom Mesereau has been making boisterous speeches in court, complaining about press interest in the case that has the That ’70s Show actor facing 45 years to life in prison for violently raping three different women. Mesereau has repeatedly accused the prosecution and police of leaking information to the press, and has asked for judges to keep cameras out of the courtroom.
And that’s why it was particularly rich to see Mesereau playing to the press this week in a failed attempt to delay the case.
It sure looks like it was Mesereau or someone else in Masterson’s camp who fed a copy of their motion to delay the case to TMZ, an organization whose leader, Harvey Levin, is very tight with Mesereau.
That led to breathless coverage Tuesday in the Daily Mail, Daily News and others rewriting TMZ’s scoop, with none of them adding the detail that Mesereau’s blustery motion had actually been denied and that the preliminary hearing is still scheduled for May 18, something we reported that afternoon.
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Yesterday, the Daily Mail followed up with some actual reporting from the hearing itself, and included some very interesting details gathered by writer Neil Blincow.
According to Blincow’s report, Mesereau accused Leah Remini of threatening the alleged victims that unless they made police reports against Masterson she would not include them on her A&E series, Scientology and the Aftermath.
But there’s a big problem with that accusation.
Although this case involves allegations by three different women who say they were raped in incidents between 2001 and 2003, the case itself is listed according to an alleged April 25, 2003 rape of the person we’ve been calling Victim B (“Jane Doe #1” in the separate civil lawsuit). Here, see for yourself…
Over the objections of the Church of Scientology, Victim B, who was a member of the church at that time, first went to the LAPD in June 2004, which is crucial to this case. And in 2004, we will remind you, Leah Remini was still a loyal Scientology member.
As for all three women coming forward and making new police reports in 2016, another of the alleged victims, Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, has said on the record that she filed her report with the LAPD before she ever spoke with Leah, and we believe, based on our sources, that the same is true for Victim C (“Jane Doe #2” in the civil suit).
Leah has publicly supported these women, and she did arrange for interviews with them on her television show, but only one of those interviews, with Carnell-Bixler, was aired. (Bobette Riales, the other alleged victim who appeared on the show, is not one of the three victims whose allegations resulted in criminal charges.)
Mesereau claimed that the women were offered “inducements” to report Masterson. Actually, in the civil lawsuit the women filed in 2019 they each allege that they have been subjected to years of harassment by Masterson and the church for coming forward. Inducements? They say they’ve been through hell for more than four years now, on top of their original victimizations.
Meanwhile, it’s kind of amazing to see that Mesereau is trying to make something of Victim B’s 2004 police file going missing. The file disappeared after Scientology had inundated the LAPD with affidavits calling Victim B a liar. If anything, the LAPD losing the entire file has long been a suspicious occurrence that points to cooperation between the LAPD and Scientology.
Fortunately, according to what Deputy DA Reinhold Mueller said in court Tuesday, it turns out that the DA’s office has their own copy of the 2004 file, which is likely going to be a big problem for Masterson. That Mesereau is now trying to turn that into a plus for Danny is sort of mind-boggling.
“Why was this case rejected?” Mesereau asked, but does he really want to know the answer? Because we have a feeling it has something to do with the LAPD’s cozy relationship to Scientology, not with Leah Remini’s much later defection from the church.
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Of course there’s nothing wrong with Mesereau asking the court for more evidence in the DA’s possession or for reports to be unredacted, but Judge Charlaine Olmedo is clearly very familiar with the evidence in this case and with what the DA is required to turn over at this point.
And again, let’s be clear. Right now, the burden is on Mueller to convince Judge Olmedo at the preliminary hearing that a trial is justified, and based on testimony that we’re going to hear at the prelim.
While Mesereau’s complaints make for good tabloid fodder, they aren’t working in court, where a conscientious judge is keeping things focused on the matter at hand, and on a swift schedule.
It’s quite obvious what Mesereau was trying to do here. After the motion attacking Leah Remini was leaked, if the judge had granted a delay, it would have looked like those accusations had some weight.
Instead, Mesereau and his client are up against a judge who isn’t so easily snowed.
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“We find our people, as we process them, further and further along on this curve of create, through survive, to destroy. And when we get well past survive, we get to an individual who can think in no terms but suicide. He tries to kill himself and those around him. He would not even dream of getting, you might say, out of the body. All he can think of is being in the body and destroying things. He has bought the physical universe. Well, we try to process this individual. We normally find him in sanitariums, and so forth, because he’s no longer able to promote the biological line; and we find his anxiety on the subject of sex very, very great, but it’s very destructive. It’s not the type of sexual activity that would lead to an unending stream of protoplasm. Quite on the contrary, it would be a type of sexual activity which said ‘The unending stream of protoplasm must now end,’ which is to say homosexuality, other misconducts. And we’d find him over on the physical universe side of the ledger over here. And he would be very involved with rocks and solid masses of various things. He’s really left the biological line.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 22, 1954
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“The VIP Party was a huge success, Governor, Lord Mayor and all. Div VI must receive full cooperation on set ups and drills, however. We are at our best in Billing and Drilling. It’s been an awful long time since I heard the rush and pound of feet getting a drill drilled. Guest drill is just another drill. The Supercargo is reponsible for having a well drilled ship. The smartest ships ever were the heavily drilled Enchanter, Avon River and the pre-Melilla RSM! So WE DRILL 1700 to 1800 DAILY HEREAFTER, at sea or in port Supercargo and Ship LRH Comm Take note please.” — The Commodore, April 22, 1970
“Can there be more than one reincarnated or returnee LRH on Earth? Can there be several returnee LRHs on Earth and other returnee LRHs in other planets? Apparently yes, according to what LRH said in this taped lecture series, History of Man or Time Track of Theta tapes and in his books. In them LRH explains how it has been found that several theta lines merge to become one and later separate, how they become one individuality and later choose to become several. Also, in another taped lecture, LRH explains how thetans have three stages of track: the early track with thetans as spheres of light, next track as war of universes, and the final track with thetans trapped in meat bodies. In another line, there are accounts of ETs performing ‘soul merging’ operations with electronics means to merge an ‘out of body’ identity or thetan, with the thetan of another person with a body. This being described by abductee Dan Burisch. I say this to explain why we should not discard the Freezone story of Capt Bill Robertson stating that LRH at the moment of his death assumed the identity of Galactic Patrol Commander L Ron L. Ray and why we can also have the case of finding reincarnated or returnee LRHs on Earth, and even find LRH on the next Galaxy, Andromeda, where he said he would go after death.”
