Tony Ortega's Blog, page 361
November 2, 2020
Can Danny Masterson’s attorneys delay his arraignment on rape charges again today?
[Danny Masterson’s attorneys, Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum]
Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey filed rape charges against Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on June 16, and here it is November and the That ’70s Show actor still hasn’t been arraigned or entered a plea.
The Covid pandemic is part of the reason things are taking so long, but also Masterson is paying for high-dollar lawyering from legendary criminal defense attorney Tom Mesereau, and so the case has been delayed in unusual ways. The arraignment was first scheduled for September 18, but that morning Mesereau filed a “demurrer” on Masterson’s behalf challenging the legality of the case.
Demurrers are a kind of legal filing and they’re fairly common in civil lawsuits. But we’re still hearing from legal observers who say they’ve never seen a demurrer filed in order to challenge a criminal arraignment. Most likely that’s because most people facing criminal charges don’t have the money to pay for a longshot delaying tactic before they’ve even entered a plea.
The demurrer was filed with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Miguel Espinoza, but it was then denied on October 19 in another courtroom by Judge Eleanor J. Hunter. The arraignment today is scheduled for yet another courtroom at Los Angeles Superior Court, but may move one or more times before the day is done. And at this point, we won’t be surprised if Mesereau finds some other surprise for putting things off yet again. (At the last hearing, attorney Sharon Appelbaum confirmed with Judge Hunter that Masterson would not have to be at this arraignment, and so we don’t expect the actor to be in court today.)
Why keep putting off an arraignment? Well, one of the consequences Masterson faces after being formally arraigned is that the court can put limits on his freedom. His passport may be taken from him, and his movements restricted.
AdvertisementWe pointed out on the day of the last hearing, when his demurrer was denied on October 19, that he had posted a photo from the Grand Tetons in Wyoming the day before at his Instagram account. Last week he posted a snapshot of himself with his wife Bijou Phillips, also from Wyoming. But if he enters a not guilty plea today, his wings may be seriously clipped.
We’re interested in getting those details and we’ll have a correspondent on the scene.
For those new to the case, we’ll provide again a short overview of the allegations and links to our previous coverage:
Masterson is accused of raping three different women between 2001 and 2003 who were each Scientologists at the time. We’ve been reporting on these incidents since we first broke the news that the LAPD was investigating them in 2017, and we have a lot of background on their cases and why things have taken so long to get to this point. Here’s a brief breakdown on the individual cases.
Victim A (Chrissie Carnell Bixler)
[From DA Jackie Lacey’s June 17 press release: “The defendant is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman between January and December 2001, according to the complaint.”] Chrissie Carnell dated Masterson for six years but then broke up with him after, she says, he raped her anally while she was unconscious in 2001. She reported the incident to the church at the time, which encouraged her not to take her allegations to law enforcement. In 2016 she learned for the first time that there were other women who had allegations against Masterson, and so she decided, with two of them, to approach the LAPD. She didn’t plan on making her name public, but when we broke the news of the investigation in March 2017, Masterson’s publicist Jenni Weinman attacked her by name. Most media redacted the name, but a few didn’t, and Chrissie felt at that point that she had no choice but to go public. Since then she’s been outspoken about Masterson and appeared on the final episode of Leah Remini’s A&E series “Scientology and the Aftermath” which is now on Netflic. In August 2019, Chrissie, along with three other victims, filed a civil lawsuit against Masterson and the Church of Scientology over the harassment they say they’ve been through for coming forward. She was also joined as a plaintiff by her husband, rocker Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and the two of them talked to us about the surveillance they’ve been subjected to, which they say has included the death of two of their dogs.
Victim B (‘Jane Doe 1’ in the civil lawsuit)
[Lacey’s press release: “In April 2003, Masterson allegedly raped a 28-year-old woman…”]
Unlike the others, the woman we’re calling Victim B overcame Scientology’s objections and did report her incident to the LAPD at the time. She was a friend of Masterson’s but they were not dating when she attended a party at his house in April 2003. Late that night, she began to feel suspiciously drowsy after a single drink the actor brought her, and he tossed her in his backyard jacuzzi, then carried her up to his upstairs room. In and out of consciousness, she came to and realized that he was raping her. When she tried to push him away, she alleges that he choked her and brandished a firearm. When she complained to the church, it put her through months of bizarre counseling (known as “auditing” in Scientology) asking her to examine her past lives to find what evil things she had done in earlier centuries that would cause her to be a victim in this lifetime. The counseling cost her about $15,000 and was designed to keep her from going to the police, but she defied her “handlers” and went to the LAPD in June 2004. Scientology responded by submitting affidavits from church members calling her a liar, and the police closed the case, telling Victim B that they couldn’t continue it without other victims coming forward. When her case was re-opened in 2016 after Chrissie Carnell Bixler and Victim C came forward, the police department found that the reports from the 2004 investigation had mysteriously disappeared, the Huffington Post’s Yashar Ali reported. After the original LAPD investigation was closed in 2004, a church attorney brought Victim B a hand-written letter of apology from Masterson and asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement so she would never make her allegations public. Under pressure from the church, which threatened to “declare” her unless she complied, she signed the agreement and was paid in the low six figures. Key evidence bolstering Victim B’s case is documentation by her own mother which included correspondence with the church at the time, including her complaints to Scientology leader David Miscavige, proof that he was aware of the allegations and how the church was handling them.
Victim C (‘Jane Doe 2’ in the civil lawsuit)
[Lacey’s press release: “…and sometime between October and December of that year he is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman who he had invited to his Hollywood Hills home.”]
Like Victim B, Victim C was someone who had known Masterson but was not dating him when she accepted his invitation and went to his house in late 2003. She told us what happened in an interview. Key evidence in Victim C’s case is that a veteran actress (we’re not naming her) told us that Victim C recounted these details to her at the time, in 2003, and that the details of her allegations have never changed.
Lacey decided to file charges based on the allegations of these three women, and she’s seeking a penalty of 45 years to life. But in the same press release she said that she was not seeking charges on the allegations of two other women. One of these two women is Bobette Riales, who is among the four women suing Masterson, and her allegations are from 2003. In a charge evaluation worksheet, the DA’s office explains that the fifth woman’s allegations were from 1996 and sound very consistent with the other cases: “Victim-2 and the suspect are acquaintances. Victim-2 alleges the suspect sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions while unconscious, once in his home and subsequently in her home. The alleged offenses are beyond the statute of limitations for prosecution.”
We previously reported that seven women in total came forward to the LAPD, even if Lacey only made reference to five in her press release.
AdvertisementMasterson has maintained his innocence and has called the civil lawsuit a publicity stunt.
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
Apr 27, 2018: Strange days for a woman accusing Danny Masterson of rape — and for her rocker husband
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
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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
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
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
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“I, one time, asked a bunch of mothers why they didn’t shorten the school hours and so forth and make it a little bit easier on the kids and so forth. And they were shocked. And I very carefully cross-questioned them and discovered that uniformly these ladies had no idea whatsoever of their child being educated — that there was any advantage whatsoever in learning how to read or write or do things in school, but boy, you sure had a lot of free time there with no kids underfoot! Now, that’s a brutal statement, but that’s why they put the kids in school; school is a wonderful method. These people, by the way, had children in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth grades. And they were — they were flabbergasted that I would be interested in whether or, what the child was being taught and what good it was doing the child.” — L. Ron Hubbard, November 2, 1953
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“The answer you’re looking for is Incident 2 programming. This planet dodged a future of unimaginable darkness when that Whole Track SP Clinton lost to Trump. It was literally the only chance for a miracle. Now the satanists who have controlled Earth for millennia are totally fucked. Be thankful you are here to witness this event, the liberation of a prison planet.”
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1999: Bob Minton reported that Scientology has been moving against a new organization being organized in Clearwater, Florida, now known as the Lisa McPherson trust. “Bennetta Slaughter, the AMC boss of Lisa McPherson who was in fact THE person most responsible for destroying Lisa, incorporated The Lisa Foundation and The Lisa McPherson Foundation in Florida the day before the incorporation papers filed by Ken Dandar landed at the Secretary of State Office in Florida. It now looks as though the Estate of Lisa McPherson will have to file a lawsuit against Benetta Slaughter to rightfully reclaim its property.”
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“Miscavige became Emperor through the Hubbard-approved Roman rules of ascension, which he achieved by his control of the Praetorian guard of the Sea Org, the CMO. Once becoming Caesar, how could he smash his name into the history books of his hermit kingdom? He can’t add to the ‘tech’ so all that is left for him to do is BUILD BUILD BUILD. It’s all about the ruinous runt’s ego.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing set for October 29 in White Plains, NY delayed to January.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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 at 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] VIDEO LEAK: Late-stage Scientology is even more depressing than we thought
[TWO years ago] Freewinds, part 3: How the cruise ship fits Scientology’s methods of obfuscation and lies
[THREE years ago] Read the threatening letter Danny Masterson’s attorney Marty Singer sent a victim’s husband
[FOUR years ago] What the first trailer for Leah Remini’s Scientology series tells us about her show
[FIVE years ago] Chapter by chapter, the best parts of Leah Remini’s book ‘Troublemaker’
[SIX years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology is finger lickin’ good!
[SEVEN years ago] Jon Atack Answers The Question: How Do Smart People Fall for Scientology?
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology on the High Seas: The Final Dispatches
[NINE years ago] Scientology Leader David Miscavige Fed Gourmet Meals Every Few Hours: Australian TV
[ELEVEN years ago] Proof that Scientology Works!
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,108 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,612 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,132 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,152 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,043 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,350 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,218 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,992 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,796 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,112 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,678 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,597 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,765 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,346 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,607 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,645 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,358 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,883 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,413 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,964 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,113 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,433 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,288 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,407 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,763 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,066 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,172 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,574 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,446 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,029 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,524 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,778 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,887 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on November 2, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
November 1, 2020
Checking in with Scientology social media to see how the world takeover is going
Once again we wish to thank our source who gives us access to Scientology’s various social media feeds that members use to keep each other informed about what’s happening inside the “World’s Coolest Religion” (TM).
