Tony Ortega's Blog, page 370
August 7, 2020
Clearwater Police release reports from closed Scientology child sex abuse investigation
The Clearwater Police department has released its investigative reports about the “Jane Doe” allegations of sexual abuse as a kindergartner at Clearwater Academy and later, as an employee of the church, and it provides a depressing look into how difficult it can be for a law enforcement agency to probe the Church of Scientology.
Jane Doe told us that she was upset to learn that these documents would become public when she told us in May that she had been informed by Clearwater PD the case was not going to be prosecuted. She said she was especially not looking forward to what the Church of Scientology would do with this information. And we confirmed with Clearwater PD that the church was on the list of those who had requested copies of them.
So, before Scientology has a chance to smear Jane Doe, we wanted to give you a look at what actually happened when she came forward hoping for help from the police agency, and alleging years of horrific treatment by the church.
On July 7, 2018, Jane Doe arrived at the Clearwater police station, supported by her friend and Aftermath Foundation vice president Aaron Smith-Levin…
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She told the police the same allegations she would also make in a civil lawsuit, which we have reported on: That as a kindegartner at Clearwater Academy, a Scientology school, she and other girls were made to undress by a gym teacher who had them touch each other sexually and then masturbated on them.
She also alleged being abused as an 11-year-old in Venezuela as an employee of Scientology. And she said that when she was 14, her parents signed her over to a guardian so she could join the Sea Org, and that guardian, a woman, coerced her into a sexual relationship.
One of the times the gym teacher was abusing her, Jane Doe said, she ran from him and broke her arm trying to burst through the gym doors. When she told her mother about the incident, her mother responded with Scientology jargon…
The police seemed impressed by Jane Doe’s veracity, and the support she was receiving from Smith-Levin…
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Jane Doe had given the Clearwater PD a lot of information, including the fact that in later years she had written Knowledge Reports — complaints filed by Scientologists against other Scientologists — about the gym teacher and the later allegations, and that Scientology should have them on file.
Detectives now set out to find who the gym teacher might have been at Clearwater Academy around 1999-2000, and to get those Knowledge Reports.
Almost immediately, however, they ran into problems. The other girls, for example, who Jane Doe said had been with her and who were also molested, told her they didn’t want to cooperate. And Scientology began to push back against requests for documents, and said they could find no Knowledge Reports that were relevant. In October 2018, three months after she had come forward, Jane Doe was told the case was likely going to be a long slog…
Over the ensuing months, Clearwater detectives diligently searched for ways to identify who might have been the gym teacher, finding several men who had been at the school and interviewing them. None of them quite matched the right time period or the description given by Jane Doe.
Scientology, meanwhile, submitted affidavit after affidavit from people saying that Jane Doe was mistaken or lying.
For example, soon after the investigation began, Jane Doe claimed that two Scientology officials, Sarah Heller and Pat Harney, had suddenly showed up where she worked in an intimidation attempt. Both Heller and Harney, in sworn documents, denied that they knew Jane Doe or had visited her workplace.
Hot tip, people: If you are being harassed by Scientology, you have to get photos or video. Scientology is quick to provide sworn denials, and then law enforcement’s hands are tied without more evidence.
Finally, on May 14, detectives met with Jane Doe and let her know that after nearly two years their efforts had failed. They could not positively identify the gym teacher, whose name she could not remember. A sworn affidavit from a Scientology employee in Venezuela denied that they had ever heard of Jane Doe being molested there. And the woman Jane Doe named as her guardian when she was 14 denied that she had been Jane Doe’s guardian or that she had raped her.
Jane Doe was inconsolable and angry. Here’s the report the police produced for that day’s meeting, and it provides a pretty good description of the overall case…
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After the police told her they were closing the case, she told us that she went to her attorneys and asked that the civil lawsuit be dismissed.
She has struggled since then, and she told us she fears Scientology continuing to retaliate against her.
We told her she had done the right thing when she came forward, and we pointed out how much support she received from the readers of this website.
Clearwater police expended considerable resources investigating these allegations, and we can’t fault them for the steps they described in these reports. But we’re glad to get them, because they show just how daunting it can be when you’re faced with an organization that lawyers up and denies, denies, denies.
Are there Knowledge Reports in Scientology’s files that actually back up Jane Doe’s allegations?
AdvertisementScientology says they don’t exist. And who’s going to open up their files to see if they’re telling the truth?
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“You’d be surprised how often you find a wrong date. And you’re running the Helatrobus implants, so you think, and you go right into the next goal for which you’ve listed. And then you try to get ‘absolutably’ and you can’t get a rocket read, and you say, what’s happened? TA’s up and stuck. I’ve got this next goal ‘to be a goof.’ It’s obviously the next goal in line, only it isn’t here. Shucks, man, you’re probably running a Bear implant. It’s probably shot back on the track Lord knows where, because the one thing a GPM won’t do is properly time. You can duration a GPM and you can time a GPM and you can get the date of a GPM almost endlessly. Why? Because its primary basis is lousing up time. Those two opposing items fire against each other — sound like time to the PC — produces a no-change situation. So the GPM floats on the track and so it’s very difficult to time a GPM. So it’s just nothing to get the next GPM in line to run, and find out that it isn’t at forty-three trillion but at fifteen trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion. Embarrassing. Eventually you go back and start looking for wrong dates on the case, and you finally locate that ‘to be a goof’ is not the next Helatrobus GPM but a GPM which exists in the early limbos of nowhere.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 7, 1963
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“I consider this Justin Craig guy to be a plant under DM’s control and on a mission to further mess up the FZ Field. His ‘tech’ is squirrel and specifically designed to mess up OT cases with a bunch of fancy sounding nonsense, very well disguised, sprinkled here and there with bits of truths which would potentially resonate to the OT’s reality, in order to pull them more into MEST, and of course onto his lines. It offers a mystery sandwich to those who, by having done their levels partly or fully on the church’s bridge, may of course still have unanswered questions and issues. I found myself that before doing Excalibur (100 percent LRH TECH despite the lies about it) a Thetan is still not an OT per LRH’s definition. The church does not allow their public this Tech as they of course do NOT want real OT’s but zombies who obey without arguing and keep forever coughing up the cash. I in no way intend to invalidate nor evaluate anyone’s case level, knowledge or accomplishments; I just found the above to be a fact.”
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“My IP was blocked from the Washington Times comments because I kept bringing up the Rev. Moon connection so I started using Tor, then they started using an app that could tell you were using a proxy. Cults SUCK.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
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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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientologists behaving badly: What’s prison time to a trillion-year-old thetan?
[TWO years ago] Proof that the US government has all it needs to act on Scientology — and it has for 50 years
[THREE years ago] ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’: Mike Rinder answers a few of our questions after TCA win
[FOUR years ago] Scientology’s sneaky anti-psychiatry front has found a new way to target kids in Florida
[FIVE years ago] How Scientology sets up its members to find themselves helpless in court
[SIX years ago] Camilla Andersson on Tom Cruise, and a gift for the Scientologist who has everything!
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology’s US Supreme Court Petition Gets Boost from National Council of Churches
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology’s Recruitment Film: The Version They Don’t Want You to See
[NINE years ago] Scientology Goons Exposed: “Make Marty’s Life a Living Hell”
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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 2,022 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,526 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,046 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,066 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 957 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,264 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,132 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,906 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,710 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,026 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,592 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,511 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,679 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,260 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,521 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,559 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,272 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,797 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,327 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,887 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,027 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,347 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,202 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,321 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,677 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,980 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,086 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,488 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,360 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,943 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,438 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,692 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,801 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 7, 2020 at 08:15
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
August 6, 2020
Hollywood fixture Paul Barresi files lawsuit against Trader Joe’s for bizarre incident
[Paul Barresi]
In April, the Daily Mail described Paul Barresi as a “notorious private investigator” who had been hired by Amber Heard to dig up dirt on her ex-husband Johnny Depp. According to that story, Heard’s request backfired when Barresi not only couldn’t find anyone with a bad word to say about the Pirates of the Caribbean actor, but then he also went public with it.