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1997: The New York Review of Books contains an article on Scientology and Germany. “The church’s propagandists point to a teacher in Lower Saxony who was allegedly dismissed because of her association and beliefs. Not quite. The teacher was transferred five times because she kept hawking material about ‘cleansing courses’ and Scientology brochures in the school. In other words, she had run afoul of well-established rules against merchandising and proselytizing of any kind — rules even a liberal American school board would enforce. In the end, the teacher was not fired, but removed from the classroom and given an office job in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture. There is no symmetry of political power between the Church of Scientology and the Federal Republic of Germany. One is rich, nasty, and vengeful — but still only a cult, whose leaders go to prison when found guilty of a crime. The other is a democratic nation of 80 million, respectable and respected, armed with all the power at the disposal of a state. If Scientology, or some other cult, illegally takes money from the faithful, terrorizes defectors, or breaks into government buildings, let the laws that protect the citizen and the state come into play. Let’s indict and convict, but let’s not smear and vilify those we despise, for those are tactics unworthy of a liberal polity.”
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“At least two thirds of the people who showed up on the top five anti-Scientology vids on YouTube from 2008-2010 representing themselves as Scientologists were in fact FAKE. And I was usually the person who busted them.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Preliminary hearing set for May 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial scheduled for May 20 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Pretrial conference set for Apr 29.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 30, Judge Kleifield granted Scientology’s motions to compel arbitration. June 7: Status conference.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 24.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Even a pandemic can’t stop Scientology from tracking you down, apostate!
[TWO years ago] Where is Scientology dying most Ideally? Could it be our neighbor to the north?
[THREE years ago] Everything — even Scientology — is up to date in Kansas City, and here’s who’s responsible!
[FOUR years ago] Scientology denied twice in wrongful death lawsuit as parents grieve for Tabatha Fauteux
[FIVE years ago] Another depressing piece of evidence that Scientology advocates splitting apart families
[SIX years ago] Scientology: Making fools of your local elected lunkheads since 1952
[SEVEN years ago] The Garcias take one more shot at Scientology before their fraud suit will live or die
[EIGHT years ago] GARCIAS RESPOND TO SCIENTOLOGY: YOU’RE A BIG RIPOFF
[NINE years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: Jake and Elwood Want Your Cash!
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,279 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,783 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,303 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,323 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,214 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,521 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,389 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,163 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,493 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,967 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,283 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,849 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,768 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,936 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,517 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,778 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,816 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,529 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,054 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 409 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,584 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,135 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,284 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,604 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,459 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,578 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,934 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,237 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,343 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,745 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,617 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,200 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,695 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,949 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,058 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 22, 2021 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
April 21, 2021
Q patriots treat verdict as a joke because they think Floyd still alive or Chauvin is an ‘actor’
Some links to Q-related items today…
Q patriots either figure George Floyd faked his death or the guy in the trial is an actor playing Derek Chauvin, so the guilty verdict was mostly a joke.
Pillow guy’s new platform is giving patriots pause.
Multiple QAnon influencers have spoken critically of Frank, the new social media platform from Mike Lindell that has been having technical problems, with some even suggesting the platform is a "honeypot." pic.twitter.com/Z1wGQVXGAp
— Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) April 20, 2021
Another bizarre response to the Chauvin verdict.
"Hey Gander, how's QAnon handling it?"
Well, it starts here and runs all the way to race war. pic.twitter.com/bxo5FBKcia
— Feminist Proper Gander (@dappergander) April 20, 2021
“Literally everything has gone wrong.”
/pol/ is in in full meltdown mode pic.twitter.com/fGZE0fczLc
— Right Wing Cope (@RightWingCope) April 21, 2021
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent recent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
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THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you’re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 21, 2021 at 8:30
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology, No. 2: Monique Yingling
[NOTE: Don’t miss yesterday afternoon’s breaking news about the Danny Masterson case.]
We’re now at the point in our countdown when we reach the non-Scientologists who Scientology leader David Miscavige relies on the most to keep him out of trouble.
One of Dave’s problems is that the media keeps wanting to ask him difficult questions. For a short time, Dave experimented with trying to manhandle the press. From about 2006 to 2011 he trotted out young upstart Tommy Davis to be an aggressive spokesperson, thinking for some reason that trying to get tough with reporters was a smart way to deal with controversy.