We just can’t get enough of these success stories and shaggy dog tales, and judging by the response they usually get from you, you can’t get enough of them easier.
So let’s dig in! Please share with us your observations about the swell things Scientologists are getting up to around the world…
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These friends around Heidi are just fortunate that she doesn’t destroy them all with her OT 8 eyebeams…
My reg figured out how to plunder my savings accounts so I could go OT!
They’re using protocol! Well, in that case, take our money!
Please like our Facebook page…
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Yes, it’s really called the Happiness Rundown. Hubbard could not have left more clues to what he was really doing to these people if he tried.
It’s always fun when they go with the badass approach…
She said, in the most ARC-filled way…
What’s a birthday when you’ve had 76 trillion of them.
Come on, kids. Let’s see how far the college fund holds out.
U now thousands poorer.
We don’t remember someone being celebrated like this for leaving staff. (UPDATE: Kestrel pointed out to us that what they probably mean is that he RE-SIGNED his contract and isn’t going anywhere.)
New nonprofit?
She dried out her space cooties!
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“I hypnotized, one time, the staff of St. Elizabeth’s. Told them they’d heard a good speech and left the stage. They all came around afterwards saying, ‘What a good speech that was you gave!’ That was a mean thing to do. That was certainly backing out of it, wasn’t it? But it was in the early career of Dianetics and I felt very much like backing out of it. I was preceded by someone who told all of them how bad it was over ‘Ron-ward.’ They might afterwards have suspected my knowledge of the mind, but certainly not my knowledge of hypnotism. It’s very easy to hypnotize groups.” — L. Ron Hubbard, November 1, 1956
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“Trump is very OT. He is part of a higher society. He may be being used to help us, but he is not being controlled! A prophet. I think he and Ivanka are from the Pleiadian society, here to fight the reptilians (as strange as it may sound). Regardless, so many have been programmed (brainwashed) into this society that it is difficult for them to wake up. They are still in a dream, but they are waking up! And many are already awake.”
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2001: The National Enquirer reported that Scientology celebrity Tom Cruise plans a Scientology wedding with actress Penelope Cruz. “Beautiful Penelope – who was raised Catholic – has paved the way for a happy marriage by making several trips to the Church of Scientology’s Celebrity Center in Hollywood to take courses at Cruise’s behest. A devout Scientologist, Tom wants to make sure that there won’t be any religious friction between them as there was between him and second wife Nicole Kidman.”
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“If Hubbard hadn’t created Scientology, no one would even remember him.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing set for October 29 in White Plains, NY delayed to January.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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 coming November 1 to 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] Kansas City going Ideal! Scientology’s grand opening is tomorrow — will Dave be there?
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s new survey is a hoot — we’re itching for your answers!
[THREE years ago] Hey, Netflix, why does Scientology actor Danny Masterson still have a job?
[FOUR years ago] Hillary Clinton has considered David Miscavige’s appeals lawyer for the US Supreme Court
[FIVE years ago] Jonny Jacobsen: Reflecting on the first week of Scientology’s criminal trial in Belgium
[SIX years ago] Jon Atack: Are cult members — like those in Scientology — unduly influenced?
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Surprise: An Interview With OTVIIIisGrrr8!
[EIGHT years ago] Nathan Baca: Scientology’s Nevada Drug Rehab Program Is Completely Unregulated
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,107 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,611 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,131 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,151 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,042 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,349 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,217 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,991 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,795 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,111 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,677 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,596 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,764 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,345 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,606 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,644 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,357 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,882 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,412 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,963 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,112 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,432 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,287 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,406 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,762 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,065 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,171 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,573 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,445 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,028 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,523 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,777 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,886 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on November 1, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 31, 2020
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology, No. 10: Political shills
[Ideal shills: Karen Bass, Brad Sherman, and Charlie Rangel]
No US politician has ever paid a price for speaking at a Scientology event like Karen Bass did this summer.
You know the story. Joe Biden was supposedly serious about Los Angeles US Representative Karen Bass as a possible VP candidate when Breitbart pointed out that she had shilled for David Miscavige at a 2010 “Ideal Org” grand opening.
When asked about it, Bass, who was a state senator in 2010, said she spoke at the event for the simple reason that it took place in her district. But we then looked up the old district maps and pointed out that this wasn’t true. She’d crossed over a couple of district boundaries to give her speech extolling L. Ron Hubbard at the LA Ideal Org grand opening. Bass had to correct her statement, and it turned out she hadn’t even written the first one. It was a series of stumbles at exactly the wrong time for her.
Was Biden really thinking about choosing Bass, and was the kerfuffle over her Scientology appearance a factor in his choosing Kamala Harris instead? We’ll probably never know.
(And for the record, Kamala Harris has detractors who say she rudely turned away former Scientologists who came to her with an opportunity to prosecute the church when she was California’s attorney general. But we talked to the person who brought that matter to Harris and read the letter that the AG’s office issued, and it calmly explained that the state AG couldn’t handle what was a federal matter. It wasn’t rude, but we understood why the former Scientologist was unhappy about it. At this point, we haven’t seen any shilling for Scientology from Harris of the sort that Bass engaged in.)
AdvertisementWhile it might have just been a case of political spin, one of the ways Bass made things even worse for herself was trying to claim that in 2010 when she gave her speech the word about Scientology’s abuses hadn’t become public yet, and that since Leah Remini made those abuses more generally known with her A&E series (2016-2019), it was a different matter today.
That was bullshit. Scientology has been exposed time and time again since the 1950s, and there’s simply no excuse for politicians not knowing what a controversial group Scientology is, and that it’s been accused of ripping apart families, forcing young women to have abortions, and extorting people through extreme methods of control for decades.
And yet, Scientology has traditionally found a way to convince politicians to sing its praises. This is no accident. As Rod Keller has explained here many times, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard developed a policy of “safepointing” public officials by feeding them a lot of happy propaganda. The point? Not so much to convince lawmakers to overtly advocate for Scientology, but more importantly to make it less likely that the government launches new investigations of the church’s controversies.
Sadly, politicians on both sides of the aisle have taken the bait time and time again.
On the Republican side, for example, Scientology has counted on former Indiana Congressman Dan Burton to help it lobby for its anti-psychiatry group CCHR.
And as for Democrats, we’re wondering whether Brad Sherman’s shilling for a Washington DC Scientology facility is going to become an issue in his campaign to become the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee after the current chair, Eliot Engel, leaves office in January after being defeated in a primary.
Like Karen Bass, Sherman is running for a highly coveted office, and also like her he stood up to speak at an “Ideal Org” Scientology event. On October 31, 2009 he gave a speech extolling the organization’s work in “human rights” at the grand opening for the new Ideal Org in Washington DC (see photo above).
What a feather in Scientology’s cap to have a friend like Brad Sherman holding the gavel of a powerful committee like Foreign Affairs in Congress, especially when Scientology counts on the US government to chide countries like Germany for cracking down on Miscavige and his abuses.
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology
10: Political shills
11: Gary Soter
12: The city of Clearwater, Florida
13: Google and other tech titans
Advertisement
14: The Los Angeles Times
15: Jeffrey Riffer
16: James Packer
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
——————–
Jon Atack has the tables turned
——————–
“You got a pc who isn’t ARC breaky and you now feel happy about the thing and you can go on auditing and find out what is wrong. This is to get him back into the realm of the living. So you see, that’s a valuable thing to know. If that fails you, well, you’ve always got suicide. You could propose that to the pc. That would solve his problems. ‘R2-45’ by its various . . various other techniques. So don’t think that you just have this one technique to fall back on. Now, that’s a valuable thing to know, that you can probably desensitize the situation . . that is to say, you can resensitize the meter by running the goal.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 31, 1961
——————–
“If we don’t do something in an organized way, Scientology may become… another Religion. World going down, zombies is the end product of this civilization. Will you take it or allow it to happen? Live in a world full of Zombies? Imagine the ideal scene: Thousands working together, thousands of aware thetans like you and me. And they all have one thing in common: A strong conviction they are immortal beings. Those are the ones I want. Aware Thetans. The world is going down fast now. We have been losing all the way. There comes a guy, says: Admin is completely out. Too few get it. Other-intentiondess, a disease worst than COVID-19. As long as I am keyed out I am going to post so You, yes You, see this and Re-cognite! Maybe new people, fresh in mind and mental vigor need to get to know Scientology. At least You can help with that.”
——————–
1998: The St. Petersburg Times reported this week that Scientology has submitted a plan for the Super Power Building to the city of Clearwater. “The Church of Scientology is signaling that its plan for a major expansion in downtown is closer to reality. Church officials said Thursday that they will have a Nov. 21 groundbreaking. They also have taken the significant step of filing a site plan with the city, which lays out the project’s scope and officially sets it in motion.”
——————–
“As Claire pointed out, the whole ‘What is true for you is what you have observed yourself’ is a circular logic conundrum. It should be ‘If something isn’t true for you it’s because you have a M/U.’ I recall reading a paper by Touretzky or Kent that explained how the ‘misunderstood word’ is what everything else in Scientology revolves around. It is the key.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing set for October 29 in White Plains, NY delayed to January.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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 coming November 1 to 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] How ‘The Kominsky Method’ nailed it: Writer Chuck Lorre’s secret Scientology past
[TWO years ago] On sale today: Battlefield Scientology — the best of the Bunker, with Paulette Cooper!