AdvertisementHollywood ‘fixer’ Paul Barresi says he was hired by Heard’s legal team last summer to find people who had been verbally or physically abused by Depp and be star witnesses in the upcoming defamation cases in the UK and US.
Barresi, who has worked for the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Eddie Murphy, explained he was hired to look into Depp’s ‘follies and vices’ dating as far back as the actor’s Viper Room days, which he co-owned in the 1990s.
But Barresi said he couldn’t find anyone who had a bad word to say against Depp, 56, even after interviewing over 100 people across the US and Europe who had worked with Depp on films dating back 30 years.
Over the years, Barresi has been involved in a number of high-profile Hollywood kerfuffles, and we’ve mentioned him here at the Underground Bunker in the past: We credited him with bringing us one of our all-time strangest stories, about Michael Jackson and his close personal friend, porn director Marc Schaffel. Currently, the 71-year-old US Air Force veteran is assisting the Ventura Police Department with its investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Johnny Depp’s former business partner, Anthony Fox.
And now Barresi has surprised us again, but this time with something that’s just flat-out bizarre. He’s filed a lawsuit against Trader Joe’s.
According to the lawsuit filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court, in December Barresi was shopping at a Trader Joe’s store in Rancho Cucamonga, where he lives, when he and another customer, an elderly woman, accidentally bumped into each other.
After making sure the woman was OK, the two of them wished each other happy holidays and were about to continue shopping. But that’s when something really strange happened.
According to the lawsuit, a Trader Joe’s employee approached Barresi and said to him, “Faggot, I bet you would not talk to a real man that way.” He then ordered Barresi out of the store.
When Barresi refused to leave, the employee then allegedly grabbed Barresi’s arms and shoved him, saying, “You need to leave now, old man.” The employee then turned to the store’s assistant manager, Luke Saito, and said, “Hey Luke, come help me throw this old faggot out of here.”
Barresi is apparently so upset about how he was treated, he’s suing with the help of attorney Ritchie M. Lewis.
“We know that the employee was terminated right after this incident,” says Lewis, who tells us that he and Barresi are waiting for a legal response to the lawsuit from Trader Joe’s attorneys.
We put in a request for comment with the grocery company, and we’ll let you know if they get back to us.
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THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, politics, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you’re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 6, 2020 at 10:00
Nazanin Boniadi chides Karen Bass for ‘insufficient’ statement on Scientology speech
[Nazanin Boniadi and Karen Bass]
Of all the reactions to the controversy over possible VP choice Karen Bass’s 2010 appearance at a Scientology event, we sure didn’t see this one coming: Nazanin Boniadi, the actress who was auditioned and chosen by Scientology to date Tom Cruise in 2004, has for the first time spoken out publicly in any way about the organization she was once a part of.
Yesterday afternoon, Nazanin posted three tweets calling out Bass for the statement she made — and then corrected — about why she shared a stage with Scientology leader David Miscavige at the grand opening event for the Los Angeles “Ideal Org” on April 24, 2004…
1/ @RepBass, your statement is insufficient given the countless people who have bravely come forward to expose their personal abuses by this organization — abuses that amount to no less than oppression, at a very large scale.
Advertisement2/ @RepKarenBass, in your effusive speech at the opening of their LA headquarters you said “we must fight against oppression wherever we may find it.” Which leads me to ask: how will you stand up for those who’ve been oppressed by an organization you seem to be standing beside?
3/ @RepKarenBass, as a Congressional leader, and the chair of the CBC no less, we all expect more from you in this moment.
Karen Bass’s appearance at the Ideal Org event became an issue when her name emerged as one of the women being considered for running mate by presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Last week, the Daily Caller first raised the issue that Bass had helped out Scientology with the 2010 speech. We pointed out that she had also sent congratulatory messages to Scientology or its front groups in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
On Saturday, Bass put out a statement saying that she had attended the speech because it was in her district, and that although she was a Baptist, she spoke out on issues that she had in common with Scientology.
We reported on Monday, however, that when Bass gave that speech, she was the representative in California’s 47th Assembly District, and the event had taken place in the 45th District, which was represented by someone else.
So on Wednesday, Bass put out a new statement, correcting that error, and Politico reported that a spokesman for Bass admitted that he had written the mistaken statement that the event was in her district at the time.
It was to that story by Politico that Nazanin linked in her statement, saying that Bass was still not providing an adequate statement about why she was “standing beside” a group like Scientology, which works children for little or no pay, rips families apart as a method of control, and has forced young women to have abortions for decades.
[Not only did Karen Bass give a speech that day in 2010, but so did disgraced LA Sheriff Lee Baca, seen here with Scientology leader David Miscavige.]
Nazanin’s story was revealed by Maureen Orth at Vanity Fair in 2012, and then became a compelling part of the 2015 HBO movie ‘Going Clear.’ Those narratives explained that in 2004, Shelly Miscavige, leader David Miscavige’s wife, was tasked with finding Tom Cruise a new companion after he broke up with Penelope Cruz, and so actresses were called in for auditions, not knowing the true part they were trying out for. The process selected Boniadi, who was a Scientologist.
In order to convince Boniadi to ditch her boyfriend, who was also a Scientologist, confidential information in his Scientology folders was culled and shown to Nazanin in order to convince her to break up with him. After an expensive makeover paid for by Scientology, she then dated Cruise from November 2004 to January 2005.
Just last week we provided even more new information about Nazanin’s experience courtesy of Leah Remini, who told us that Nazanin complained not only about the way Scientology had selected her to date Cruise, but that Scientology officials Tommy Davis and Jessica Feshbach even tried to give her instructions on how to please him in the bedroom.
AdvertisementAfter that experience, Nazanin left Scientology and spoke with the FBI during its 2009-2010 human trafficking investigation of Scientology. But she has never spoken publicly about Scientology, and it’s really pretty stunning to see her do so now.
Some published reports are saying that Biden has settled on two top choices for running mate — Kamala Harris and Susan Rice — and the news focus on Karen Bass may soon go away. But we expect that politicians now understand better than ever that it doesn’t pay to associate with the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige.
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“This planet is part of an earlier federation and passed out of its control due to losses in war and other such things. Now, this larger confederacy, this isn’t its right name, but we have often called it and referred to it in the past as the Marcab Confederacy. And it has been wrongly or rightly pointed to as one of the tail stars of the Big Dipper, which is the capital planet of which this planet is. Now, all this sounds very Space Opera-ish and that sort of thing, and I’m sorry for it, but I am not one to quibble about the truth. This gets in people’s hair every now and then, and I don’t see any point in lying in order to be acceptable. It just doesn’t seem to be a right way to go about things, particularly in the realm of science.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 6, 1963
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“As I continued getting auditing — most recently N.E.D. — and studying, I became increasingly more certain that I was Clear. I began having rapid-fire cognitions that not only was I Clear, but a past life Clear, at that. THAT made a LOT of sense. I hadn’t ‘recreated’ Scientology on my own, I had ‘remembered’ it. The funny thing to me is that many times when I heard other past-lifers talk about their feelings of not quite ‘fitting in’ and some of their cognitions, I’d thought, ‘yeah, right. I have that too.’ It never occurred to me that I had that too because I was that too.”