As our readers know well, that strategy backfired badly. Tommy’s antics, whether it was walking out of an interview with ABC’s Martin Bashir, getting into a shouting match with the BBC’s John Sweeney, lying like a rug to CNN’s John Roberts, or underestimating local reporter Nathan Baca, made the church look even more unhinged and clownish. The final straw was Lawrence Wright burying Tommy in his 2011 New Yorker feature, “The Apostate,” which cost Tommy his job.
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});So what did Miscavige do when the press kept coming with tough questions? Rather than send out another Sea Org cadet on a suicide mission, he trotted out his most trusted personal attorney: DC tax lawyer Monique Yingling.
It makes no sense, of course, that a multi-billion dollar international organization like Scientology can’t produce a single actual member of the church to sit in front of a camera and answer media questions. But after Tommy’s multiple debacles, Miscavige apparently believes he has no other option
Monique’s performances in the hot seat have been legendary. Her excessive blinking, offering baked goods to reporters, and describing Scientology’s secretive Int Base as a “worker’s paradise” all played out on national television, and our readers had a field day with it at the time.
After her 20/20 performance in 2016, we noted what a lucrative gig it has been for Monique to represent David Miscavige.
Monique’s history with Miscavige goes way back, and her husband, attorney Gerald Feffer, was a major figure for Scientology before he died in 2013. Mike Rinder has described what an influence peddler Feffer was in Washington DC, and helped guide Miscavige and Scientology through the tax exemption process with the IRS in the 1990s. That’s why, to this day, Dave’s most trusted personal legal advisor is a DC tax lawyer.
And while Monique’s forays on national television have made for good theater, don’t forget that she’s been quite willing to do Dave’s dirty work behind the scenes. Perhaps none dirtier than when she was sent out to handle Mike Rinder after he had defected from Scientology. Mike has told this story in detail, but what’s heartbreaking about it is that Yingling was sent out to Denver to see him, where he was living for a while, and kept from him the news that his son, Benjamin, had been diagnosed with cancer. Rinder charges that Yingling later lied about it to the Tampa Bay Times, saying that she informed him about it and Rinder didn’t want to see his son anyway.
It’s a vile, vile accusation, and shows the lengths Yingling will go.
Also, keep in mind, when Monique is sent in on a case, you know it generally means that Miscavige is freaking out or hopping mad.
That was certainly the case the one time we’ve been in her presence, when she showed up to join the scrum of attorneys Scientology brought to a small county courthouse in Texas for the Monique Rathbun lawsuit. The Rathbuns were trying to get Miscavige into a witness chair, and nothing causes more panic in the church.
Dave knows that when things get really hot for him personally, he can always turn to Yingling for help.
Honorable mention: When Monique is called in on an issue, it’s often in concert with Eric Lieberman, another expensive attorney that David Miscavige throws at his biggest problems.
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology
2: Monique Yingling
4: The LAPD
5: The dirty tricks private eyes
6: The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
7: The litigators
8: The ghost private eyes
9: The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office
10: Political shills
11: Gary Soter
12: The city of Clearwater, Florida
13: Google and other tech titans
14: The Los Angeles Times
15: Jeffrey Riffer
16: James Packer
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});17: Louis Farrakhan
18: Mark “Marty” Rathbun
19: Wally Pope
20: Gensler
21: Parents who subscribe to ABCMouse
22: Graham Norton and other celebrity strokers
23: The apologist academics
24: Rebecca Dobkin and other low-level PI grunts
25: DirecTV and filmmakers buffing Dave’s channel
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“The road into this universe is successive unawarenesses. And the road out is successive awarenesses. But not just bare-breasting your chest to the whole universe. No, you have to find out why the individual didn’t want to be aware at those points, and he didn’t want to be aware because he solved it. Well, what’s this solution? Well, that was yesterday’s problem. Yesterday’s solution, problem, solution, problem, solution — they’re all the same line of cat. He got himself into trouble by solving himself into trouble. And when he has solved himself all the way into trouble totally, he’s here, and he’s the fireman down in the stokehold. And therefore there are no lower levels of subconscious for you to explore; there are only upper levels of awareness.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 21, 1964
“We’re having a VIP function aboard at 1900 tonight. The Mayor, Harbour Master, news photographers and approx 20 others are invited. Just like crew became so expert at handling in February. Everyone’s agreement and assistance will be much appreciated.” — Lt. Barry Watson, Pub Exec Officer, April 21, 1970
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“John McMaster failed to see that in this planet (a floating insane asylim) most of the population is PTS to a very few SPs, and upstat people are fairgamed continually. Protectors of the Earth are continually shot to death (R2-45) and innocent children are put into pedophile rings where they are raped and murdered. On the contrary, the ethics system at the Flagship Apollo rewarded hard working and effective people and punished down statistics and SPs with fairgame, R2-45 and chain locker punishments. LRH had the viewpoint and task to create an empire. John McMaster didn’t. Are you starting to get a clue yet?”
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1996: David Mayo, author of Scientology’s NOTs levels, won his appeal in District Court this week. Judge A. Wallace Tashima also criticized Scientology heavily for its litigation tactics, intended to harass and destroy rather than win the case. The ruling quotes Judge Ideman, who has since recused himself. “This noncompliance has consisted of evasions, misrepresentations, broken promises and lies, but ultimately with refusal. As part of this scheme to not comply, the plaintiffs have undertaken a massive campaign of filing every conceivable motion (and some inconceivable) to disguise the true issue in these pretrial proceedings. Apparently viewing litigation as war, plaintiffs by this tactic have had the effect of massively increasing the costs to the other parties, and, for a while, to the Court. The appointment of the Special Master 4 years ago has considerably relieved the burden to this Court. The scope of plaintiff’s efforts have to be seen. to be believed. (See Exhibit ‘A’, photo of clerk with filings, and Exhibit ‘B’, copy of clerk’s docket with 81 pages and 1,737 filings.) Yet it is all puffery — motions without merit or substance.”