[THREE years ago] Garry Scarff, 1956-2017: A complex figure and dogged researcher
[FOUR years ago] Leah Remini reveals that she’s been stalked during production of her new TV series
[FIVE years ago] Jon Atack: The ‘Axioms’ — L. Ron Hubbard’s attempt to make Scientology sound ‘sciencey’
[SIX years ago] A reminder, this Halloween, that Scientology’s tricks tear families apart
[SEVEN years ago] Honesty in Scientology: Jefferson Hawkins Helps Us With Another Ethical Quandary
[EIGHT years ago] It’s Halloween, and Narconon is Very, Very Afraid
[NINE years ago] Scientology Investigation of South Park the Last Straw for Katie Holmes: Aussie Magazine Report
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,106 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,610 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,130 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,150 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,041 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,348 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,216 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,990 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,794 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,110 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,676 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,595 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,763 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,344 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,605 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,643 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,356 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,881 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,411 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,962 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,111 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,431 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,286 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,405 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,761 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,064 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,170 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,572 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,444 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,027 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,522 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,776 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,885 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 31, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 30, 2020
Riley Keough to outdo Elisabeth Moss for most hypocritical Scientologist?
[Riley Keough and Elisabeth Moss]
Yesterday, Deadline announced that Riley Keough will be joining Dakota Johnson to star in a limited television series based on an upcoming memoir of a woman who escaped the “Children of God” cult.
Johnson will play the Children of God escapee who will team up with her friend, played by Keough, to “investigate and document contemporary cults existing in America today.”
Oh, where do we start.
For the last few years you’ve no doubt seen media outlets wonder how Elisabeth Moss, who grew up in Scientology, could play Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale with a straight face. Having grown up in a totalitarian organization known for forcing young women into abortions and exerting extreme control over its members with psychological indoctrination, Moss’s Emmy-winning turn in the Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel about extreme patriarchy must have required some serious cognitive dissonance on Moss’s part.
At one point, we pointed out how much Moss’s lines in the series resembled the kinds of testimony that Scientology Sea Org members had given to the FBI about the horrific conditions in Scientology’s secretive compounds.
AdvertisementIf Moss heard the questions being raised about her performance, she made it pretty plain that she didn’t care.
Keough is the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and, like Moss, grew up in Scientology, as her mother did. A few years ago we wrote about Lisa Marie’s attempt at a showdown with Scientology leader David Miscavige that took place in October 2014, and that she made it quite plain to the rest of her family that she was through with the church. It had been obvious for a few years that Lisa Marie was pulling away from Scientology, and our sources told us that after her showdown at the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida, she not only left but also pulled out her mother Priscilla and her daughter Riley.
The next year, 2015, Lisa Marie was on the warpath and engineered one of David Miscavige’s biggest public relations debacles, when it was revealed that he was paying private investigators $10,000 a week to follow his own father, Ron Miscavige. Ron also wrote about Lisa Marie’s disaffection in his 2016 book, “Ruthless.”
Since that time, however, Lisa Marie has been through the wringer as her marriage to musician Michael Lockwood turned into a bitter divorce and custody battle.
And in the meantime, we were hearing that Riley had gone back into the church, which appeared to be confirmed last year with Riley’s choice of close Scientologist friends.
Priscilla denied that she’d left the church in a press report, and as for Lisa Marie, it’s hard to know where she stands today.
Then, disaster struck the family as Riley’s younger brother Benjamin Keough ended his own life with a firearm, and in his mother’s Calabasas home on July 12 (fortunately Lisa Marie wasn’t there at the time). He was only 27 years old.
We reported the next day that before he killed himself, Ben had told a close friend that he was struggling with life after Scientology. “Ben had been talking about how fucked up kids get in Scientology,” our source told us.
It was the first thing that came to our minds yesterday when we saw the news that his sister Riley will be playing a character “investigating cults” in America.
In the press release cited by Deadline, Dakota Johnson noted how thrilled she was to be working with Keough. But that’s understandable. They’re longtime close friends, and Dakota at one time dated Danny Masterson’s younger brother Jordan, another lifelong Scientologist.
We sent a note of congratulations to author Bexy Cameron yesterday, whose memoir about growing up in the Children of God will be turned into the TV series. And we asked if one of the groups Riley’s character will end up investigating will resemble Scientology.
We’ll let you know if she gets back to us.
——————–
The Chynna syndrome
Meanwhile, in more useless news from the world of celebrity, we wanted to bring you up to date on the latest from Chynna Phillips and Billy Baldwin.
A couple of weeks ago, we told you that Chynna, the daughter of musician John Phillips and an evangelical Christian in Southern California, had become a YouTuber and oversharer. On Memorial Day, it turned out, Chynna and her husband actor Billy Baldwin had spent the day with Chynna’s half-sister Bijou Phillips, who is married to Danny Masterson. Chynna, Billy, and Bijou recorded a brief YouTube video on Bijou’s back patio at her Santa Ynez home, and we found it relevant because they discussed Danny’s throwback, overbearing style with women. And they did so just days before the lifelong Scientologist actor was charged criminally with raping three women who were Scientologists at the time of their attacks.
We were grateful that Chynna, the oversharer, had provided us a glimpse of how Bijou perceived her husband.
Now, in two more recent videos, Chynna has made more notable admissions.
On Sunday, more than a week after we had featured her in relation to her brother-in-law’s rape case, she posted a 24-minute exposition revealing that she too had been the subject of a sexual assault as a young woman, and believed that her attacker had drugged her. (Masterson is suspected of drugging his victims.) But as an evangelical, she said “Once you come to Christ that stain is taken away by his blood. It is removed forever, completely completely forgotten.”
Was Chynna suggesting that Danny Masterson’s victims accept Christ and move on? The timing did seem rather odd.
And then Wednesday, Chynna revealed in a new video that she and her husband have tested positive for Covid-19.
AdvertisementWe hope they recover quickly.
——————–
“The Fifth Invader Force came in to use this area, and the name of this solar system is Space Station 33. They started to use this area without suspecting that the Fourth Invader Force had been there for God knows how many skillion years, had been sitting down, and they have their installations up on Mars, and they have a tremendous, screened operation…Now, as I say, this sounds science-fictiony. Well, don’t let it sound science-fictiony to you, because the truth be told, it’s not science fiction. In the first place, it’s not fiction, and it really isn’t very closely resembling what you read and call science fiction. Science fiction is just a very chimerical sort of a picture of it. Space is wild. There aren’t any writers down here and there’s no audience down here that could take real stuff about space. It’s wild!” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 30, 1952
——————–
“The statement: ‘I support Biden/Harris’ is an admission of out-tech and out-ethics and probably a symptom of dementia. Wog democracy votes for those who are going to exterminate them. Of course Democrats might say they are well-intended, but the bank makes them vote for the ones who kill them. I understand politics as a Scientologist.”
——————–
1997: Martin Ottmann posted an article from Scientology’s Celebrity magazine, in which the Los Angeles Police Department praised Scientology. “In time of rising violence where police officers literally risk their lives on a daily basis, they deserve the support of groups who have the purpose and dedication to get youth on the right track — free from drugs and crime. The Church of Scientology is one group which, in respect and appreciation of Hollywood’s police officers, have constantly given their support. In recognition of this support, Celebrity Centre International was recognized by the California Police Activities League (PAL) as the ‘Organization of the Year for 1996’ for ‘their outstanding contribution to their community through the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Hollywood PAL.'”
Advertisement
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“When people say they got some good out of Scientology, I think to myself, ‘Yeah, telling your problems, fantasies or opinions to anybody, including hookers and homeless people, makes everybody feel better…derp!.’ This blog is my ‘auditing’.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing set for October 29 in White Plains, NY delayed to January.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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 coming November 1 to 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] SCIENTOLOGISTS FACE ADDITIONAL CHARGES IN NARCONON FRAUD CASE AHEAD OF TRIAL
[TWO years ago] Scientology hails study vindicating its rehab program — so we take a closer look
[THREE years ago] Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard as a cop in Los Angeles: What’s the real truth?
[FOUR years ago] Scientology will go after your kids with its quack ideas on drugs — even at a Christian school
[FIVE years ago] At the end of our journey, we offer thanks to this website’s supporters
[SIX years ago] Scientology outside the official church: ‘I’m quite happy with the world the way it is’
[SEVEN years ago] Clearwater Tent Showdown: Scientology Reportedly Getting Ready for Events Next Week
[EIGHT years ago] Another Scientology Victory: Photos of Marc Headley’s Roof Being Repaired!
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,105 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,609 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,129 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,149 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,040 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,347 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,215 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,989 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,793 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,109 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,675 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,594 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,762 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,343 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,604 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,642 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,355 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,880 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,410 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,961 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,110 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,430 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,285 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,404 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,760 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,063 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,169 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,571 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,443 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,026 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,521 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,775 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,884 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 30, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 29, 2020
Truths about Nxivm leader Keith Raniere that his loyalists still refuse to face
[Keith Raniere, genius]
Dianne Lipson covered the Nxivm federal trial for us last year with detailed reports from the courtroom. In part, we wanted to watch the Nxivm prosecution closely to give us a sense for what it was like in case Scientology ever, someday, gets a close look by the government. And now that Keith Raniere has been sentenced, we wanted to get Dianne’s thoughts about it.
I was not able to be in court Tuesday to see Keith Raniere sentenced to 120 years in prison. Like many Nxivm observers, I knew this outcome could happen, but it’s still hard to process a sentence that is longer than a life. Federal prisoners are required to serve 85 percent of their sentence. Effectively, Raniere’s sentence is no less than 102 years.
In an interview with Frank Parlato, Raniere’s lawyer Mark Agnifilo said, “Cami’s gonna be it. She’s gonna take the house down.” He added, “I don’t want to get too much into the reason why, you know, I advise Keith, but I mean, assuming Cami is going to come to court, and she’s going to say, ‘This is what happened. I was 15. And he took pictures of me,’ I said [to Keith], ‘This is the worst possible time for us to bring up a tampering [motion]. You know, the allegation [of tampering] is right after Cami said, ‘It’s seared in my brain. He took pictures of me, I’ll never forget it’.”
