Tony Ortega's Blog, page 59
January 26, 2025
Latinos who voted for Trump are now scrambling for cover
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“Us Latinos voted for Trump and thought he would keep his word. Now we’re afraid to go to work” pic.twitter.com/n3enS0IhgN
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica)
So like the opposite of Holocaust Remembrance Day, but everyday too https://t.co/nkq89Ogx85
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 25, 2025
Well, well, well… pic.twitter.com/DjKDTJQt2o
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 26, 2025
Uh oh, looks like DOGE and Elon Musk’s direct line to Trump have been cut off. The group will now report to Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Some might call this a DOGE-motion. pic.twitter.com/XgqyrGSzjE
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 26, 2025
Elon Musk’s DOGE suggests getting rid of the penny pic.twitter.com/obU4yhNEVS
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 26, 2025
Trump's first act as president: instituting a policy of "Papers, please." https://t.co/46ej7CJJVR pic.twitter.com/Ibkv2K2qM8
— Robert Skvarla (@RobertSkvarla) January 25, 2025
Trump continues to pump his meme coin. Buyer beware. pic.twitter.com/kT3OIOi2GS
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 25, 2025
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 26, 2025 at 08:00
January 25, 2025
Ten years ago today: ‘Going Clear’ exposed Scientology’s abuses for a new audience
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Ten years ago today, Alex Gibney’s HBO documentary ‘Going Clear’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, exposing Scientology’s abuses in a way that had never been done before. Hana Whitfield, one of the stars of the film, writes about the movie’s impact a decade later. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“If the pc is not in trouble, his best bet is to get on up the grades to Expanded OT III. If he is massy and is having trouble the best bet is to: (1) Be totally sure of his Int RD (2) Check O/Rs particularly of a major grade twice or by-passed F/Ns, locate and indicate them (3) FES, list the items and grades and do a Full Flow action from the beginning of his auditing, raising them all to Triple.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1974
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones
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“Nineteen fifty-one, I rolled up my sleeves and started to investigate the Whole Track. Because in late 1950 it had started to raise its ugly and unseemly head. And auditors who would run into it and try to audit it and pcs who dare bring it up, of course, ran into a considerable social ostracism of one character or another. That was not done. The first Foundation board tried to pass a regulation, a board ruling to the effect that nobody would ever look at, believe in or investigate past lives, and so forth. And yet auditors in auditing them kept running into them, you see? So that probably was the basic split-up of the first Foundation. The first Foundation wanted to sit there comfortably and just grind on and on in present-life engrams and consider that we had it all made and they wanted no further research or investigation of any kind whatsoever. Well, that wouldn’t go and that was that, because auditors were not turning out the results they should have turned out if one had only lived one life. So in 1951 this — I didn’t fly in the teeth of this. I would have investigated anything. I mean, there’s no real resistance on my part. You show me something, tell me I can’t investigate it, I’m liable to investigate it. You show me something and tell me I can investigate it, I’m liable to investigate it. I mean, there is no influence in that line. I, just down through the trillennia, I have not paid attention to and/or paid no attention to people who have told me not to look. I just have not paid any attention to this one way or the other. This, of course, adds up to a total neglect of the ‘finer sensibilities,’ I think they’re called, of other people. The finer sensibilities, I think, is another way of expressing the idea ‘he’s too yellow to look.’” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 25, 1962
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“If you can tolerate running your legs off, getting grey hairs, bags under your eyes, streteched wits in the course of a day’s work amongst the living lightning, these could be a place for you in the Office of the LRH Comm Flagship. You’ve no idea what it takes at times to get an order duplicated, activated, executed and completed! Cats with some lives left who want it hot and dangerous can volunteer for the hottest spot aboard. Drop me a line — today — saying WHY you want a job with LRH Comm Flagship and I’ll look it over.” — LRH Comm Flagship, January 25, 1971
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“Recently a friend of mine had a crash, he told his mother and his mother fell to the ground an hour later, injuring herself. She had an accident, which is a PTS condition according to Scientology theory. There must also be an SP, according to the same theory, but, who’s suppressing her in that case? See? She had an accident, which links to a PTS condition, but the triggering was to be told bad news, to be told by his son that he had just crashed. Yes, she might also be connected to antagonistic terminals in present time as well as in the Whole Track, but the trigger at that incident was to learn about the crash. You can examine your own life and see if that’s true for you.”
2001: The Toronto Sun published an article on a visit to the org and discussions with Scientologists there. “There seemed to be a lot of activity around the front door of the Church of Scientology at the corner of Yonge and St. Mary Streets. I found was a guy named Bill Osvath. ‘I got involved 26 years ago,’ he says. ‘It has helped me out a lot personally.’ Today, he has a wife and four children, lives in the suburbs and loves watching movies. ‘I still go to the United Church at Christmas,’ he laughs. He also laughs when people think of Scientology as a cult. He says if you look in the dictionary under cult it merely describes a group of people with a leader. ‘You could say The Toronto Sun is a cult,’ he teases. The church has been at that corner for 20 years and inside that large building in which they own a number of offices, meeting rooms and at the back is a chapel. Bill also talked about the time he met John Travolta, who was quietly in town with his Scientologist wife, actor Kelly Preston. ‘They called and asked if John could come down and take a course,’ Bill recalls. ‘We said, sure we’d love to have him. He was very nice.'”