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“Most people have never heard of the guy who invented the mouse. But a lot of them have heard of L Ron Hubbard. This is why I drink.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Discovery hearing on April 20, prelim set for May 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial scheduled for May 20 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Pretrial conference set for Apr 29.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 30, Judge Kleifield granted Scientology’s motions to compel arbitration. June 7: Status conference.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 24.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] City of Inglewood: Brian Statler shouldn’t have resisted arrest and forced us to shoot him dead
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s mad real estate splurge has real consequences for its indentured workers
[THREE years ago] Hana Whitfield’s book excerpt: L. Ron Hubbard’s amidships meltdown over ‘Xemu’ and OT 3
[FOUR years ago] Bunker reader Dee Findlay stole the show as Clearwater stood up to Scientology last night
[FIVE years ago] How Lisa Marie Presley became Scientology leader David Miscavige’s worst nightmare
[SIX years ago] Marc Headley reveals the embarrassing technological secrets of Scientology
[SEVEN years ago] Convicted of fraud by France’s highest court, Scientology still pursues creative appeals
[EIGHT years ago] Sunday Funnies: The United States of Scientology
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,278 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,782 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,302 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,322 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,213 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,520 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,388 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,162 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,492 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,966 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,282 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,848 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,767 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,935 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,516 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,777 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,815 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,528 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,053 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 408 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,583 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,134 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,283 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,603 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,458 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,577 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,933 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,236 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,342 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,744 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,616 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,199 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,694 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,948 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,057 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 21, 2021 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
April 20, 2021
MASTERSON DENIED: Court says his request for more time struck down, prelim still May 18
We just heard from Los Angeles Superior Court media relations that Scientology celeb Danny Masterson’s request for months more time to prepare for his upcoming preliminary hearing was denied this morning. The all-important “prelim” is still scheduled for May 18.
As we explained earlier, the preliminary hearing is so important because it will be the first time when Masterson’s rape accusers will be in the courtroom to give testimony about their allegations, and while Masterson’s defense attorney Tom Mesereau will be able to cross-examine them, he will only have a limited ability to present a counter case.
TMZ reported this morning that in his motion for more time Masterson accused the LAPD of being in some kind of conspiracy with Leah Remini against him, but Masterson and his attorneys have been blaming Remini for four years, and Judge Charlaine Olmedo was apparently not impressed.
Masterson will now have less than a month to prepare for the prelim, which is also very bad news for Scientology, as we explained in our earlier story…
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Scientology fights every step of the way, but only about legal matters, in order to prevent live testimony from happening. Because, as Mike Rinder and others have pointed out, Scientology knows it can’t allow sworn testimony in a public setting about what it does to its own people. The facts themselves are so awful, they know what effect that testimony will have.
And in this case, we expect testimony not only to be about allegations that Masterson violently raped three women, but that because all three of those women were Scientologists when these incidents occurred, they were pressured by the church to keep their mouths shut.
That pressure on Masterson and Scientology to prevent live testimony just got ratcheted up a lot higher.
Now, what we’ll be looking for is whether Masterson can appeal this ruling and in that way delay the prelim. We’ll let you know if we find out anything about that.
And we’re just trying to be helpful here: To the Daily Mail, it has been confirmed multiple times by both sides in their court filings that the three women Danny Masterson is accused of raping are the same three former Scientologists who sued him in civil court: Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, Jane Doe #1, and Jane Doe #2. And you can see from our previous reporting that there is actually a lot known about each of their cases. (In our earlier reporting, we referred to them as Victims A, B, and C, respectively.)
SOME OF OUR PAST REPORTING ON THE MASTERSON CASE
March 3, 2017: LAPD probing Scientology and Danny Masterson for multiple rapes, cover-up
March 8, 2017: Danny Masterson: Victim C gets support from a veteran actress
March 11, 2017: Scientology made Danny Masterson’s Victim B search past lives to explain being raped
May 9, 2017: Masterson hires Michael Jackson criminal defense attorney Tom Mesereau in rape probe
Nov 2, 2017: Read the threatening letter Danny Masterson’s attorney Marty Singer sent a victim’s husband
Nov 26, 2017: EXCLUSIVE: Scientology interrogated Danny Masterson and accuser, didn’t notify LAPD
Feb 14, 2018: PROSECUTORS PREPARE CHARGES CARRYING LIFE SENTENCE FOR DANNY MASTERSON
July 8, 2018: Masterson witness fears for safety as investigation drags on and on
Nov 30, 2018: LEAH REMINI: Los Angeles DA Jackie Lacey, do your job already
Aug 14, 2019: RAPE ACCUSERS SUE DANNY MASTERSON, CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY, AND ITS LEADER
Jan 22, 2020: Cedric Bixler-Zavala blames Scientology for poisoned dog he had to put down yesterday
Feb 3, 2020: Here’s Scientology actor Danny Masterson’s legal response to his rape accusers
Feb 10, 2020: Another dog poisoned: Bobette Riales says harassment worse since suing Scientology
Feb 26, 2020: SEVENTH victim comes forward to LAPD accusing Scientology actor Danny Masterson
Feb 29, 2020: Amended complaint filed against Danny Masterson with new stalking allegations
March 14, 2020: Danny Masterson’s victims speak out in sworn documents in lawsuit against Scientology
Masterson: Drop me from Scientology lawsuit if the ‘Jane Does’ won’t name themselves
June 17, 2020: SCIENTOLOGY CELEB DANNY MASTERSON CHARGED ON MULTIPLE RAPE ALLEGATIONS
June 19, 2020: Records show that Danny Masterson is a woeful Scientologist — would he turn on the church?