As Agnifilo predicted, Cami did bring the house down. In court, Cami confirmed she was a 15-year-old virgin when the then-45-year-old Raniere raped her. This puts the lie to a claim by Nxivm loyalists that the nude photos of Camila found in a hard drive in Raniere’s study were tampered with. Camila stated, “He took naked pictures of me — the experience of being photographed is seared in my memory,’’
Survivors of high-control groups describe their experience as similar to battered wife syndrome. Camila got a double whammy of that because of their relationship, if you can call it that. I am taking a look back at the extreme and sadistic mental manipulation Keith put Camila through, even apart from her involvement in DOS, the master-slave women’s group that Keith secretly headed. Meanwhile, all the time that he was manipulating and controlling Camila, Keith had a harem of other women at his beck and call.
AdvertisementEmails and text messages presented at the trial attest to the stages of Keith and Camila’s interaction. At first, Camila seems to unreservedly love Keith.
A message in 2009 from Camila to Keith reads, “Hello, my sweet lollipop. I really enjoyed your form tonight. You never cease to amaze me. It seems as if the more I love you, the more I admire you and am curious to get to know you. I like what I see in you. You have a brilliant mind and I think you know it, yet you possess a certain humility that I think everyone should aspire to. I admire what you do in the world and the strength that you do it with. I think you are an inspiration to everyone. I admire you as a character and deeply love you as my lollipop. Smiley face. Kisses, hugs and sniffles. VC.” [VC stands for “Virgin Camila,” Keith’s nickname for her.]
Raniere replied, “Lollipops love to be licked by very obedient slaves.”
A subsequent email suggests a young woman eager to please her boyfriend. “Want to get in a fight with me? I’m totally fine with you winning and I promise I won’t complain if you end up pinning me to the floor or the wall; hee-hee. I think I’m going to try to save these feelings, cravings — yes, they are the same thing — for some other occasion, if you know what I mean, wink face. Or maybe I just need a good spanking, I don’t know. What you think, Master? What does this good old VC mean? Okay, I’m getting way too into it. Let’s move on. I want to help you get healthy again. Today, and always, on the VC menu we offer walks, healthy juice, delicious pussy, lovely conversations full of XXX topics. I strongly suggest the pussy. It is light on the beaver and fresh out of jailbait grounds. Hopefully, you will have something nice to think about for the next hours and maybe days. Enjoy. Love, Slavey Slave.”
By 2010, Camila grows concerned about the direction the relationship was taking, especially the secrecy mandated by Keith. “Hey, hon, I’ve been thinking about us a lot. I prefer to talk to you in person, but I have no idea when you are going to call next and how long you are going to be able to stay on the phone. I’ve grown a little concerned about us. Your inconsistency would be alright, but now it is making me uncertain of all the things you’ve told me, and only me. . . I have nothing to show for this relationship, no proof, except what you have told me. . . . I am starting to feel like it is not healthy. Everything is on your terms.”
In a later email Camila writes, “I am hoping for a little more communication, if possible. It bothers me that you treat other acquaintances better or more personally than me. Just a thought.”
Keith makes a trademark response to this plaintive request from a lover who feels neglected, “I am under surveillance and parabolic microphone pick up everything whispered to me. Can you get a walkie-talkie and use extension 96. Opposite of? I will likely have some time today. Love.” Later Keith responded to a similar email from Camila by writing, “Hi honey, today is likely to be a very difficult day for it appears there are increased efforts to destroy my image, et cetera. I was just thinking of you as an oasis. Love and gadgets.” This was not unusual. Keith like to present himself to his followers as a brilliant and revolutionary thinker who had attracted powerful enemies among the establishment.
Keith took control of young Camila’s life. He stashed her into an apartment to isolate her from her family. She couldn’t get a haircut, or even shave her nether regions, without asking his permission. As he did with all his harem of women, Keith demanded that Camila keep to an extreme low-calorie diet. He wanted the 5′-5” Camila to weigh around 100 lbs. From an exchange in 2014:
Keith: How much do you weigh?
Camila: I don’t know. I think 120.
Keith: Why did you gain? You were 113?
Camila: Lack of exercise during intensives.
Keith: You then need to eat less…The extra weight hurts my heart physically when I am with you.
Again, this was not unusual. Keith asserted to the women in his harem that their extra weight had some sort of harmful metaphysical effect on him. The eating disorder that Camila developed was also an affront to him. In an exchange about Camila’s bulimia:
AdvertisementKeith: Do you understand the importance of life of having a conscious?
Camila: Yes.
Keith: Do you understand conscious is having the capacity for great pain for bad decisions?
Camila: Yes.
Keith: Do you understand in order to have that you must consider others in your decisions?
Camila: Yes.
Keith: Like tonight, you did not consider how much your B {bulimia] would hurt me?
Camila: No.
Keith: That’s no conscious. Do you want to have no conscious?
Camila: Question mark.
Keith: You had no conscious tonight when you made the decision to B [bulimia].
Even when Camila had thoughts of suicide because of Keith’s isolation and control of her, Keith made it about himself.
Camila: You do know why I tried to kill myself, right?
Keith: Why?
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Camila: You said you are dead to me.
Keith: Yes, but even after that whole thing you didn’t choose me.
But at times Camila was no shrinking violet. She expressed her feelings by saying, “I’m angry that you disguised things as logical and righteous when sometimes they are just emotional and human. I’m angry that you crippled me for so many years and now use that handicap against me. I am angry that you made me believe in fairy tales and the blueprints when it is all a lie. I am angry that you moved your entire life and planned my life without my consent, and that all those things were your choice, but blame me for them when I didn’t even know what you were doing. I’m angry that because of you, I have no close relationships because I always had to lie to them about this other part of my life. I am angry that because of you I am such a good liar. [to preserve the secret of their sexual intimacy] . . . I am angry at you because you couldn’t see how being with me at such a young age was probably taking away from my life and opportunities. And I am just plain sad to learn that love is not that poetic something that is so deep and indescribable but, in fact, a trade. For so many years I forgot about the darkness. I thought the world was bright and beautiful and I’m angry that in the last few months I’ve contemplated suicide countless times and everything is done.”
The day came when Camila had sexual contact with another man. She had committed the cardinal sin: she had enjoyed it. Keith’s reaction was extreme.
Keith: That’s the worst news of all. His sperm and DNA should be disgusting and invasive. You should have want to do anything to love mine, to try to save what is left of a connection. Do you like his fluid more than mine?
Camila: Right now, neither.
Keith: Did you ever prefer his taste, et cetera, over mine?
Camila: Why do you want me to answer that?
Keith: Please don’t question me like this anymore. I can’t tell you the reasons. Please answer.
Camila: If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have chosen to be with him.
Keith: You chose to be with him because you liked the taste of his semen better? ? ???
Camila: No.
Keith: Then what do you mean?
Camila: But if I disliked it, I would have avoided it.
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Keith: I asked specifically about taste. Did you specifically mention to him you liked it??
Camila: I can’t remember.
Keith: I need you to.
Camila: Probably.
Keith: What did you like?
Camila: Seriously? I’m hesitant to share this with you.
Keith: I need everything. This is explicitly in the letter I wrote. For me to do anything more with you I need to know you want to tell me all.
. . .
Keith: I am examining perception. I know his penis is 6.75 fully erect and mine is 7.5, so I am looking at how you are slanting things.
Camila: What the fuck? How do you know that?
Keith: Likewise with intensity. You forget our passionate times and compare our day-to-day and in the last year I’ve been heartbroken and could barely function.
Camila: Why does this matter?
Keith: Maybe some day I’ll tell you, but guys know these things about each other.
. . .
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Keith: His is definitely not the width or length of mine. How are you going to fix this lie?
Camila: You haven’t been at your fullest in a long time. It isn’t a lie. [Here Camila reminds the much older Keith that he has been experiencing erectile dysfunction.]
Keith threatens to send Camila back to Mexico, which she begs him not to do, as she has no life there. He demands sacrifices of her, such as leaving the nanny job she loved. Since Camila had damaged her purity, he demands she find him another virgin, to be his successor. But he worries that he is not up to the challenge.
Keith: There are potential successors but they are so young. This creates several problems. Will I live long enough? Will they stay pure? Will they connect so deeply with me being so much older? Will I have the strength to put in the years once connected? Even if all that works, will any be viable? If so, will they remain true?
Camila reassures Keith as she now knows she must.
Keith: Three of the four candidates are so young in many ways. It will take years until they mature and then I will be even older and weaker. Doubtful I will be much of a candidate for them.
Camila: You would be, honey. Any of those girls would be lucky to have you.
In a later exchange:
Keith: How many attractive, not socially defective virgins would give their life to someone like me at my age?
Camila: Ummm, all of them? You are handsome, sexy, strong, gentle, loving, funny, talented, have a beautiful smile, eyes, loving touch. What woman wouldn’t want that? You know for a fact that they all want you.
Keith: Even an inexperienced 18-year-old?
Camila: Even an inexperienced 15-year-old.
In order not to be torn away from the only life she knows, Camila struggles to please Keith and wipe away the sin of her sexual contact with another man: As this exchange from December 2015 attests:
Keith: His DNA touched you and went inside you and was assimilated. Also, he has memories of your interactions and you have memories. All of those things need to be eliminated. If that could be, then maybe I would have the connection that was lost the very first time.
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Camila: How do I do that? I’ll do anything. I’ll eat shit. I’ll do anything.
Keith: I have told you, if you find another successor that is best for us, but time is running short.
Neither of them realized that time really was running short. In 2017, Frank Parlato revealed the branding of women in DOS, the secret women-only group within Nxivm that was secretly run by a man, Keith Raniere. The Mexican members left Albany amid the scandal and returned to their home country. Camila’s sister Daniela testified that Camila was offered an unusually large salary to continue working for Nxivm loyalists in Mexico as a nanny. Daniela testified that it looked like this promised salary never actually materialized. I believe it is not known when Camila finally defected from the group. But her victim statement shows she is still dealing with the lasting effects of Keith’s cruel manipulation. From the NY Post article linked above, “He robbed me of my youth. He used my innocence to do whatever he wanted with me. It has taken a long time for me to begin to process the trauma he caused.”
It seems counter-intuitive, but sometimes survivors of abuse process their trauma by bringing similar situations into their lives. Describing a syndrome that is all too common among survivors of abuse, Camila said, “Today, I still have trouble identifying the line between a normal relationship and an abusive one.’’