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“What kinda nut would think you could listen to Martians on an E-meter? Any sane person knows the only way you could listen to Martians is when you’re at the implant station on Mars, sheesh.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology’s secret weapon to get its clutches on your children
[TWO years ago] If it’s wrong to love Scientology hip-hop, we don’t want to be right
[THREE years ago] Scientology subjects young children to quack therapies — now, someone is taking a stand
[FOUR years ago] So much for all that: Attempt by Garcias to revive Scientology lawsuit shot down by judge
[FIVE years ago] Um, about that story claiming Will Smith got a ‘refund’ from his broke-ass shuttered school…
[SIX years ago] Maybe the saddest Scientology promo video ever, and a history lesson from Mark Bunker!
[SEVEN years ago] Mary Sue Hubbard’s Last Will Fulfilled: Her Dog Bereft of Life, It’s Time to Sell Her House!
[NINE years ago] Scientology Delirium: Commenters of the Week!
——————–
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 2,021 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,525 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,045 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,065 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 956 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,263 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,131 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,905 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,709 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,025 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,591 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,510 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,678 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,259 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,520 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,558 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,271 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,796 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,326 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,886 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,026 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,346 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,201 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,320 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,676 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,979 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,085 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,487 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,359 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,942 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,437 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,691 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,800 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 6, 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
August 5, 2020
As Los Angeles schools prepare to reopen, Scientology keeps trying to worm its way in
[Tom Cruise at the 2003 grand opening of the new Applied Scholastics headquarters in Missouri]
As if Los Angeles educators didn’t have enough to worry about with school re-opening in a couple of weeks, Scientology has chosen this moment to make another push with its “Applied Scholastics” front operation.
Our source with access to a private Scientology social media feed forwarded a notice that Scientologists were encouraged to read, urging them to take part in a campaign to convince local schools to sample the free curriculum resources Scientology has pushed for decades.
“I’m sending over a free resource that will help your teachers improve their students’ literacy and test scores,” says the email message which Scientologists are encouraged to send out under their own names to random local schools.
Educators are encouraged to look at material from Applied Scholastics, one of Scientology’s many front operations that are intended to burnish Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s reputation while keeping the connection to the church on the down-low. Applied Scholastics does its best to convince school district to adopt its “Study Technology” that Hubbard claimed was a superior way to learn.
It emphasizes the use of a dictionary for looking up words, clay modeling for understanding examples, and learning gradually more difficult subjects on a gradient. None of these concepts on their own is objectionable, but this is Scientology, so everything is done to a ridiculous extreme, and for the purpose of preparing people to accept Scientology itself.
AdvertisementApplied Scholastics is one of several operations that fall under the Association for Better Living and Education, which is staffed by Sea Org workers, Scientologists who have signed billion-year contracts, promising to come back lifetime after lifetime to promote Scientology’s ends.
Here’s the message that Scientologists are being encouraged to send out to their local schools…
Meanwhile, there’s also a push from Scientology’s membership organization, the International Association of Scientologists, which is asking people to attend a virtual event on Saturday, promising “inspiring news updates.”
That flier was sent out with this uplifting musical message…
And, we know this is hard to believe, but that IAS promo and video were sent to Angelo Pagan — yes, Leah Remini’s husband — from a Scientologist who somehow didn’t notice that they’d left the church. Now that’s a Scientologist who is shielding themselves from entheta!
Meanwhile, here’s another Scientology enabler, a Los Angeles community college psychology instructor willing to help out Scientology’s most unhinged front group, the wacky anti-psychiatry folks at Citizens Commission on Human Rights…
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Imagine allying with Scientology at this point in its history. We sent an email to Professor Cain to see if she’ll explain what she’s thinking.
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Bonus items from our tipsters
Another success story!
Worth the wait?
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Again with The Matrix…
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“The admiral’s office thinks very poorly of a person who gives any understanding to a crew about what they’re about, and who thinks very poorly of a ship that has fairly good morale. To have good morale is a condemnation. Got this? Now, that expediency goes up to a final peak where, man’s walking down the street, he’s picked up, he’s taken down to a spaceship, he’s laid in a bunk, he’s strapped down, given an injection. A speaker-phone starts going yap-yap-yap at him, indoctrinates him as a member of the crew, wipes out all former memory, works him over in general and he’s now part of the navy. Get the idea? It goes down to total no-determinism. Now, you just think I’m showing you a few of my engrams. They’re not my engrams; they’re the engrams of this race, and of all races in all times.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 5, 1958
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“Trey Lotz promoted and supported Justin Craig in his claim to be the reincarnation of L. Ronald Hubbard. He even posted a win accompanied by a picture of himself and his wife with Craig, a/k/a Lafayette, to be seen by all in the independent field. Justin Craig is the biggest deceiver; not only does he allege he is Hubbard reincarnated but he plagiarized LRH’s processes and altered them for his convenience. Trey Lotz promoted and supported those squirrel processes, and in return Craig went onto expelling Trey from his squirrel group and declared that Scientology is dead! This created disturbance and disrepute in the independent Scientology field.”
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“One man’s moonbat is another man’s freedom fighter. Winning is the only thing that truly matters.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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] Scientology is the coolest religion on earth, video proves
[TWO years ago] California is on fire, and Scientology naturally sees a golden recruiting opportunity
[THREE years ago] An unusual Scientology advertisement leads to new intel on secretive ‘Int Base’
[FOUR years ago] Florida man sues medical sleep testing company after its dapper CEO forced Scientology on him
[FIVE years ago] What really happens at a Scientology rehab? Nick Lister dishes on the Narconon experience
[SIX years ago] Mareka Brousseau compares growing up in Scientology to The Hunger Games
[SEVEN years ago] Will Shelly Miscavige Be Trotted Out at the Celebrity Centre Gala As a PR Stunt?
[EIGHT years ago] Movie Night at Scientology’s New York “Org”: The Village Voice Gets Proselytized!
[NINE years ago] The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology
[ELEVEN years ago] Tom Cruise and Scientology: A Very French Kiss
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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 2,020 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,524 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,044 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,064 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 955 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,262 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,130 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,904 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,708 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,024 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,590 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,509 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,677 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,258 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,519 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,557 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,270 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,795 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,325 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,885 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,025 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,345 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,200 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,319 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,675 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,978 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,084 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,486 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,358 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,941 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,436 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,690 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,799 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 5, 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
August 4, 2020
Leah Remini podcast: The ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’ episode that never aired
[Heber Jentzsch and John Travolta]
In November 2018, your proprietor got to see an episode of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath that ended up never airing. And the hell of it is, it was maybe the best episode Leah and Mike had ever done.
It was thrilling. And scary. And infuriating. And it had its start here at the Underground Bunker, actually.
Back in May 2018, we shared with you a letter that Tammy Clark received from her uncle, Heber Jentzsch.
At one time, Heber was one of the most recognizable faces in Scientology. In the 1980s and into the 1990s, he was more than just a spokesman for Scientology, he was an ambassador for it, and he developed real relationships with journalists, some of whom still, to this day, tell us they miss interacting with him.
But at some point, as it happens to all officials in Scientology, he ran afoul of ultimate leader David Miscavige, who then banished him to the Hole in 2004 along with other top lieutenants. He’s rarely been seen since.
AdvertisementHis niece Tammy was just wondering what happened to him, and was surprised to get that letter. She was suspicious about it. It sounded like someone else had written it for him.
Then, after Valerie Haney escaped from the base where Heber was in the Hole — Gold Base near Hemet, California — she brought out word in 2017 that Heber was doing badly, and that he had to be propped up to pretend to be healthy for some video that was made.
So Leah Remini and Mike Rinder decided to make an episode of ‘Aftermath’ by taking Tammy Clark to see her uncle. What unfolded, with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office playing foil, was scary and crazy-making. We’ll let you hear the story from Leah and Mike in their newest podcast. But what made the episode thrilling, for example, was that one of the Sheriff’s office employees agreed to speak — just off camera, concealing their identity — in order to confirm what Leah and Mike knew, that the Sheriff’s Office was complicit with Scientology and essentially terrified of trying to police the base.