June 23: 2020: The key thing about Danny Masterson’s ‘DJ Donkey Punch’ nick is why he stopped using it
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Sept 30, 2020: Could Danny Masterson’s odd legal fight over his Hollywood house endanger his freedom?
Oct 11, 2020: Danny Masterson asks to halt civil lawsuit while criminal case is ongoing, as expected
Oct 12, 2020: Bijou Phillips on her husband Danny Masterson: A macho ‘Strong Island’ guy
Oct 16, 2020: Danny Masterson ‘accidentally’ outs Jane Doe accuser after judge told him not to
Nov 19, 2020: Danny Masterson takes another expensive and futile swipe at his criminal charges
Dec 1, 2020: If the feds are sniffing around, they might look at Danny Masterson’s besties
Dec 4, 2020: WHOA! Scientology to Judge Kleifield: Wrecking human lives IS our ‘commerce’
Dec 18, 2020: Jane Doe #1’s own attorneys flubbed and ID’d her and her IP address in court documents
Dec 24, 2020: Letter shows Scientology gave Jane Doe #1 permission to sue Danny Masterson in 2004
Dec 31, 2020: MASTERSON ACCUSERS DENIED RIGHT TO TRIAL, FORCED TO ‘RELIGIOUS ARBITRATION’
Jan 2, 2021: Worst part in the Scientology ‘arbitration’ ruling? Danny Masterson can participate.
Feb 11, 2021: Gretchen Carlson slams Danny Masterson and Scientology ‘arbitration’ to Congress
Feb 24, 2021: MASTERSON ACCUSERS PETITION APPELLATE COURT: Seeking to overturn ‘arbitration’ ruling
Mar 9, 2021: PETITION DENIED: Danny Masterson accusers can’t skip Scientology arbitration, court says
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Mar 23, 2021: Danny Masterson accusers take Scientology ‘arbitration’ to California Supreme Court
——————–
“Well now look, Mary Sue has been working very, very hard to make an OT out of me and been working at it and working at it and she didn’t make the grade. I wanted to get OT today so I could give you some nice weather. And I just didn’t make it, I’m sorry. I only got thirteen banks back and got stuck, you know.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 20, 1963
——————–
“PARTY: Barry, Cathy and Liz did a good job on the party. Decorations were by the Middies, Claire, Terri, Suzette, Ann and Janis. Barry gave out dancing prizes. For such courage above and beyond the line of duty, he was himself decorated. Well done to Div VI.” — The Commodore, April 20, 1970
——————–
“North Korean leader Kim Jong Un detonates hydrogen bombs near a dangerous volcano, dramatizing clearly OT section 3 scenarios that could affect directly China, South Korea, and Japan. Meanwhile independent Scientology PCs happily promote avoiding and discarding auditing on OT III because it is ‘unreal’: ‘I’m auditing the OT levels and I am very happy that my Case Supervisor skipped OT III at my request,’ one of these independent PCs offered as a success story. As an auditor trained in objective processing, I can say that avoiding one of the most important steps in the OT levels is going to create an inability and an unhandled void in the person’s case. And this in the face of a world where OT III scenarios are putting the world in danger. A quick solution could be warning ‘OT III is fantasy’ PCs that avoiding the step is going to put this society at risk and they, the PC, unable to handle this OT III society, OT III radiation on the planet and Kim Jong Un OT III dramatizations of global war and nuclear holocaust.”
1995: Bob Penny distributed a description of the tactics and internal logic of Scientology customs and practices, including excellent descriptions of the internal justice system. “The wonder is that I wasted 13 years of my life and more than $100,000 before learning to handle the false loyalties and other tricks in which I was enmeshed for so long. Clearly, something was going on that my basic ‘street education’ had not prepared me to deal with. Rationalizations such as, ‘it’s the best thing we’ve got,’ and ‘at least it’s moving in the right direction’ (neither of which is true) helped perpetuate the stasis. Even afterwards, it was hard to avoid rationalizations like ‘but I learned a lot,’ or ‘the organization sucks but the tech is good’ which were attempts to minimize and not really face the harm which had occurred and from which I had yet to recover. The habits of self-censorship, loaded language, avoidance of contrary data, and other thought-stopping mechanisms took a long time to go away if, indeed, they are gone even now…. Scientology was not a beneficial experience for me. I avoid the word fraud because it connotes a deliberate and knowing deception which is rare among the misled, but I do believe the organizations practices are based on fraud. The ‘tech’ is certainly fraudulent. But as regards most individual Scientologists, I suggest instead the word trip, in the sense of a self-justifying system of thought which, once entered, leads only into itself.”