When I heard that Keith had been sentenced to 120 years, I was stunned. If I had been a victim of Keith, certainly I would be happy about it. But there is a reason why, in our system, crime victims don’t get to set the punishment. Murderers don’t get as long a sentence as Keith got. Judge Garaufis stated that Keith failed to demonstrate remorse and maintains that he’s done nothing wrong. I understand the judge’s reasoning on this. An unrepentant criminal is a danger to society. Yet somehow the length of the sentence doesn’t sit well with me. It feels like overkill.
The other question is where Keith will serve his sentence. There is speculation that Keith will be sent to a supermax prison in order to prevent him from running Nxivm, or what’s left of it, from the inside. He could still do damage. At MDC, Keith has been caught more than once with contraband cell phones.
Conditions inside a supermax prison are truly inhumane. “ADX itself has … become almost entirely a ‘lock-down’ facility in which prisoners are locked in solitary cells for all but a few hours a week,” Amnesty International said in a 2014 report titled “Entombed: Isolation in the U.S. federal prison system.” Prisoners at the facility wail for hours, self-harm, go insane.
Keith is a monster, no doubt about it. But quoting Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.”
— Dianne Lipson
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
AdvertisementIn July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes were leaked to the Internet, and we (temporarily) posted embeds of the video segments and then collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
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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.
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“The fellow who has voices talking to him inside of his head is much better off than the fellow who has voices talking to him from way outside his head. Odd that psychiatry classifies people quite in reverse. People who have voices talking to them from the outside are sane and those who have voices talking to them from inside of their head are very often classified as insane. As a matter of fact, I read a paragraph in one of their innumerable, contradictory books which had to do with just that. It said that one could always tell whether or not a person was psychotic, because the spoken voices – the speaking voices and so forth – were invariably inside the person’s head if the person were psychotic. Couldn’t they face the idea that these voices very often come from outside?” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 29, 1953
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“Lawrence Wright is a regular ol’ average human being. He considers he is ‘Lawrence Wright,’ that body, with one life, in that body, living on a lone planet that spontaneously brought about that one life, in that one body, from a sea of ammonia, sometime in the last billion years or so, evolving along until one day, carbon and oxygen and hydrogen and a bunch of chemicals gave rise to his ‘consciousness’ as ‘Lawrence Wright.’ One day that will die and that’s the end. He’s convinced – or at least he’s pretty sure. In order to grasp Scientology, Lawrence would have to attain an awareness level that would somehow approach, at least to some degree, being able to conceive a Static. Scientology is unreal to Lawrence Wright. That’s why he can’t describe it, write about it or comment on it in any meaningful way. He cannot conceive a Static. Lacking this level of awareness, this cognition or degree of understanding, the subject eludes his grasp.”
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2000: Source magazine recently printed a statement by celebrity Jenna Elfman on her completion of OT Preparations. “I am SUCH a product of OT Preparations. I don’t have any attention on my case now. I’m in present time on my case. I went and got myself a new Clear bracelet, it so rehabilitated my State of Clear. No more thought, nothing. Very, very certain. And all I see now is future! I’m ready for OT I. Wow, me. I can get that data. I couldn’t have it before. Didn’t know I couldn’t have it. But I was not in present time to even think that I would be going on to OT I. Now, I’m here full time. I go on course from 9:30 in the morning until 10:15 at night. When I’m drilling, Ron is with me. I really am hearing his communication, his intention, his think on it. And I really feel how much he wants us to go free.”
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“You kids need to look around before you start posting comments willy-nilly.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Jenna Elfman, Giovanni Ribisi, and Greta Van Susteren]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
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 our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology threw its annual IAS party on L. Ron Hubbard Way, and once again we had a mole
[TWO years ago] Ahoy, matey: We have Scientology’s new Sea Org application!
[THREE years ago] In Canada, Scientology does not get the welcome it might have been expecting
[FOUR years ago] Amassing the real history of Scientology has been a long and dramatic relay race
[FIVE years ago] Hey, tabloids: Tom Cruise once again attends Scientology gala as its poster boy
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s ‘Mecca’ awaits: More tantalizing glimpses of Hubbardian Heaven on Earth
[SEVEN years ago] Claire Headley Gets Us Ready to Go Solo: More Prep for Scientology OT!
[NINE years ago] Scientology Dumpster-Dive: Commenters of the Week!
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,104 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,608 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,128 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,148 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,039 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,346 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,214 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,988 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,792 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,108 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,674 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,593 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,761 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,342 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,603 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,641 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,354 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,879 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,409 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,969 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,109 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,429 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,284 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,403 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,759 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,062 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,168 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,570 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,442 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,025 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,520 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,774 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,883 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 29, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 28, 2020
Scientology chiro pleaded guilty to fraud, but we may get to see a sort of trial anyway
[Jay Spina, towering over Scientology leader David Miscvige]
With just a week to go before his sentencing on Medicare fraud was to happen, Scientology donor and Middletown, NY chiropractor Jay Spina threw a wrench into the process, causing his government prosecutors to ask for a delay.
The good news for court watchers is that what might have been a fairly routine matter now threatens to turn into something more like a trial, as the two sides want to fight over the facts of the case in a court hearing before Judge Kenneth M. Karas imposes a sentence on Spina.
It’s also yet another lesson about what money can buy wealthy people who find themselves in America’s justice system. At the last minute, Spina spent a boatload of money on expensive lawyer work which may buy him some more time before sentencing and may have a real effect on how much prison time he ultimately receives.
We first learned in 2018 that Spina and his brother Jeff were being charged for an $80 million Medicare scam that they ran out of their Middletown clinic. The facility went by several names, but most often as Dolman Avenue Medical (DAM) during the period under investigation. Two others who worked at DAM were also charged, one of whom was their sister Kim Spina. Separately, a physician who worked out of the clinic, Dr. Charles Bagley, pleaded guilty to fraud.
The Spina brothers are longtime Scientologists who gave a lot of money and time to Scientology front groups like the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. And as you can see in the image above, Jay Spina was celebrated by Scientology leader David Miscavige for his service.
AdvertisementAfter the brothers pleaded guilty, letters poured in from Spina’s family and friends imploring Judge Karas to go lightly on the chiropractor, painting him as a pillar of the commmunity. But in June, his prosecutors countered with a devastating sentencing document that not only portrayed Spina as the mastermind of an elaborate fraud, but also that his clinic was a house of horrors that pushed unnecessary injections on patients, causing at least one death.
Because Spina pleaded guilty (which included an agreement that $9.5 million had been stolen), federal sentencing guidelines suggested a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Spina’s attorneys asked Judge Karas to go below those guidelines and sentence him to 18 to 24 months. Prosecutors, with their lengthy sentencing memo, asked for the full 10 years.
And that’s where things stood until last week, when Spina’s attorneys filed hundreds of pages in an attempt to counter the prosecution’s sentencing memo and again press for a lighter sentence of between 18 and 24 months. They urged Judge Karas to consider that thousands of patients went through the Spina clinic and kept coming back, an indication that they were getting good care. And they went on to counter many of the assertions that the prosecutors had made in their sentencing memo.
This week, prosecutors fired back, saying that the two sides have been unable to come to an agreement on how much money Spina should have to pay back in restitution, and that the impasse largely rests on factual disputes. With Spina’s attorneys arguing the facts of the case, the prosecutors have asked for a delay and for Karas to call for a “Fatico” hearing.
The New York Times has described such a proceeding as “designed to allow a judge to determine whether allegations in a Government sentencing memorandum that are disputed by the defense should be considered in deciding punishment.”
Hey, the prosecution getting a chance to present evidence of Spina’s guilt in a live court hearing? That sounds like a mini-trial, and we’d be happy to cover it.
As of this morning, tomorrow’s sentencing is still scheduled for 2 pm at the White Plains federal courthouse. But we’ll let you know if Judge Karas decides to push it back and allow testimony about Spina’s guilt.
——————–
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes were leaked to the Internet, and we (temporarily) posted embeds of the video segments and then collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
Advertisement
——————–
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.
——————–
“The condemnation of science is long overdue and, what do you know, has already occurred on the European continent and has occurred even in a more advanced state in England. Today the word science is so bad that when I started calling what we’re doing Scientology I got in to a minor revolution. It wasn’t anything but the fact that the English people today believe that science has let them down but thoroughly. And anything with science connected with it is something they rather smile sarcastically about. It’s not that they’re interested in humanity. They just know science doesn’t work. And what do you know, they’re drawing right back out of science. They are not following scientific method worth a nickel.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 28, 1953
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“The fundamental principle of Scientology is in the defining of the nature of our being. We are spiritual beings who do not owe our existence to any Creator or God. In Christian terms that is the ultimate heresy. However, it is also fundamental that we survive in this universe as a co-existence which is God. Our survival is irrevocably entwined with that of others. We are immortal beings who have become involved in games after games of increasing complexity until arriving in this latest manifestation which entrapped most into fallacious concepts.”
——————–
2003: FOX News reported that Michael Jackson will be donating to Scientology a portion of the money raised with a multi-star song. “A lot of big name stars are unwittingly about to start raising money for Scientology, thanks to Michael Jackson. Jackson is launching a worldwide Internet download of his charity single, ‘What More Can I Give?’ For $2 a shot, Jackson fans will be able to hear this record, made two years ago but never released. The record features Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, members of ‘N Sync, The Backstreet Boys and others. But what fans – and the two dozen participating artists – probably don’t know is that proceeds from the single download are going, in part, to Scientology. Jackson has designated The HELP Organization, which uses study techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, as one of the beneficiaries of his largesse.”