And even scarier: After their failed attempt to see Heber, Tammy herself became the target of a frightening Fair Game campaign by Scientology, and we saw Mike taking calls from her that was some of the best footage in the series.
Well, this is a great use of the new podcast, to do those things they were unable to do on television. Let’s talk about it!
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Your proprietor on the airwaves
Seth Andrews invited us back and we had a fun conversation with him.
Advertisement
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“Dianetics has probably got more history per square inch connected with it than any other activity that’s ever occurred on this planet. The planet has really never recovered from the impact. That’s the truth of the matter. Along about ’51 or something like that I stopped shoving Dianetics as such, you see, why it sort of left the missing step at the bottom of the steps, you know, sort of feeling. It gives very definite, if somewhat superficial, clues to human behavior. I say somewhat superficially —it’s hilarious, you know, sometimes, somebody trying to find his aberrations in this lifetime. This poor bloke that just went on a mad jihad or amok —that’s the word. The Malays go amok. And we had an American university boy go amok the other day and got up in the tower of the University of Texas and slaughtered a lot of people with rifles and that sort of thing. It was interesting to me that he’d just been to see a psychiatrist. Told the psychiatrist all about it, that he had impulses to do it and so forth. And the psychiatrist said, ‘Good boy.’ And the fellow didn’t turn up for his next appointment. The psychiatrist never much bothered about it and then he went out and killed about 39 people or, I don’t know what the figure was, 14 or something like that. But it was interesting to me just as a little side comment, that if you read carefully into such cases — movie star commits suicide — just been to see a psychiatrist.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 4, 1966
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“What I find interesting is how critics focus on small details of Ron’s life and try and discredit him with ‘lies’ about them. I don’t care if he went to a particular university or not. These are teeny, unimportant details compared to the unbelievably inhuman ability to put together a whole body of workable tech that is mindblowing.”
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“He needs to do a comeback flick, something full of pathos that will tug at people’s heartstrings like ‘Fresh Prince: Down and Out In Bel Air’.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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] Scientologist-led anti-vaxx ‘Conscience Coalition’ is off to a humble start
[TWO years ago] Ron Miscavige: ‘When I look back, it reminds me of stories I heard of the Stasi in East Germany’
[THREE years ago] Almost four years after its grand opening, a new look inside Scientology’s ‘Super Power’
[FOUR years ago] Nancy Cartwright’s ‘defense’ of Scientology is the saddest thing ever
[FIVE years ago] London! And a member of government asks us, what can we do about Scientology?
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s newest testimonials video is everything you want it to be
[SEVEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology Puts the Fun in Fundraising!
[EIGHT years ago] Chick Corea, Heber Jentzsch, Ingo Swann, and Scientology’s 1977 OT Summit!
——————–
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 2,019 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,523 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,043 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,063 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 954 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,261 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,129 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,903 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,707 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,023 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,589 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,508 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,676 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,257 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,518 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,556 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,269 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,794 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,324 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,884 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,024 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,344 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,199 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,318 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,674 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,977 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,083 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,485 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,357 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,940 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,435 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,689 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,798 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 4, 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
August 3, 2020
Karen Bass says she attended Scientology event because it was in her district. But it wasn’t.
On Saturday, Karen Bass reacted to the media frenzy about her appearance at a 2010 Scientology event by putting out a statement about it.
“Just so you all know, I proudly worship at First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in South LA,” she said.
She then went on to explain why she shared a stage with Scientology leader David Miscavige on April 24, 2010 for the grand opening of a new “Ideal Org” on Sunset Boulevard in a neighborhood of Los Angeles known as East Hollywood.
This became a major news story on Friday when the Daily Caller pointed it out because Bass has recently emerged as someone presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is considering as a running mate. If Biden is elected at 77, his choice of vice president is especially crucial, since he may serve only one term. Who he picks for VP would have a serious leg up on becoming president in turn.
AdvertisementReaction to the news of Bass’s 2010 speech for Scientology was so robust, she attempted to tamp it down with the statement she released on Saturday. Here’s the entirety of it…
Just so you all know, I proudly worship at First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in South LA.
Ten years ago, I attended a new building opening in my district and spoke to what I think all of us believe in — respect for one another’s views, to treat all people with respect, and to fight against oppression wherever we find it. I found an area of agreement in their beliefs — where all people, of whatever race, color, or creed are created with equal rights, which is what my remarks were about.
Since then, published first-hand accounts in books, interviews and documentaries have exposed this group. Everyone is now aware of the allegations against Scientology. Back in 2010, I attended the event knowing I was going to address a group of people with beliefs very different than my own, and spoke briefly about things I think most of us agree with, and on those things — respect for different views, equality, and fighting oppression — my views have not changed.
It’s certainly true that since 2010 Scientology has been exposed like never before, particularly in the 2015 HBO documentary “Going Clear” and in Leah Remini’s A&E series “Scientology and the Aftermath,” which ran for three seasons, 2016-2019, and in books by Janet Reitman (2011), Lawrence Wright (2013), Leah Remini (2015), and Ron Miscavige (2016). And if Bass now is having second thoughts about Scientology because of those major exposes, then we think it’s a good thing.
However, we wanted to raise a couple of issues about her statement.
First, she says that she attended the 2010 event because the new Ideal Org was in her district.
But checking the map, we don’t think that’s true.
The Ideal Org Scientology opened that day is on Sunset Boulevard and L. Ron Hubbard Way (formerly Berendo St), in a neighborhood of Los Angeles known as East Hollywood.
In 2010, before the district maps of California were redrawn the next year, Scientology’s new building was located in Assembly District 45, which was represented by Assemblyman Kevin de León at the time.
Karen Bass represented District 47, which was to the west and southwest of Scientology’s location, and included such areas as Culver City, UCLA, and Baldwin Hills.
The Los Angeles Ideal Org that opened in 2010 was not in Bass’s assembly district, despite what she says today, and raises even more questions about why she decided it was a good idea to appear at the grand opening.
[In 2010, California Assembly districts were still using boundaries set after the 2000 Census, and the location of the Scientology Ideal Org, indicated by the red star, was well inside the 45th District, which was represented at the time by Kevin de León. Karen Bass’s 47th District can be seen at the lower left.]
A year later, on November 5, 2011, Scientology opened another set of buildings. One was another “Ideal Org,” this time in Inglewood, and the other was a nearby community center on Vermont Avenue in South Los Angeles. According to a Scientology press release, Bass sent a message to congratulate Scientology for the community center…
Congresswoman Karen Bass wrote a message acknowledging the Church for “its many humanitarian initiatives and social betterment programs for the benefit of South Los Angeles.”
By that time, Bass had been elected to Congress as a US Representative, and she’s been reelected four times since then.
In 2011, the new community center was in Bass’s congressional district, the 33rd, which included that part of South Los Angeles. Perhaps she was thinking of that when she put out her statement on Saturday. (After 2011, the district lines were redrawn and today Bass represents California’s 37th congressional district.)
Scientology press releases also indicate that Bass sent congratulations to one of Scientology’s front groups, Youth for Human Rights, in 2012 and 2013.
So, over a period from 2010 to 2013, Bass could be relied on to provide Scientology with a pat on the back as either a member of California’s Assembly or the US Congress.
Scientology works hard to obtain such recognition. In 2017, we obtained emails which showed Scientology trying its best to convince San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer to attend the Ideal Org grand opening in that city. For the most part, those efforts don’t succeed, and they didn’t work with San Diego’s mayor. But over the years some politicians of note have been convinced to make a personal appearance…
[Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman]
[Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton]
[Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado]
[US Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart]
[Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson]
[US Congressman Charles Rangel]
For the most part, however, politicians know well enough to stay away from an organization that has worked children 90 hours a week for little or no pay, split up families in order to maintain totalitarian control over their lives, and has for decades forced young women to have abortions in order to keep working around the clock.