——————–
“Human nature isn’t that complex. If you strip away the unnatural veneer of civilization, what are you left with? Spend some time on the street and tell me human nature is complex. Human egotism is infinite is more like it.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Discovery hearing on April 20, prelim set for May 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial scheduled for May 20 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Pretrial conference set for Apr 29.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 30, Judge Kleifield granted Scientology’s motions to compel arbitration. June 7: Status conference.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 24.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
——————–
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Tom Cruise on InTouch cover: Another completely oversold Scientology clip job
[TWO years ago] Bull baiting and so much worse: Margery Wakefield on surviving Scientology
[THREE years ago] Joy Villa’s Scientologist husband shamed into dropping elephant skin bags from luxury line
[FOUR years ago] As Clearwater votes, here’s a reminder of how L. Ron Hubbard had Scientology invade Florida
[FIVE years ago] Disconnection, Miscavige style: How Scientology’s most powerful family came apart
[SIX years ago] See the message a Scientologist sends to disconnect from a best friend, forever
[SEVEN years ago] Easter Sunday Funnies: David Miscavige has risen, & Scientology has more money than ever!
[EIGHT years ago] African Queen: The Man L. Ron Hubbard Thought He Was
[NINE years ago] David Edgar Love: “I Think I Have Scientology By The Balls”
[TEN years ago] When Scientologists Attack!
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,277 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,781 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,301 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,321 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,212 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,519 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,387 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,161 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,491 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,965 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,281 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,847 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,766 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,934 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,515 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,776 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,814 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,527 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,052 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 407 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,582 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,133 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,282 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,602 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,457 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,576 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,932 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,235 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,341 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,743 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,615 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,198 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,693 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,947 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,056 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 20, 2021 at 15:35
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
Relax, patriots: Med beds will cure your sentient-fibers Morgellons infestation
Some links to Q-related items today…
Fortunately, your med bed will handle your Morgellons infestation.
Frank is here?
Mike Lindell's platform FRANK crashed at launch this morning due to "a massive attack". Instead Lindell is doing a 48hr livestream.
So far we've seen:
•Mike Flynn spouting QAnon slogans
•A caller pretending to be Trump
•Bannon looking like Draculahttps://t.co/UeCV8wx6Ge
— David Gilbert (@daithaigilbert) April 19, 2021
Real-life consequences.
A French QAnon gang pretended to be child welfare officers & abducted an 8-year-old girl. The gang was planning other child kidnappings.
The incident highlights the "transnational violent extremist dimension of the QAnon movement,” @_MAArgentino says.https://t.co/fYTCXfmzFi
— David Gilbert (@daithaigilbert) April 19, 2021
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent recent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
————-
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you’re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 20, 2021 at 8:10
Scientology is always coming up with sneaky new ways to snag actors and other artists
It’s not easy keeping up with all of Scientology’s sneaky front groups, especially when they change names or reconstitute themselves.
We want to thank the tipster who noticed this mailer from the church, which describes a new consultancy, “EMA Artists USA” which has clearly emerged from previous front groups. The “EMA” stands for “Effective Management Association” and its website is chock full of L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology references. We noticed lots of familiar names: Pat Clouden, Arte Maren, and David Brier. (Yo, baby!)
The flyer promotes “The Artist Consultant,” which is the nom de guerre of Scientologist Alex Edwards.
Our tipster couldn’t help noticing that in the fine print EMA Artists USA says outright that it “started as an affiliation of WISE members.” (The World Institute of Scientology Enterprises is one of Scientology’s longest-running front operations and targets various businesses with its management consultants.)
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Alex is also being touted for having “consulted working actors on Saturday Night Live, Pretty Little Liars, and Roswell.”
Just a few weeks ago that reference might have mystified us, but now, of course, we know exactly who he’s referring to.
And best of all, you might remember Alex from a previous appearance when his wife, Mara Jesse Edwards, advertised for a thetan to jump into their new baby!
“We will not be vaccinating.”
Good to know!
——————–
Leah Remini podcast: Dr. John Dehlin of Mormon Stories
Says Mike: “This week Leah and I venture into the world of Mormonism with Dr. John Dehlin. I recently appeared on his long-running and very popular podcast, Mormon Stories, and we are now welcoming him to ours. He is not just a podcaster, he is a non-profit CEO, activist, public speaker, and religious transitions coach. He advocates for the rights of skeptics in Mormonism, LGBT rights, equality for women, and other individual views outside mainstream Mormonism.” Listen to the podcast right here!
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Procedural hearing in Danny Masterson case today
We’ve signed up to listen in online during today’s scheduled hearing in the criminal case of Scientology celeb Danny Masterson. We expect that his defense team has filed motions about what evidence they’re entitled to ahead of a May 18 preliminary hearing, and other matters may be discussed. (We don’t expect Masterson to be present for it.)
Last time, however, Judge Charlaine Olmedo said she wasn’t going to allow remote listening because of past abuses of the system, so we may not get to hear the proceeding. If that’s the case, we’ll do our best to let you know what took place.
Our primary interest is to learn if the prelim itself is going to be moved back from its May 18 date. Judge Olmedo had previously sounded very adamant that she wasn’t going to put up with delaying tactics, but we have a feeling that she’ll have to budge on this one. The prelim, as we’ve explained, is such a crucial event, and we have a feeling Danny will be asking for a lot more time to prepare for it.