——————–
“Being an old school punk/junkie I wish I had a buck for every bad thing I’ve ever heard said, written or depicted about people of my ‘ilk.’ Never mind all the verbal and physical assaults me and my friends had to endure back in the day from the supposedly ‘normal’ people. It goes with the territory called ‘freak.’ Get use to it. Wear it as a badge of experience.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Elisabeth Moss, Michael Peña, and Laura Prepon]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
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 our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Thetan-tastic: Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas skewer Scientology on ‘The Kominsky Method’
[TWO years ago] Scientology so desperate for Narconon patients, new offer drops all pretense of separation
[THREE years ago] Ray Emmons, 1942-2017: Clearwater’s cop who sniffed out Scientology’s secrets
[FOUR years ago] Talking with Tiponi Grey, who quit her Scientology job and announced it on YouTube
[FIVE years ago] Troublemakers: The women who won’t keep quiet about Scientology
[SIX years ago] Finally, Scientology has an answer for last year’s Super Bowl power outage
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology’s Trust Issues: A Possible Garcia Legal Strategy?
[EIGHT years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology Price Increase![NINE years ago] Mark Chauppetta, PI Who Worked for Scientology at time of South Park Investigation: “I’m a Fucking Mercenary”
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,103 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,607 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,127 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,147 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,038 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,345 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,213 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,987 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,791 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,107 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,673 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,592 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,760 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,341 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,602 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,640 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,353 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,878 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,408 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,968 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,108 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,428 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,283 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,402 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,758 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,061 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,167 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,569 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,441 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,024 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,519 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,773 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,882 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 28, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 27, 2020
Masterson accusers cite Marsy’s Law to head off ‘arbitration,’ and Scientology pounces
[Danny Masterson and Scientology attorney William Forman]
Last week we published a story that discussed how California’s version of “Marsy’s Law” might afford some protection to the women suing Danny Masterson who also happen to be his alleged victims in a criminal rape prosecution that has the That ’70s Show actor facing 45 years to life in prison.
In the article Texas attorney Ray Jeffrey, a veteran of Scientology litigation, specifically brought up the victims’ rights law and said that it seemed like a great argument for the women to make in order to keep them from being forced into Scientology’s “religious arbitration.”
“It seems like it would be a good argument to make in the civil hearing that by trying to push the thing into religious arbitration, Scientology is violating the protections they have from Marsy’s Law now,” Ray told us. “Trying to push them into religious arbitration is a form of intimidation. To get them behind closed doors? And perhaps with their rapist? I think they’re entitled to this protection.”
Well, it turns out that a few hours after we published that story on Thursday morning, attorneys for the women — Chrissie Bixler, Bobette Riales, and two women going by the names Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2 — did just that and filed a “sur-reply” to Scientology’s arbitration motions, and cited Marsy’s Law as a reason why it was no time for victims in a rape prosecution to be facing the intimidation of Scientology’s internal justice procedures.
AdvertisementFor these reasons, arbitration cannot be compelled against the Plaintiffs as to do so would violate their consitutional rights under California Constitution Article I, § 28, section (b), commonly known as Marsy’s Law. After the within lawsuit was filed, Defendant Masterson was charged with raping three of the four Plaintiffs. Those charges remain pending. Moreover, the Court has issued a protective order in the criminal case to prevent any contact by Defendant Masterson or his agents/third parties (RTC, CSI, and CCI) of the Plaintiffs in this case, which would be violated if the Court compels arbitration.
The women’s attorneys also re-filed a Mike Rinder declaration about the bogus nature of Scientology’s “religious arbitration” that he had originally filed in March, along with a number of exhibits that included some of L. Ron Hubbard’s greatest hits, like his “cancellation” of the Fair Game policy, and rules for “committees of evidence,” the Scientology equivalent of a court martial.
For years, Rinder has been testifying in litigation against the church that the contracts parishioners are asked to sign were specifically created to trap Scientologists and make it almost impossible to get refunds or to sue the church in a court of law.
Despite that testimony from Rinder and other former high-ranking officials, Scientology has had success with its motions to compel arbitration in two previous lawsuits, and it was plain that its attorneys were itching to get a shot at also derailing the Masterson-Scientology lawsuit as well. A hearing was scheduled Monday to consider the arbitration motions, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steven Kleifield postponed it to November 6.
The sur-reply asking Judge Kleifield to take Marsy’s Law into consideration was filed just a few days before Monday’s hearing was to take place, and now the judge has a couple more weeks to consider it.
But Scientology is hopping mad that the document was filed at all, and called it an “improper” brief that had been “impermissibly filed,” or so said Scientology attorney William Forman in a new filing he put into the court record yesterday.
Plaintiffs’ “Sur-Reply” is unauthorized, unjustified, and should be disregarded. Plaintiffs never sought leave to file a sur-reply and have raised entirely new arguments, such as reliance on “Marsy’s Law,” that could have been made in Plaintiff’s Opposition but were not.
Seeing that point made by Forman, it reminded us of something else Ray Jeffrey told us in our conversation last week.
“The tactics that they love are tactics that are very law-intensive that do not require an inquiry into the facts. They don’t want to have hearings where you go into the facts. They want to argue the law. They vigorously pursue those avenues,” Ray told us.
In this case, Scientology doesn’t want to argue about what Danny Masterson did or didn’t do to these women, or whether it would be traumatizing for them to be subjected to Scientology’s intimidating court martial process adapted to “arbitration.” They don’t want to argue whether these women have protective rights, but whether the subject was brought up in time.
Once again, we await Judge Kleifield’s thoughts on the matter.
DOCUMENTS:
Sur-reply to Scientology’s arbitration motions
Mike Rinder declaration, plus exhibits
Advertisement
Scientology’s objections to the sur-reply
——————–
Leah Remini podcast: Listener questions, part 2
Says Mike Rinder: “The topics this week include: Why is Scientology popular with dentists? What happened to Pat and Annie Broeker? Does David Miscavige know how loathed he is in the real world? And much more.”
Here’s the episode…
——————–
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes were leaked to the Internet, and we (temporarily) posted embeds of the video segments and then collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
Advertisement
——————–
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.
——————–
“Now, the MEST universe is all very well but it’s all illusion. Well, one doesn’t want an illusion, so he can’t have an illusion. And when he was very young, why, Christ was all right, he was very friendly, as a matter of fact, and so on. But that’s mostly — people, you know, they have to believe in that sort of thing. And they did once, but it requires nothing but faith and, of course, they can’t have any faith anymore and they did have hopes on that once in a while, but actually religion doesn’t lead anybody anyplace in the final analysis because you never get your wish anyway so, of course, one can’t survive on the basis of spirits and religion, and so forth.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 27, 1951
——————–
“One of our greatest tools has always been the truth so very soon we are going to be researching and collecting data on individuals in the Freezone. We are then going to do a video series on each and release them to the public so they can see all of the lies and out-tech for themselves. Let us see them lie and tell half-truths with their faces, addresses, and businesses blasted all over the internet for all to see exactly what they are up to. We can just let the truth be the truth and then get on with the job of actually doing the tech as we are now. Much like those who hold public office these individuals have violated the trust of those they swore to serve and made the mistake of thinking Esperianism could not thrive without them. I wonder how that is working for them lately?”
——————–
1996: “A proposal to erect a picnic complex at a public park in honor of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and post signs along a hiking trail listing his 21 ‘Way to Happiness’ precepts has many folks in the small town of Tilden, Nebraska worried and angry. A local citizens group is threatening to file a lawsuit, and there is a slate of city council candidates explicitly opposing the plan. Critics say that the signs and picnic pavilion clearly violate the First Amendment separation of church and state.”
——————–
“Maybe you mocked up another version of yourself in a blackout and forgot about it. Ask Marty, it probably has something to do with Quantum Buddhism(c).”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[The Big Three: Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kirstie Alley]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
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 our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] A Scientology front group that duped celebrities for Narconon: It’s baaaack!
[TWO years ago] Russell Miller’s 1987 biography of Scientology’s founder is still astonishingly good
[THREE years ago] KID CORPS: Scientology wanted to turn children into little machines of Sea Org efficiency
[FOUR years ago] Surprised Tom Cruise called Scientology a ‘beautiful religion’? You shouldn’t be.
[FIVE years ago] THE LEAH REMINI FILES: AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE ‘KRs’ THAT INFORM HER MEMOIR
[SIX years ago] Gay Ribisi, our friend Mark Ebner has your Scientology plaques — want ’em back?
[SEVEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology Is In Your Capital, Working Your Jenna Elfman[EIGHT years ago] The Scientology-Nation of Islam Alliance: Sideshow or Armageddon?
[NINE years ago] Mark Ebner on Scientology and South Park: Rathbun is Definitely Leaking Authentic “Intel”
[ELEVEN years ago] In France Scientology is a Fraud – in the U.S., it’s a Tax-Exempt Paragon of Religious Freedom
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,102 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,606 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,126 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,146 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,037 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,344 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,212 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,986 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,790 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,106 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,672 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,591 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,759 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,340 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,601 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,639 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,352 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,877 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,407 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,967 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,107 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,427 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,282 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,401 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,757 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,060 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,166 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,568 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,440 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,023 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,518 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,772 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,881 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 27, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 26, 2020
Scientology continues its ‘Fair Game’ of Gerry Armstrong with court hearing today
[Gerry Armstrong and OT 8 Kendrick Moxon]
Back in 2013 we dove into the incredible legal odyssey of Gerry Armstrong in a two-part series [part 1, part 2] with the help of Jon Atack and Gerry himself. It’s nearly unbelievable what Scientology subjected Gerry to over the years in multiple lawsuits that to this day prevent him from coming back into the United States.
Gerry’s crime, of course, was that while working in Scientology’s Sea Org he had stumbled upon and helped preserve a trove of L. Ron Hubbard’s original papers that documented Hubbard’s life in minute detail going back to his childhood. A substantial portion of that trove eventually made its way into the hands of Hubbard biographers like Atack and Russell Miller and Lawrence Wright, and it forms the basis for much of what we know about Hubbard today.
Scientology will never forgive Gerry Armstrong for playing a part in getting out the truth about Hubbard’s life, which undercuts the many myths and legends that Scientology and Hubbard himself had built up over the years.