As to those revelations, the second point we wanted to bring up about Bass’s statement was her assertion that Scientology was only exposed after 2010.
Of course, if you read this website, you know that Scientology’s abuses have been repeatedly unmasked almost from the very beginning of the Dianetics movement in 1950, from Martin Gardner eviscerating L. Ron Hubbard’s claims in 1952, to the British press savaging Hubbard in the 1960s, to Paulette Cooper’s book and subsequent targeting in the early 1970s, to the largest raid in FBI history on the church in 1977.
And of course, how could we not mention a major series in Karen Bass’s own hometown that was published by the Los Angeles Times in 1990, resulting in Scientology taking out billboards around town to counter it.
But even if we assume that Bass somehow was unaware of Scientology’s long controversial past, the period after 2005 and leading up to her April 2010 appearance was one of the most fervent for Scientology exposes. The reason? Tom Cruise.
After Time magazine published its 1991 cover story by Richard Behar, “Scientology: The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power,” the publication was sued by Scientology for $416 million. Although Time eventually got the lawsuit dismissed, it spent millions defending itself in court, and that produced a chilling effect that made other publications hesitant about taking on Scientology as a subject. But then, in 2005 Tom Cruise, who had been a member of the church since 1986, became especially gung-ho and began speaking out about Scientology in ways that were mostly disastrous, like his argument with Matt Lauer on the Today show. Cruise then retreated to near silence about the church, but the floodgates had been opened, and thanks to Tom the media in those years became especially interested in Scientology reporting. Some examples:
Nov 2005: ‘South Park’ illustrates the “Xenu” story in its episode “Trapped in the Closet.”
Feb 2006: Rolling Stone writer Janet Reitman digs deep into Scientology’s controversies.
Apr 2008: Jenna Miscavige Hill appears on Nightline to expose her uncle, Scientology leader David Miscavige.
Jun 2009: “The Truth Rundown” appears in the Tampa Bay Times, an explosive series with cooperation of top former church officials.
And just the month before Bass’s speech, Anderson Cooper presented a five-part special on CNN that had grown out of the Tampa Bay Times series, as did the New York Times, which did a story that March on defectors like Christie Collbran, who is now married to Mike Rinder.
In April 2010, was it really possible for Karen Bass to be completely ignorant of these many explosive stories and television shows about Scientology? We find that kind of doubtful.
But again, it’s good to see that she is, today, pointing out that Scientology has been exposed as a controversial group, which didn’t sit well with one of its most visible (and unhinged) celebrities…
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If Biden does choose Bass to be his running mate, she really should face even more questions about why she was a reliable shill for David Miscavige for several years.
But it almost might be worth it to see Kirstie Alley burst a blood vessel.
——————–
Bonus items from our tipsters
Hey, let’s raise some money for a Puerto Rico Ideal Org with a slightly used backyard grill!
——————–
“If you ever want to see tiredness overwhelm the PC, run him into the area of the whole track called Arslycus. And there thetans were actively producing matter, you see. And they were hanging off walls, making walls and making tilework and mocking everything up and smoothing it out and you couldn’t get away….How about the fellow who ran Arslycus? How about the overt, man? Look at that level of overt. Thetans by the ton, all around, working like mad to build walls and build this and build that and finally, through some mysterious circumstance that nobody has ever been able to trace, Arslycus fell apart and everybody fell and fell and fell. It, by the way, wasn’t on a planet. It was, of course, just a construction out in space as itself. Nobody had invented planets yet and planets undoubtedly were invented to cure things happening that happened at Arslycus because they had walls and roads and courts and houses and towering buildings and everything. And of course they just ran without foundation, Uninfluenced with gravity or anything else. And one fine day it all fell apart.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 3, 1961
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“On a really positive note I attested to my advanced level yesterday. Took a year of slogging away, digging that ditch and blowing away mountains of charge to complete! Feels like a thick concentric layer of case has been handled finally! It’s just awesome. I love the newfound space to stretch my theta muscles and postulate with far less CI! All my dynamics feel calm and focused in alignment. You only know there was a large background noise when it switches off haha!”
——————–
“Hubbard went after anyone like a honey badger who tried to make one thin dime off of his con. If he remotely suspected you had plagiarized his plagiarizing he would declare you and sic the GO/OSA on your ass. He did this to the crazy couple who started the the Process Church and he also notoriously went after Werner Erhard, the conman who created EST. Erhard claimed that LRH had put out a contract on him.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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] Out of sight, out of MIND: How Scientology tried & failed to destroy psychiatry in the UK
[TWO years ago] The two-wheeled spy who loves Blighty: An action report
[THREE years ago] ‘Going Clear’ author Lawrence Wright celebrates a milestone with a different kind of keyboard
[FOUR years ago] Scientology appeals $1 million loss to Florida supreme court, and Ken Dandar gets canny
[FIVE years ago] Scientology’s Freedom magazine congratulates itself for going ‘Ideal’
[SIX years ago] Sunday Funnies: More Scientology fliers than you can shake a stick at
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology’s Crumbling: Can Gerry Armstrong Begin to Think of Crossing the Border?
[EIGHT years ago] Mimi Faust’s Mother, Olaiya Odufunke: Her Life in Scientology’s Secret Service
[NINE years ago] Scientology Uses Its Movie Stars to Woo Politicians, Says Former Top Exec
——————–
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 2,018 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,522 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,042 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,062 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 953 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,260 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,128 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,902 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,706 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,022 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,588 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,507 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,675 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,256 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,517 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,555 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,268 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,793 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,323 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,883 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,023 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,343 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,198 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,317 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,673 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,976 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,082 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,484 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,356 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,939 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,434 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,688 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,797 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 3, 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
August 2, 2020
VIDEO LEAK explains how to rope in the unsuspecting: ‘We don’t explain Scientology’
We have a leaked webinar from Scientology’s Belleair Mission on being a Field Staff Member, or FSM. The mission is not actually in Belleair, Florida but rather the city of Largo and only about four miles from the Flag Land Base in Clearwater.
Field Staff Members are supposed to help Scientology bring in new people, but how do you do that these days when there’s so much negative information about Scientology handily available?
Long time Scientologist John Cowden begins the webinar by reading the purpose of an FSM from L. Ron Hubbard’s policy (HCO PL 9 May 65, Field Auditors Become Staff). “The purpose of a Field Staff Member is to help LRH contact, handle, salvage and bring to understanding the individual and thus the peoples of earth.”
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FSMs receive a commission on the services their new Scientologist buys. Ten percent for processing, 15 percent for training. Cowden describes how to make new Scientologists by finding their “ruin,” a Scientology word that means identifying a problem in somebody’s life that can make them vulnerable to recruitment. Cowden describes his targets and methods.
Somebody who realizes we’re not just another self help-group. We’re the way out. And they get to this point by certain sub-products that we achieve with them, and it starts with the ruin. We find an individual’s ruin because we’re really good at it. We can do it comfortably. We have a lot of ARC and they like the fact that we have a lot of ARC for them so they open up and tell us all about their ruin because we’ve got TRs. Nobody else does, nobody else really knows the ARC Triangle like us. So the very first sub-product is the contact point where we find the real ruin for the person. We don’t explain Scientology. We don’t overwhelm them. We don’t tell them all about it and show them a whole bunch of stuff because they’re really not interested. They’re actually interested in themselves.
There’s no pretense here about Scientologists making voluntary donations. FSMs are about selling.