——————–
“Well now look, Mary Sue has been working very, very hard to make an OT out of me and been working at it and working at it and she didn’t make the grade. I wanted to get OT today so I could give you some nice weather. And I just didn’t make it, I’m sorry. I only got thirteen banks back and got stuck, you know.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 20, 1963
——————–
“PARTY: Barry, Cathy and Liz did a good job on the party. Decorations were by the Middies, Claire, Terri, Suzette, Ann and Janis. Barry gave out dancing prizes. For such courage above and beyond the line of duty, he was himself decorated. Well done to Div VI.” — The Commodore, April 20, 1970
——————–
“North Korean leader Kim Jong Un detonates hydrogen bombs near a dangerous volcano, dramatizing clearly OT section 3 scenarios that could affect directly China, South Korea, and Japan. Meanwhile independent Scientology PCs happily promote avoiding and discarding auditing on OT III because it is ‘unreal’: ‘I’m auditing the OT levels and I am very happy that my Case Supervisor skipped OT III at my request,’ one of these independent PCs offered as a success story. As an auditor trained in objective processing, I can say that avoiding one of the most important steps in the OT levels is going to create an inability and an unhandled void in the person’s case. And this in the face of a world where OT III scenarios are putting the world in danger. A quick solution could be warning ‘OT III is fantasy’ PCs that avoiding the step is going to put this society at risk and they, the PC, unable to handle this OT III society, OT III radiation on the planet and Kim Jong Un OT III dramatizations of global war and nuclear holocaust.”
——————–
1995: Bob Penny distributed a description of the tactics and internal logic of Scientology customs and practices, including excellent descriptions of the internal justice system. “The wonder is that I wasted 13 years of my life and more than $100,000 before learning to handle the false loyalties and other tricks in which I was enmeshed for so long. Clearly, something was going on that my basic ‘street education’ had not prepared me to deal with. Rationalizations such as, ‘it’s the best thing we’ve got,’ and ‘at least it’s moving in the right direction’ (neither of which is true) helped perpetuate the stasis. Even afterwards, it was hard to avoid rationalizations like ‘but I learned a lot,’ or ‘the organization sucks but the tech is good’ which were attempts to minimize and not really face the harm which had occurred and from which I had yet to recover. The habits of self-censorship, loaded language, avoidance of contrary data, and other thought-stopping mechanisms took a long time to go away if, indeed, they are gone even now…. Scientology was not a beneficial experience for me. I avoid the word fraud because it connotes a deliberate and knowing deception which is rare among the misled, but I do believe the organizations practices are based on fraud. The ‘tech’ is certainly fraudulent. But as regards most individual Scientologists, I suggest instead the word trip, in the sense of a self-justifying system of thought which, once entered, leads only into itself.”
——————–
“Human nature isn’t that complex. If you strip away the unnatural veneer of civilization, what are you left with? Spend some time on the street and tell me human nature is complex. Human egotism is infinite is more like it.”
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Discovery hearing on April 20, prelim set for May 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial scheduled for May 20 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Pretrial conference set for Apr 29.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 30, Judge Kleifield granted Scientology’s motions to compel arbitration. June 7: Status conference.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 24.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
——————–
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Tom Cruise on InTouch cover: Another completely oversold Scientology clip job
[TWO years ago] Bull baiting and so much worse: Margery Wakefield on surviving Scientology
[THREE years ago] Joy Villa’s Scientologist husband shamed into dropping elephant skin bags from luxury line
[FOUR years ago] As Clearwater votes, here’s a reminder of how L. Ron Hubbard had Scientology invade Florida
[FIVE years ago] Disconnection, Miscavige style: How Scientology’s most powerful family came apart
[SIX years ago] See the message a Scientologist sends to disconnect from a best friend, forever
[SEVEN years ago] Easter Sunday Funnies: David Miscavige has risen, & Scientology has more money than ever!
[EIGHT years ago] African Queen: The Man L. Ron Hubbard Thought He Was
[NINE years ago] David Edgar Love: “I Think I Have Scientology By The Balls”
[TEN years ago] When Scientologists Attack!
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,277 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,781 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,301 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,321 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,212 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,519 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,387 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,161 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,491 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,965 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,281 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,847 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,766 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,934 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,515 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,776 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,814 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,527 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,052 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 407 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,582 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,133 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,282 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,602 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,457 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,576 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,932 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,235 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,341 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,743 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,615 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,198 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,693 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,947 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,056 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 20, 2021 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
April 19, 2021
Q patriots root for mayhem in the streets because it fits the conspiracy
Some links to Q-related items today…
“Happy days are here again.”
The end game of QAnon.
This is the end game of QAnon. The claim they never called for violence was always based on the idea that Trump/Q would one day get around to rounding up/executing their enemies. Now that they have failed others will need to “Save The Children” and make sure “God Wins”. https://t.co/ViDTVJd1hi
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) April 18, 2021
That Anglo-Saxon flex really backfired.
Now Republican Paul Gosar is distancing himself from the 'America First Caucus', claiming he "did not author" the document about Anglo-Saxon traditions and only became aware of it after it was reported by the news media. https://t.co/IXGRnOw3XX
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 18, 2021
More real-life consequences.
Here in the U.S. we already know of one QAnon-connected kidnapping plot. According to recent reporting there is a similar case in France. In the French case, however, the suspects were able to actually follow through with their plot.https://t.co/TeInCENqdr pic.twitter.com/sxHKELrwWw
— Travis View (@travis_view) April 19, 2021
Brother Flynn protests too much.
General Flynn's younger brother weighs in on #QIntoTheStorm.
Who exactly is he calling psycho freaks? https://t.co/JiQ7ag0gyZ
— Cullen (@CullenHoback) April 19, 2021
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent recent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
————-
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you’re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 19, 2021 at 8:00
Fun new leak: The current Scientology staff application and contract
Over the many years we’ve been at this pursuit, we’ve posted numerous examples of Scientology price lists, life histories, employee contracts and other internal forms. But it’s always nice to get the latest versions to see what Scientologists today are filling out and swearing to.