We will never forget what an incredible role Gerry played getting out the truth about Hubbard, and what an amazing price he paid for it, as Scientology has tried to destroy him time and time again in American courts of law.
And today, they’re at it again.
AdvertisementLast week, Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon filed a request for a hearing in a Marin County court, claiming that new evidence suggested that Gerry was about to travel to California in violation of previous court orders. Moxon is asking for a new arrest warrant to nab Gerry if he dares to cross the border.
Moxon’s evidence that Gerry was about to come to California were some Internet postings that appear to be pretty questionable. And Gerry himself made that point in his response to Moxon, which is a hoot. We thought we’d reproduce his response here, and if there’s anyone in Marin County who might be able to get to courtroom today to see Moxon in action, please let us know.
Dear Mr. Moxon:
I am requesting of you a one-month extension (1) to have time to attempt to retain an attorney in this matter; (2) to be able to fully respond to your serious and in some cases false charges and fact statements; and (3) to fully deal with the vital issues involved, notably freedom of religion, both in the US and internationally.
Alternatively, I am requesting that you withdraw your ex parte application and file and serve me with a proper noticed motion.
You have provided no reason, except with false facts, why there is any urgency whatsoever, requiring what you seek to be done by ex parte application. You have provided no evidence whatsoever that I am the poster “JA2600” on Why We Protest, who posted:
I am told that Gerry Armstrong is going to be in San Francisco, Cali, I believe for a anti-$cientology lecture/conference within the next couple of weeks (late October 2020). I am a fervent admirer and I can’t wait to get the exact date/time so I can go listen to him, mask and all!
Nor have you provided any evidence whatsoever that I am the poster “NotGA” on Why We Protest, who posted:
I heard similarly, Gerry Armstrong will be physically present in San Francisco by the end of this month – oct 2020 – to speak against the cult of money grabbing wanna be a religion, aka scientology. As far as I know the talk will be available virtually, but he will be present, live, in San Francisco. If/When I get exact details I will post it. Feel free to post too if you find out first.
If anyone can be there IRL don’t be stupid, wear a mask.
Yet you state in your application:
This application for renewal of the warrant is being brought ex parte in light of new information that Mr. Armstrong intends to return to California before the end of the month at which time a warrant can be served upon this contumacious man before he again flees the jurisdiction and the country. (Bold mine)
And you state in your application:
AdvertisementThus, while his travels over the past several years are not known, now, at least, he has revealed that he will be in the area and within the jurisdiction of the California Courts for further violations of the Court’s injunction before fleeing again to the apparent safety of Canada. (Bold mine)
You have provided no evidence that there even is a lecture/conference against your “money grabbing wanna be a religion” cult planned in San Francisco this month or at any other time.
You have provided no evidence that you made any attempt to identify who the posters “JA2600” and “Not GA” are, nor any evidence that you made any attempt to identify who “they” got their “facts” about my “being physically present in San Francisco” from, nor what exactly these “sources” of “JA2600” and “NotGA’s” “facts” communicated.
“JA2600” and “NotGA’s” posting histories on Why We Protest show that the subject one post each are “their” only posts. This fact supports the conclusion that they are serving your cult’s corrupt purposes.
Given your lies here, and over the years, your satanic hatred for me, your leader David Miscavige’s satanic hatred for me, the satanic hatred for me he has incited in all Scientologists in your cult, and the extreme, criminal and satanic nature of your cult’s judicial and extra-judicial actions against me, it is altogether likely that one or two of your cult’s covert operatives, assets or collaborators posted as “JA2600” and “Not GA” for the corrupt purpose of providing you with the fake urgent basis you are using to justify your ex parte application, instead of a properly noticed, albeit equally ridiculous, motion.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all land travel (car, bus, train) to the US from Canada is prohibited unless essential. Any lecture/conference against your money grabbing wanna be a religion cult, even not invented, does not pass as essential. Air travel from Canada to the US is permitted. As is well known, however, your cult’s operatives and collaborators have for many years been able to obtain airline passenger lists and to track the air travel of your victims or targets like me. If I had booked a flight to San Francisco or anywhere, your cult’s operatives or collaborators would have the details of such a booking. You have provided no evidence of any planned flight by me to San Francisco or anywhere else in California this month or any time in the future.
Your application with its exhibits is 133 pages in length. I require the time a noticed motion would provide me to attempt to retain an attorney, and to prepare a full response to your moving papers. I have other immediate time-consuming work and commitments right now, and over the next several days, that are more important than dealing with your dishonest, abusive ex parte application.
I urge you to immediately withdraw your ex parte application, and if you still are compelled to seek an arrest warrant extension, which would be one more unlawful action against me in a decades-long history of unlawful actions, then file a properly noticed motion.
Defiantly but not contumaciously,
Gerry Armstrong
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Bonus items from our tipsters
More from Scientology’s social media stream.
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Legal showdown in Masterson civil case postponed
Today’s scheduled hearing on the motions to compel arbitration in the Danny Masterson-Scientology civil lawsuit has been postponed to November 6.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes were leaked to the Internet, and we (temporarily) posted embeds of the video segments and then collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
Advertisement
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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.
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“Now, you will find that a rape or sexual attack may result in glasses, because this is refusal to communicate. And after all, what is a dental operation but a sort of rape, if you really think about it that way? Somebody is trying to take something away from an only partially reasoning individual who is under drugs. And what does the patient want? He wants to get away — not communicate. Do you get the idea? ‘Don’t communicate with me, don’t touch me, don’t hurt me.’ So you start up and down the track and you will find incidents here and there, and particularly locks are what you want; you don’t want to process a thousand engrams just to get off a pair of glasses. You get the times when the individual didn’t want to touch, feel, see, hear, or any of the rest of the package of communication, because that is what you are looking for.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 26, 1951
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“I tried but I had a hard time trying to open an independent Academy close to Clearwater. I supervised and word cleared for 20 years but OSA has a heavy presence here.”
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1997: Scientology lawyer Helena Kobrin has threatened the website of Keith Bennett for providing a copy of the Introspection Rundown, a technique used by Scientology to cure mental illness through imprisonment and isolation. “Dear Mr. Bennett: I have been informed that you have placed certain of the Introspection Rundown copyrighted works on your home page without the authorization of my client. By placing my client’s copyrighted works on your web page, you are violating United States copyright law. We therefore request that they be removed immediately. We are currently involved in litigation over similar materials in several lawsuits.”
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“Seeing as how the Church of Scientology has publicly stated that they are not a turn-the-other-cheek religion, how is any of this a shock to anyone?”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Nov 6 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Alanna Masterson, Terry Jastrow, and Marisol Nichols]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
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 our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Full court press: Scientologists have been busy in the halls of justice lately
[TWO years ago] What the Australian press can’t say about James Packer and his Scientology adventure
[THREE years ago] Mirriam Francis: Picturing Scientology parents who abandon their children to abuse
[FOUR years ago] Sister of L.A. Scientologist arrested for Muslim threats was Don Trump Jr’s executive assistant
[FIVE years ago] Scientology cries religious discrimination in appeal brief filed in Maryland zoning fight
[SIX years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology needs your money more than ever!
[SEVEN years ago] Jon Atack Considers L. Ron Hubbard’s Tangled Relationship With Mind-Altering Substances
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology on the High Seas: Vixie, Vitamins, and Satan Worshippers
[NINE years ago] Lloyd Kaufman on Scientology and South Park: Eric Sherman Did Ask Me about Trey Parker and Matt Stone
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,101 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,605 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,125 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,145 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,036 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,343 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,211 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,985 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,789 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,105 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,671 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,590 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,758 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,339 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,600 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,638 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,351 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,876 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,406 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,966 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,106 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,426 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,281 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,400 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,756 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,059 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,165 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,567 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,439 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,022 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,517 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,771 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,880 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 26, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 25, 2020
Leaked from Scientology social media: Incredible beings joining the winning team!
We’re reaching deep into the Scientology social media stream again, bringing you postings that Scientologists are sending to each other, so we can get another glimpse of how things are going in David Miscavige’s house of mirrors.
Lots of great success stories here, proving that Scientology is clearing the planet at a rapid pace!
Get your four-year-old on the Bridge!
L. Ron Hubbard’s dumbest book is still a hit with the space cadets!
In Scientology, Karen doesn’t dare ask to see the manager.
Is this the oldest Scientologist in the world?
Another one through the Wall of Fire to meet Xenu!
Let’s take over the world!
Sure, anyone would feel great after OT 4. Just ask Greta Van Susteren.
Advertisement
Last we heard from Joost, he was maybe encountering Tom Cruise at the 2019 IAS gala in England. And now he’s going Clear in Columbus? Weird.
Celebrating the sheer confront it takes to get through a pandemic.
Scientology is like a mental shower.
Success stories from Dublin, which celebrates a birthday.
The Freewinds beckons…
Um, does this read like a confession to the rest of you?
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes were leaked to the Internet, and we (temporarily) posted embeds of the video segments and then collected all ten links in one place. 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.
——————–
“You know, a fellow’s walking down the street and a thought flashes through his mind that maybe some of his behavior is not entirely masculine, maybe it is slightly effeminate. In other words, the datum is there ‘Maybe I’m a girl.’ Well, it’s, you see, it’s very nebulous. You know, maybe he’s just playing a game with himself of worry, something. We come along, we pat him on the shoulder, he tells us what he’s worried about. We don’t even have to tell him ‘You’re not a girl,’ see? I mean, he just tells us what he was worried about, he — boom! See, it’s gone that quick.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 25, 1956
Advertisement
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“I have been busy researching and bringing to light various factors that are working to control this planet right now. I have done some why finding and, using the data series and basic Scientology principles, discovered and now making known what is currently happening on this tiny ball of dirt in the cosmos. LRH was right when he said this was a prison planet and the ‘powers that be’ (off world) are determined to keep it that way. This is what is behind all this draconian lock downs. COVID-19 is an altered importance out of all proportion to its effects. In addition if one is high on the Tone Scale and one does not RESIST it yet IF catches it, it is mild. Much like a common cold. But shove people own into FEAR and repeatedly say how contagious and dangerous it is and you will get compliance. Now I cannot express that directly as of course it would not be believed and I would be considered a nut job. However I can expose the effects that are being created and point out the outpoints. And that is what I am doing publicly.”