The person’s already sold when they come in. The FSM’s already done the step to sell them the course. And here’s where LRH says that. “A selectee goes at once to the Registrar — buys his service right then. We don’t hold him up. No interview, they’ve been interviewed. Don’t let anybody in any way close the door or slow the entrance. Open it up.” That’s what the org is for. Open it up.
Next up is Carlo Di Lorenzo, a staff member at the Kansas City Ideal Org. He provides a quote from LRH that every Scientologist should bring one person into the org every month. Assuming they all become Scientologists and in turn bring in one new person per month, Carlo has calculated that 50 FMSs could make over 200,000 new Scientologists in a year. This is a number that Scientology has never reached in its history, and we confidently predict will never achieve in its future. Di Lorenzo then runs a drill with webinar participants to contact a person in their phone contact list to contact and bring them into the org to begin services.
— Rod Keller
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Bonus items from our tipsters
AdvertisementAn unprecedented health crisis, and raising a small child. But hey, priorities!
Joining the Sea Org next month! Hip, hip, hooray!
Stock photo, Scientology jargon name, yeah, sketchy as hell…
——————–
“Now, what’s the matter with the planet at this particular time is ethics is out. And that is proven by the fact that you are having a hard time getting tech in. With the technology which you know at this particular moment and the results which you are delivering even at lower levels, you have a total monopoly of all mental activities, all religious activities and all social activities on this planet. That is what you are entitled to at this moment. Do you have them? Well, therefore, tech is out. Obvious. So, the only thing that puts tech out is if ethics is out. The only thing that can get tech in is ethics.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 2, 1966
——————–
“I was born a Jew, migrated to the UK, did Scientology, got to a glorious state called Clear, was then told I am not Clear, tried to get my money back, had a little legal fight, was declared. And then I actually found my truth through Illuminati. I found a world within a world that changed what I know about the world — I found the power within me and within others which make every single atom in this world seem like a full world, and that everything has a meaning, and if searched well, you can find the meaning yourself. But then I noticed that the Illuminati was also promoting bad things, so I searched again and then I discovered NES — New Era Scientology. NES was founded by a person called Lafayette, who is the reincarnation of Ron Hubbard himself. He continues to expand the betterment of an individual, and he expands the technology that stopped evolving since the 80’s. I am thankful for him as I feel I can have a future and I can go OT and will be able to verify my Clear state. Thank you, and may the good eye of the Illuminati be with you always!”
——————–
“Massholio is 4 months of winter wasteland followed by a month of sumptuous spring followed by four months of hellish heat and humidity followed by two and half months of fabulous fall weather. There’s definitely room for improvement, Sherb.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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] Scientology finds a friendly physician to help out in its attack on an effective drug
[TWO years ago] Colombian roast: Will Scientologists care about David Miscavige’s latest fraud?
[THREE years ago] Carol Nyburg is back, and she has a Scientology story that will rough you up
[FOUR years ago] For Scientology’s most infamous dirty trickster, retirement has a happy ending
[FIVE years ago] Garcias’ appeal rejected; now the couple faces the real possibility of Scientology arbitration
[SIX years ago] Video proof that Scientology makes you a stellar communicator
[SEVEN years ago] Underground Bunker Night at The TomKat Project — Get Your Tickets Now!
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology’s Concentration Camp for Its Executives: The Prisoners, Past and Present
[NINE years ago] Scientology Goes Hillbilly; Also, Broke in Ireland and Big in DC
——————–
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 2,017 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,521 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,041 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,061 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 952 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,259 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,127 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,901 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,705 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,021 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,587 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,506 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,674 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,255 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,516 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,554 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,267 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,792 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,322 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,882 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,022 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,342 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,197 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,316 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,672 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,975 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,081 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,483 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,355 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,938 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,433 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,687 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,796 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 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
August 1, 2020
Two years after filing their appeal, why there’s hope for the Garcias against Scientology
[Luis and Rocio Garcia and the Eleventh Circuit]
Luis and Rocio Garcia have waited more than two years for their appeal to be heard in their derailed lawsuit against the Church of Scientology, and after oral arguments on Thursday, there may actually be a glimmer of hope.
According to Law360, which listened in on the telephonic oral arguments held by the court in Atlanta, two judges on the three-judge panel asked questions that make it sound like they are somewhat skeptical about how Tampa Judge James Whittemore handled the Garcia lawsuit and granted Scientology’s motion to force the Orange County couple and their claims of being defrauded as big-money donors into “religious arbitration.”
One of the disputes in the case, for example, was that Scientology admitted that in its entire 60-plus year history, it had never held a “religious arbitration” before, and the Garcias pointed out that in fact founder L. Ron Hubbard didn’t describe rules for such an arbitration. Scientology had to admit that it would be borrowing rules from a different “justice” procedure. And at the arbitration itself, the Garcias complained, they were subject to what seemed to be arbitrary rules that were all stacked against them.
At the oral arguments on Thursday, Law360 reported, Judge Robin Rosenbaum arched an eyebrow over the idea that Scientology wasn’t being clear about its rules…
The arbitration agreement said that Scientology rules for arbitration would apply, but [Garcia attorney Philip] Burlington told the appeals court on Thursday that there were no rules in place because there had never been an arbitration with the Church of Scientology before. The lack of rules made it difficult to ensure fairness and predictability for the parties going into the arbitration, Burlington said.
Advertisement[Scientology lawyer Eric] Lieberman countered that Florida law does not require great detail about procedures in a valid arbitration agreement, but U.S. Circuit Judge Robin Rosenbaum expressed concern about the lack of a framework for the parties.
“The idea is that the parties can know what the rules are going to be and everybody can be informed about them,” Judge Rosenbaum said. “If you say you’re going to go by the Scientology rules that would be fine if the rules existed. The problem is the rules did not exist.”
We have to say, given the history of this case, that’s actually a pretty stunning statement by the judge. Why? Because if you remember, Judge Whittemore insisted that he had no right to examine Scientology’s internal rules, for fear of violating their First Amendment religious rights. So it’s jarring to see a judge raise a rather common-sense question about whether Scientology’s rules are fair if they aren’t written down somewhere. Nice point, judge.
And that’s not all. If you remember, after the Garcias had been through the Scientology arbitration, they came back to Judge Whittemore complaining that it had been a kangaroo court that didn’t allow them to properly present evidence. They asked him to hold an evidentiary hearing, but Whittemore refused.
That apparently isn’t sitting well with another judge at the Eleventh Circuit, according to Law360…
U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor focused on the fact that the district judge, after seeing an affidavit from the Garcias stating that the arbitrators were not partial, did not hold an evidentiary hearing to figure out what happened at the arbitration.
Well yes, Judge Pryor, that did seem problematic.
If these judges at the Eleventh Circuit are asking these kinds of questions, could it mean they might overturn Whittemore’s ruling? We don’t know, and it may be a while before we find out.
But we do know this: If you look at the most recent filings in other cases, such as Valerie Haney’s, Scientology bases a lot of its current legal strategy on its victory against the Garcias, and if that’s overturned, it could have some real consequences.
We sure hope the Eleventh Circuit puts out a ruling soon.
——————–
Potential Biden VP pick and her shilling for Scientology
Don’t miss yesterday evening’s breaking news as we joined the coverage after The Daily Caller revealed that Los Angeles Congresswoman Karen Bass, a potential Biden VP choice, spoke at the 2010 Scientology Ideal Org grand opening in Los Angeles.
AdvertisementWe also found that she continued to shill for Scientology at least three more times between 2011 and 2013. Should that be disqualifying? Join the conversation.
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Bonus items from our tipsters
A new Clear in Tel Aviv!