So we want to thank the reader who shared with us an email from a Scientology recruiter that contained a couple of links. They led us to a couple of fancy fillable online documents which we’ve screenshotted for your pleasure.
The first is the lengthy application required of someone hoping to get on staff at the Chicago Ideal Org, which hasn’t even opened up yet!
And the second is a religious commitment, with all sorts of stuff that a prospective employee has to swear to as they become an indentured servant to Scientology leader David Miscavige.
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});We can’t wait to see your reactions to this stuff. Oldtimers can tell us how similar or different it is to what they had to fill out years ago, and of course we can’t wait to see how you would answer some of these probing questions.
OK, first up, here’s that lengthy Chicago application…
Whew, that’s a lot of info they want.
OK, so the next step is to pledge your everloving thetan to the litigation machine that is the Church of Scientology. Prepare to sign your eternity away!
——————–
“I remember training generals in Egypt. It was difficult. You say, ‘When fighting Numidians, you inevitably and invariably make very certain that your flanks are secure, because the Numidian — because of horses and that sort of thing — can very easily collapse your flanks. So one of the first things you do in fighting Numidians is make sure that both flanks are very secure. And the best way to do this is to put one flank against the seacoast. You see? And the other flank against a wadi. You see, that’s the best way to do that. No general you ever taught ever fought any Numidians on the seacoast. You see, you run into these small difficulties in training. That’s typical of Earth.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 19, 1962
“The Ponies are to be made operational for use in All Hands Evolutions. Lafayettes are not to be used due to their long range per LRH order.” — Lt. Cmdr Diana Hubbard, CS-1, April 19, 1969
——————–
“Having an underground bunker in ‘Trementina’ is a good start for trouble between North Korea and the USA. It is said it has connection to Los Alamos and other USA underground bases.”
——————–
2002: In a hearing in Clearwater, Florida this week, Bob Minton recanted some of the testimony he had given in previous depositions. He claims that Ken Dandar, attorney for the Lisa McPherson estate, asked him to lie under oath to keep certain events secret. As a result of the hearing, contempt of court charges against Bob Minton were withdrawn. Scientology has moved to remove Ken Dandar from the case based on the admissions. “A. I caused two checks, one in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars to be issued to Ken Dandar and around May of 2001 and an additional check for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars issued to Mr. Dandar in early March of this year. These were checks that were issued by Union Bank of Switzerland. Sometime in Springish of 2001, Mr. Dandar said he needed money to continue with the case and bring the case to trial and he requested that I get him some money. And he said that he wanted to do this in such a way that it didn’t appear that the money came from me. He mentioned several reasons why he didn’t want it to appear to come from me, that the wrongful death case was getting to be extremely messy because of my financial contributions to the case, and that he did not wish to run this money through his trust account. That he had another means of hiding this money from the Scientologists as well as some of his employees.”
——————–
“Denise is teaching the kids how the barter system works.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Discovery hearing on April 20, prelim set for May 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial scheduled for May 20 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Pretrial conference set for Apr 29.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 30, Judge Kleifield granted Scientology’s motions to compel arbitration. June 7: Status conference.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 24.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
——————–
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology: Earth is a prison planet and the virus just another fake threat. So study LRH!
[TWO years ago] COMING MAY 9: Silvertail Books publishes Chris Owen’s ‘Ron the War Hero’
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s greatest lecture of all: It’s finally time we look closer at Xenu in all his glory
[FOUR years ago] How a recanted John Travolta gay sex allegation led to a bizarre Michael Jackson scoop
[FIVE years ago] Ron Miscavige’s book ‘Ruthless’ gets a UK publisher and it’s a familiar one
[SIX years ago] Another wacky Scientology testimonial video — and an Underground Bunker announcement!
[SEVEN years ago] Is Google aiding a Scientology front group that claims the Holocaust was caused by psychiatry?
[EIGHT years ago] Jason Barclay’s Sea Org Adventure: A Fresh Scientology Escapee Details Abuse
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,276 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,780 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,300 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,320 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,211 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,518 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,386 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,160 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,490 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,964 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,280 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,846 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,765 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,933 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,514 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,775 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,813 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,526 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,051 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 406 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,581 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,132 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,281 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,601 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,456 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,575 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,931 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,234 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,340 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,742 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,614 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,197 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,692 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,946 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,055 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 19, 2021 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
April 18, 2021
Prince Philip’s funeral gives plenty for Q patriots to spin as signs of the coming ‘storm’
Some links to Q-related items today…
It has to be exhausting to be this clueless.
Trust Christopher Wray? Patriots wrestle with it.
Oh, Jesus.
While promoting his upcoming role as a fictionalized version of Tim Ballard of Operation Underground Railroad, a group that has tried very hard to claim it has no QAnon connections! https://t.co/lT69OHmZk1
— Anna Merlan (@annamerlan)
So much for that.
Conspiracy-peddling Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her "America First" caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party. https://t.co/bxTNEMd806
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 17, 2021
More real consequences.
Mother unraveled in depression, QAnon-style conspiracies in months before she killed 3 kids https://t.co/vEsuMxmtST pic.twitter.com/Md9FlJyuQy
— Marc-André Argentino (@_MAArgentino) April 18, 2021
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent recent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
————-
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you’re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 18, 2021 at 8:00
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