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1995: Kim Baker this week resigned as a Director of FACTNet. She also signed a 17-page declaration against Joe Harrington, Larry Wollersheim, Bob Penny and others. “To all of those who are fighting the Church on the basis that they are an evil, mind-control organisation, who are going for the kill to spread around their Upper Levels, who are participating in any way in this spontaneous revolution, I urge you to re-assess what you are doing. You are hurting more people than you realise, because THEY consider it their religion. Yes, OSA did come to my doorstep, yes, the discussions were very lengthy. Was I coerced into signing the Declarations? No. NO AMOUNT of co-ercion could have gotten me to sign anything I did not believe was true.”
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“I’ll have you know I read each and every comment very carefully and that there are a myriad of reasons for why I may upvote them…or not.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Catherine Bell, Chick Corea, and Nancy Cartwright]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
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 our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] We have a Scientology document (we think) Priscilla Presley doesn’t want us to show you
[TWO years ago] A Scientology ‘Fair Game’ tactic from way back: Sexually degrading harassment
[THREE years ago] Chris Owen: How one country, at least, is savaging Scientology’s privacy nightmare
[FOUR years ago] Until the spaceships arrive, Scientologists measure cosmic success in framed glory
[FIVE years ago] Jon Atack: Scientology’s ‘past lives’ don’t pass the giggle test
[SIX years ago] Jon Atack: Scientology and hypnotism — even some ex-members can’t admit its central role
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Moves to Dismiss Garcia Fraud Lawsuit On a Question of Jurisdiction
[EIGHT years ago] Tom Cruise Sues, UK Scientologists Sue, Narconon Is Sued: It’s a Legal Free-For-All!!
[NINE years ago] Scientology Responds in Typical Fashion to South Park Investigation Documents[ELEVEN years ago] ‘Crash’ Director Paul Haggis Ditches Scientology
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,100 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,604 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,124 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,144 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,035 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,342 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,210 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,984 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,788 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,104 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,670 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,589 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,757 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,338 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,599 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,637 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,350 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,875 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,405 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,965 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,105 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,425 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,280 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,399 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,755 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,058 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,164 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,566 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,438 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,021 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,516 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,770 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,879 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 25, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
October 23, 2020
VALERIE HANEY PETITION DENIED: She’ll have to go through Scientology ‘arbitration’ to appeal
Valerie Haney’s long-shot petition for a writ of mandate has been turned down by California’s 2nd Appellate District, and so now if she still wants to appeal the lower court ruling that derailed her lawsuit, she’ll actually have to go through with Scientology’s “religious arbitration” and then appeal the result.
In January, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Burdge Jr found for Scientology and iced the lawsuit brought by Valerie, who today works as Leah Remini’s assistant but at one time was Scientology leader David Miscavige’s personal steward and worked in his private quarters. Valerie alleged in her lawsuit that she became a prisoner at the secretive Gold Base because of what she knew about Miscavige, and she only got away from the base by hiding in the trunk of a car. For coming forward on Leah’s A&E series, Valerie was subjected to a fierce and frightening harassment campaign, which was documented by Leah’s show. But even though she was no longer an employee of the church, Valerie was still bound by the contract she had signed, Judge Burdge ruled, denying her right to a trial. She would have to submit her complaints of kidnapping and stalking not to a court of law, but to Scientology’s own brand of arbitration, which features a panel of arbitrators who must all be members of the church in good standing.
It was a shocking result and the second time in recent years that Scientology was successful at short-circuiting a lawsuit by forcing it into what it calls arbitration. Before Valerie, Luis and Rocio Garcia’s lawsuit was forced into religious arbitration by Tampa federal Judge James Whittemore. In that case, the Garcias went through the Scientology procedure, the first the church had ever performed in its 70-year history. The Garcias complained to Whittemore that the process was a joke, but Whittemore upheld the result (the arbitrators offered to give the Garcias back about $18,000 of the hundreds of thousands they were asking for).
Only after going through that process could the Garcias then appeal Whittemore’s decision. Two years later, they’re still waiting for a result from the Eleventh Circuit.
AdvertisementAfter Judge Burdge derailed her lawsuit in January, Valerie said publicly that she had no intention of subjecting herself to the same abuser that had stalked and libeled her already. And so rather than go through the arbitration, she petitioned the 2nd Appellate District, hoping that it would grant her a writ of mandate and then hear her appeal.
But the appellate court turned her down…
The court has read and considered the petition for writ of mandate filed September 10, 2020, the preliminary opposition filed September 21, 2020, the reply filed October 1, 2020, and the amicus curiae briefs filed by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and the National Crime Bar Victim Association. The petition is denied as untimely. (Reynolds v. Los Angeles County Superior Court (1883) 64 Cal. 372, 373; Volkswagen of America, Inc. v. Superior Court (2001) 94 Cal.App.4th 695, 701; see also United Firefighters of Los Angeles v. City of Los Angeles (1991) 231 Cal.App.3d 1576, 1582 [“‘A party does not waive his right to attack the order [compelling arbitration] by proceeding to arbitration; the order is reviewable on appeal from a judgment confirming the award'”].)
Translation: The court disagrees that extraordinary conditions exist, even though Valerie is alleging kidnapping and stalking, and she can appeal after she’s gone through the arbitration process.
Which, we’ll say again, she has said she has no intention of participating in.
The court made its decision yesterday, and it became public on the court’s website earlier today. As soon as we noticed it, we texted Valerie that we were sorry to hear the result.
She was stunned. Once again, she heard news in her own lawsuit from us, rather than from her own attorneys.
“I will never go into the abusive cult of Scientology to get further mental damage and abuse by submitting to their deranged ideology,” Valerie tells us. “The only way I would agree to a Scientology ‘arbitration’ would be if I was allowed to video the entire thing and my lawyers would be present during the entire session.”
During the Garcia arbitration, Scientology denied them the right to having an attorney present, and they also refused to make a recording or transcript of the session that the Garcias could take back to Whittemore’s court.
“Another travesty of injustice,” says Mike Rinder. “Scientology has subverted the system once again to convince the courts to effectively sanction their abusive practices. It’s sickening.”
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes were leaked to the Internet, and we (temporarily) posted embeds of the video segments and then collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
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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.
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“I heard about something the other day that made me feel rather bad. I dropped the I-76 or the Imperial Japanese Navy Trans-Pacific Submarine down into the mouth of the Columbia River, dead duck. And it went down with a resounding furor. And that was that. I never thought about it again particularly except to get mad at all the admirals I had to make reports to because of this thing, see? This was one out of 79 separate actions that I had to do with….My dad suddenly sprung on me the fact that my submarine had been causing a tremendous amount of difficulty in the mouth of the Columbia River….It’s got jagged steel sticking out at all ends and angles, and it’s a big submarine! …And the fishermen coming in there and fishing are dragging their nets around in that area, and it’s just tearing their nets to ribbons — they’ve even hired a civilian contractor to try to blow the thing up and get it the devil out of there — and has evidently been raising bob with postwar fishing here for more years than I’d care to count….I was asking my father for the address of the fishermen’s association up there to write them a letter of apology.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 23, 1956
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“Trump is fighting against the 12 guys that Ron decribed in Ron’s Journal 67. Ron had well spotted these SPs, and as you can see on the planet in the present they are still at work to crash everybody with the Covid, and establishing a worldwide government!”
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Past is Prologue
2005: New York Daily News: “Four years ago, Keith Henson, an electrical engineer, was convicted in Riverside County Superior Court of harassing members of the church. Prosecutors pointed to his picketing a Scientology film studio, and a Web chat in which he talked about aiming a ‘Cruise’ missile at the studio. Henson insists he was joking. But after being sentenced to a year in Riverside County’s jail, he says he wasn’t laughing when a law enforcement officer ‘said I was not likely to come out of jail alive.’ Henson fled to Canada. Last April, he tells us, a private eye working for the church tracked him down in Brantford, Ontario, and nearly plowed him down in an alley — just as he claims other private eyes have tried to run him off the road. Denied asylum in Canada, he’s now on the run. This week, he blew through New York. Scientology spokesman Ed Parkin calls Henson’s claims ‘absurd,’ adding, ‘he uses the media to create controversy and deflect attention from his own crimes.'”
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“When they landed on the Moon, the adults in my neighborhood were crying. I couldn’t understand it at the time.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to November 2.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
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 a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Stacy Francis, Jason Dohring, and Anne Archer]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
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 our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientologist defendants plead not guilty as Medi-Cal fraud trial scheduled for Nov 21
[TWO years ago] In 1949, psychiatrists wouldn’t touch Dianetics — so L. Ron Hubbard invented one who would
[THREE years ago] Despite Scientology’s best efforts, a Bunker reader attended Saturday’s grand opening
[FOUR years ago] Vote for Xenu! Scientologists are looking to L. Ron Hubbard for advice on the coming election
[FIVE years ago] The technology of ‘ruining’ people: Jefferson Hawkins on Scientology’s opening pitch
[SIX years ago] L. Ron Hubbard explains to a friend the real reason he wrote ‘Dianetics’
[SEVEN years ago] LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES: Summary Judgment Hearing in DeCrescenzo Forced-Abortion Lawsuit
[EIGHT years ago] British Newspaper The Sun Sneaks Reporter into Scientology Annual Gala!
[NINE years ago] Scientology Targeted South Park’s Parker and Stone in Investigation
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
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 2,098 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,602 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,122 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,142 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,033 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,340 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,208 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,982 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,786 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,102 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,668 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,587 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,755 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,336 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,597 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,635 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,348 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,873 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,403 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,963 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,103 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,423 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,278 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,397 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,753 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,056 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,162 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,564 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,436 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,019 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,514 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,768 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,877 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 23, 2020 at 14:00
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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
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