A rare dispatch from (now COVID-free) New Zealand…
——————–
“I was auditing a preclear one day that had a history of lesbianism and I learned this lesson but good. She was very sensitive about it and wanted to get over it. I knew this. I knew that this was a broken-up case. I mean the person was in bad shape. She was very spinny….You’ve got this individual sitting there as I had this lesbian and at the end of twenty-five minutes I suddenly realized that I was being ‘awfully nice.’ And I was getting nowhere….So I just broke out my Scientological scalpel and I said, ‘Women are nice, aren’t they? Particularly in bed.’ Dahhhhhhwwwwww! Wild needle slams and so forth. First lock of the Rock that came off of that case was being in charge, way, way back on the track, as the high priestess of the Vestal Virgins who weren’t virgin anymore, for which she was quietly and lengthily cooked over a slow fire, and which was making her avoid being a housewife because housewives have to cook. One of the innumerable computations that came off of this case.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 1, 1958
——————–
“Justin Craig made statements in a public YouTube video that ‘Scientology is dead’ because his version of Scientology has not been broadly accepted. This enturbulated the field and has brought great disrepute to the independent field and Scientology in general. The flap is now being propagandized in ‘tabloid’ websites.”
——————–
“Go to the Icke message board and search ‘Scientology.’ They think the Church of Scientology is either part of the NWO/Illuminati/Reptilian conspiracy or that the Scientologists are crazy. Ha!”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Erika Christensen, Ethan Suplee, and Juliette Lewis]
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] Scientologists in Texas neighborhood battle turn out to include Lori Hodgson’s daughter
[TWO years ago] Scientology TV is the best thing to happen to television — says Scientology
[THREE years ago] Clearwater Baptist pastor reflects on his message about Scientology, stands by it
[FOUR years ago] Scientology opened a new ‘Ideal Org’ in Harlem, and we weren’t made to feel very welcome
[FIVE years ago] When Jesse Prince sec-checked David Miscavige: A Scientology interrogation for the ages
[SIX years ago] Kirstie Alley ‘disconnects’ from not one but two men over their friendship with Leah Remini
[SEVEN years ago] Leah Remini Retaliation? Suddenly, Scientology “Fair Gaming” Of Critics Is Way Up
[EIGHT years ago] Watch Mimi Faust Talk about Losing Her Mother to Scientology
[NINE years ago] Benjamin Ring, LA Sheriff’s Deputy, Under Official Inquiry for Endorsing Expensive Scientology Services
——————–
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 2,016 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,520 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,040 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,060 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 951 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,258 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,126 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,900 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,704 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,020 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,586 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,505 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,673 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,254 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,515 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,553 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,266 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,791 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,321 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,881 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,021 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,341 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,196 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,315 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,671 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,974 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,080 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,482 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,354 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,937 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,432 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,686 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,795 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 1, 2020 at 06:00
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
July 31, 2020
Joe Biden’s potential VP pick Karen Bass at a Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ event: Disqualifying?
The Daily Caller this afternoon broke a story that we’ve had evidence of on our website here at the Underground Bunker for a couple of years: That former California Assembly Speaker and current US Representative Karen Bass was one of the featured speakers at the 2010 grand opening of a Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ in Los Angeles.
That’s suddenly now a big story because Bass is reportedly one of the women presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is considering to be his running mate.
If Biden is elected at 77, his choice of Vice President is especially crucial, since he may serve only one term. Who he picks for VP would have a serious leg up on becoming president in turn.
And should that be someone who had the lack of judgment to accept an invitation from Scientology to speak at an Ideal Org opening?
Advertisement“As a public servant, I try to do everything in my power to give a voice to the voiceless, and to guarantee that no one goes unheard,” Bass said during her short speech at the event. “But through human rights education, we empower everyone to lift their voice and to be heard. The Church of Scientology I know has made a difference, because your Creed is a universal creed and one that speaks to all people everywhere.”
She also said: “The words are exciting of your founder, L. Ron Hubbard, in The Creed of the Church of Scientology: that all people of whatever race, color or creed, are created with equal rights. It’s a remarkable credit to your church that this is part of your creed.”
Ugh.
We’ve written many times about politicians singing Scientology’s praises, and it always amazes us that any of them would do so, knowing not only Scientology’s long history of controversies and exposes about its abuses, but also knowing how few votes there can really be in endorsing L. Ron Hubbard, David Miscavige, or an organization that works children 90 hours a week for little or no pay, splits up families in order to maintain totalitarian control over their lives, and has for decades forced young women to have abortions in order to keep working around the clock.
We’re seeing a lot of really bewildered folks asking why this matters, or what Scientology is. We’ll try to answer a few basic questions for the uninitiated.
What’s an Ideal Org, and why were politicians there? Beginning in about 2003, Scientology leader David Miscavige began an effort to replace Scientology’s “orgs” — short for “organizations” and what Scientology uses interchangeably with “churches” — with upgraded facilities. Tens of millions is spent on an Ideal Org, which is much more lavish and programmed in its interiors and appearance than the org it replaces. All evidence suggests that Scientology is shrinking, but the major effort of the last 17 years has been raising the millions to do these renovations and open these gleaming new cathedrals. In 2010, it was LA’s turn with its new Ideal Org, and local politicians were invited. Over the years, Scientology has had some successes in this regard, but most politicians know enough to stay far away.
Does this mean that Karen Bass is a Scientologist? Not necessarily, but her words at the 2010 event suggest that she was at least somewhat familiar with Scientology’s front groups and the “human rights” work that Scientology pretends to do. On the other hand, her repeated use of the word “creed” suggests that she really has no understanding of Scientology and was just paying lip service: Although Scientology pretends to have inclusive ideals as stated in its “creed,” that’s just window dressing. Scientology is a totalitarian organization, and it has no respect whatsoever for people of other creeds.
Is this the only example of Bass shilling for Scientology? Two years after the Ideal Org event, in 2012 Bass gave Scientology front group Youth for Human Rights International a proclamation, along with US Senator Harry Reid and LA City Councilman Bernard Parks, according to a Scientology press release.
Should this be disqualifying? It’s not a good look. However, a word about how she has nothing to do with Scientology today, and that she is concerned by the revelations brought out by people like Leah Remini would go a long way. Also, the last time Scientology faced a serious investigation, it was the FBI under Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2009/2010. (Why that probe got derailed is a very long and complicated story.)
——————–
“If you really know your E-Meters, go down to your local hometown detective bureau and ask to talk to the lie detector expert and talk to him for a few minutes and he starts giving you some wise, professional chitterchat. Why, you just tell him you’re a psychologist — he understands that, the man has a limited vocabulary, usually — and tell him you use these things all the time in your practice and so forth, and you’d just like to look over his setup. Well, these guys are all bugs and they will show you their setup with their blood pressure gauge and their respirators and the little meter with the cans, you know, except they don’t put them on properly and they don’t register quite right. Now, you can take the same rig and you can so baffle and astound this man, so he just practically blows his brains out. He says, ‘What have I been doing all this time!’ and so on. You can show him a murder reaction on every cop in the place. You don’t say, ‘Have you committed the murder?’ You say, ‘Have you ever killed anyone?’ And promptly, you get duhduh and the respirator goes bluh, the blood pressure indicator goes blah. You could be very cruel and simply say to the lie detector operator, ‘Obviously, your machine is out of order.’ That’s what he’ll think. He’ll have a letter off right away to the manufacturers.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 31, 1958
——————–
“His life consisted of only a few things. He did not work. He listened to these tapes. He solo audited himself endlessly on GPMs and line plots. A VERY bad idea. He drank heavily every night. He had bad hangovers almost every day and took tons of pain killers. What money he did have he spent on prostitutes and alcohol. He was sick, and his teeth were rotting in his mouth to the point where my PCs could not be in the same car with him because the stench was so bad. He was an apathy case that had been doing himself in for many years and he finally killed himself. A very sad story.”
——————–
“Hubbard should have just cut to the chase and told the clams that he had discovered that all money was infested with body thetans and that they needed to bring their filthy lucre in to Flag to be audited. He could have called it ‘The Wallet of Fire’.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments set for August 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] ‘Strange Angel’ goes there, teases Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard at season end
[TWO years ago] Scientology spilling the secrets of the universe on an LA street!
[THREE years ago] Phil and Willie Jones versus Scientology: The real story of how the billboard came to be
[FOUR years ago] Harlem gets its Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ today, and David Miscavige doesn’t want you there
[FIVE years ago] Fresh DOX: Police calls to the Narconon in Fort Collins, Colorado — unedited and unread!
[SIX years ago] Jon Atack: Did L. Ron Hubbard want to be considered a god?
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Admits Connection to Slimy Anonymous Attack Sites — Again
[NINE years ago] Scientology Spinout: Commenters of the Week!
——————–
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 2,015 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,519 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,039 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,059 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 950 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,257 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,125 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,899 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,703 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,019 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,585 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,504 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,672 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,253 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,514 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,552 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,265 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,790 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,320 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,880 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,020 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,340 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,195 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,314 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,670 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,973 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,079 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,481 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,353 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,936 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,431 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,685 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,794 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on July 31, 2020 at 21:30
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
Scientology takes aim at Mike Rinder and Hana Whitfield in the Valerie Haney lawsuit
Last week we reported that Scientology’s attorneys are asking for $160,000 in sanctions because that’s how much they charged their clients to deal with Valerie Haney’s attempt at a do-over in her lawsuit against the church and its leader, David Miscavige.
And what did the Church of Scientology get for such a princely sum of fancy lawyering? Well, now we know, because we got our hands on the church’s opposition to Valerie’s motion, written by Church of Scientology International lawyer William Forman and Religious Technology Center attorney Matthew Hinks.
And as a bonus, the two also took aim at former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder and former Deputy Commodore Hana Whitfield, who had both submitted affidavits supporting Valerie’s motion for reconsideration.
Wow, there’s so much outrage here, it could fuel half the freight trains on Venus.
AdvertisementHere’s our best attempt to bring you up to speed and explain what’s being hashed out in these angry documents: Valerie Haney escaped from her Sea Org position at Scientology’s secretive Gold Base by hiding out in the trunk of a car. When she later told her story on the premiere episode of the third and final season of A&E’s Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, we learned that she was now working as Leah’s assistant, and also that Scientology had begun its very familiar habit of creeping out a former member with surveillance and intimidation. Valerie filed her lawsuit in June 2019, alleging that while she worked at the Gold Base she had been held against her will (kidnapping), and that since coming forward she had been subjected to slander, libel, and stalking.
Scientology countered that Valerie had signed a separation agreement with the church and, besides receiving $4,500 from the church, she promised in the document that she would not sue the church but would take any dispute to Scientology’s internal “religious arbitration.” The church convinced Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Burdge Jr that the agreement was binding, even though many of the things Valerie was suing over — the online smears and intimidation by private investigators — had occurred after she left the church.
After Burdge’s January 30 decision to grant Scientology’s motion, which stayed the lawsuit, Valerie filed a motion for reconsideration, which is schedule to be heard August 11.
We pointed out that winning motions of reconsideration, while rare, can be accomplished by showing a judge new information that he didn’t get a chance to consider when he made his original ruling. And in this case, Valerie says she has just that: Evidence that a week before she signed the agreement with the church, she had actually already been fired. And also, that Judge Burdge, based on what he said at the January 30 hearing, didn’t understand that Scientology’s “arbitration” is nothing like what the rest of the world considers “arbitration” to be. And that’s where Rinder and Whitfield came in, telling the judge that Scientology actually modeled its arbitration on a religious star chamber called a “committee of evidence,” and that there was no impartiality and no way that Valerie could receive anything like justice before such a thing.
So now Scientology has come back arguing that this is not new evidence, that Valerie’s attorneys should have made this argument at the January 30 hearing and Scientology should not have to pay for that mistake.
And the church attorneys also go after Rinder and Whitfield with the usual complaints that they have been out of Scientology too long, etc.
But we did find it pretty entertaining that Forman and Hinks thought it might be a good idea to try and get Judge Burdge’s dander up by pointing out that Rinder, at his blog, had showed nothing but disdain for what the judge had ruled on January 30…
You can just see Forman and Hinks running to Judge Burdge with smelling salts: “Can you believe what he said about you, judge?”
Well, as usual Scientology’s court documents are filled with moral outrage and expressions of pious indignation. We look forward to your observations about them…
The opposition to Valerie’s motion…
Haney v. Scientology: Oppos… by Tony Ortega on Scribd
The opposition to Mike Rinder’s declaration…
Haney v. Scientology: Oppos… by Tony Ortega on Scribd
The opposition to Hana Whitfield’s declaration…
Haney v. Scientology: Oppos… by Tony Ortega on Scribd
——————–
Bonus items from our tipsters
Meanwhile, in Hawaii…
Advertisement 
——————–
“If you really know your E-Meters, go down to your local hometown detective bureau and ask to talk to the lie detector expert and talk to him for a few minutes and he starts giving you some wise, professional chitterchat. Why, you just tell him you’re a psychologist — he understands that, the man has a limited vocabulary, usually — and tell him you use these things all the time in your practice and so forth, and you’d just like to look over his setup. Well, these guys are all bugs and they will show you their setup with their blood pressure gauge and their respirators and the little meter with the cans, you know, except they don’t put them on properly and they don’t register quite right. Now, you can take the same rig and you can so baffle and astound this man, so he just practically blows his brains out. He says, ‘What have I been doing all this time!’ and so on. You can show him a murder reaction on every cop in the place. You don’t say, ‘Have you committed the murder?’ You say, ‘Have you ever killed anyone?’ And promptly, you get duhduh and the respirator goes bluh, the blood pressure indicator goes blah. You could be very cruel and simply say to the lie detector operator, ‘Obviously, your machine is out of order.’ That’s what he’ll think. He’ll have a letter off right away to the manufacturers.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 31, 1958
——————–
“His life consisted of only a few things. He did not work. He listened to these tapes. He solo audited himself endlessly on GPMs and line plots. A VERY bad idea. He drank heavily every night. He had bad hangovers almost every day and took tons of pain killers. What money he did have he spent on prostitutes and alcohol. He was sick, and his teeth were rotting in his mouth to the point where my PCs could not be in the same car with him because the stench was so bad. He was an apathy case that had been doing himself in for many years and he finally killed himself. A very sad story.”
——————–
“Hubbard should have just cut to the chase and told the clams that he had discovered that all money was infested with body thetans and that they needed to bring their filthy lucre in to Flag to be audited. He could have called it ‘The Wallet of Fire’.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments set for August 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— 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.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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] ‘Strange Angel’ goes there, teases Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard at season end
[TWO years ago] Scientology spilling the secrets of the universe on an LA street!
[THREE years ago] Phil and Willie Jones versus Scientology: The real story of how the billboard came to be
[FOUR years ago] Harlem gets its Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ today, and David Miscavige doesn’t want you there
[FIVE years ago] Fresh DOX: Police calls to the Narconon in Fort Collins, Colorado — unedited and unread!
[SIX years ago] Jon Atack: Did L. Ron Hubbard want to be considered a god?
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Admits Connection to Slimy Anonymous Attack Sites — Again
[NINE years ago] Scientology Spinout: 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 2,015 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,519 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,039 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,059 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 950 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,257 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,125 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,899 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,703 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,019 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,585 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,504 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,672 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,253 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,514 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,552 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,265 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,790 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,320 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,880 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,020 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,340 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,195 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,314 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,670 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,973 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,079 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,481 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,353 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,936 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,431 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,685 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,794 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 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
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