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“People say to me, ‘So, have you met a Scientologist?’ And I laugh and think to myself, ‘What a beautiful thing,’ because maybe one day it will be like that, you know? You know what I’m saying. Maybe one day it will be that ‘Wow, Scientologists, they just read about those in the history books.’ You know?”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal brief due by December 23.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing February 24, 2025.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud, awaiting sentencing.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1.
——————–
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Mike Rinder and Claire Headley tie RTC to Scientology mayhem for Leah Remini lawsuit
[TWO years ago] WTF? Scientology gets Yuma TV anchor fired for piece about Lisa Marie Presley
[THREE years ago] Danny Masterson gets boost from Mom & brother Chris, who secure his $3.3 million bail
[FOUR years ago] Scientology in Russia: Historian Chris Owen does the deep dive we’ve been waiting for
[FIVE years ago] My mom is the auditor in the ‘Reckless Ben’ Scientology infiltration videos
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s ‘grass roots’ social media effort is actually led by its most mediocre spokesman
[SEVEN years ago] The Battle of Portland, part 2: Pressuring a court by surrounding it with Scientologists and celebs
[EIGHT years ago] Brandon Reisdorf: Scientology complained to probation dept. over ‘Leah Remini’ appearance
[NINE years ago] For a class-action lawsuit against Scientology’s rehab network, a setback in California
[TEN years ago] Who are the 8 Scientologists profiled in ‘Going Clear,’ premiering today? We have a guess.
[ELEVEN years ago] Jon Atack: Do Scientology’s training routines turn you into a sociopath?
[TWELVE years ago] Newsweek Confirms It: L. Ron Hubbard Was a Blowhard
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,155 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,650 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,165 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,715 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,705 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,091 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,586 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,890 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,761 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,313 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,654 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,221 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,140 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,308 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,890 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,149 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,186 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,902 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,466 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,781 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,956 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,638 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,975 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,829 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,944 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,306 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,715 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,113 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,989 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,554 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,065 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,321 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,429 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on January 25, 2025 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
The Trump lean: Nice state you got here, pity if something happened to it
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Up late last night, Trump continued his attack on the 1st Amendment calling CNN and MSNBC “the enemy of the people.” pic.twitter.com/9sYvAOW2Au
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 25, 2025
wow pic.twitter.com/42WhDMENDw
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 24, 2025
How it started. How it’s going. pic.twitter.com/swz5HjHZte
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 24, 2025
Does this mean Trump has essentially repealed “Right to Try?” https://t.co/Qdelb3HUFb
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 24, 2025
It's all about hurting their enemies. The whole weird "Daddy" thing is secondary to the idea of an authority figure using it's power to hurt somebody who displeases them. https://t.co/R1Dni58ge2
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) January 25, 2025
Trump is the only president in United States history ever to need his Vice President to break a tie for his cabinet picks:
Mike Pence broke the tie to confirm Betsy Devos in 2017.
JD Vance just broke the tie to confirm Pete Hegseth. https://t.co/T8uxuxUdT0
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 25, 2025
Trump just fired inspectors general of at least 12 agencies
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 25, 2025
Publicly, Elon Musk wants people to think Twitter/X is thriving.
But in an email to staff, he admitted “user growth is stagnant, revenue is unimpressive, and we’re barely breaking even.” https://t.co/4MBki3f2vr
— Paris Marx (@parismarx) January 25, 2025
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 25, 2025 at 08:00
January 24, 2025
An Apostate in London: Alex talks strategy about Scientology with an MP
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Yesterday, former Scientology staffer Alex Barnes-Ross took the biggest step in his formidable career as a whistle-blower, meeting with an MP to discuss strategy for what the UK can do about the church’s abuses. He tells the story in this exclusive for the Underground Bunker. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“The whole trick of this universe is contained in thetans copying or picturing incidents and then getting stuck in the later portion of them. ‘Incidents’ is the keynote. A Thetan is incident hungry. This is what traps him. For some reason he has to be at the earliest end of incidents to erase them. The later he is in incidents and the later he is on the track the more solid he is. This also applies to the ‘auditing time track.’ By omitting things like flows on the auditing time track, the thetan thus becomes massy. The whole theory of the Exteriorization Remedy is based on having gone out (later) after he went in (earlier). So Exteriorizing can stick him. (People buy the Ext RD to Exteriorize but the remedy is only done to permit further auditing. They Ext of course when the bank is handled.) When flows of items are by-passed and then later restimulated by auditing them, mass occurs.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1974
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
——————–
THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones
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“A psychiatrist tells you that people aren’t really insane, because insane people could snap out of it if they wanted to, and this, therefore, is their reason for punishing people who are insane. See, their logic just goes haywire halfway through. They almost have an answer and then they miss it. Almost touch it, miss it. Once in a blue moon some psychotic will — well, this is not even a technique — but some psychotic will suddenly get sane on this statement made to him: ‘You don’t have to be insane, you know.’ You know, he all of a sudden gets sane. It’s quite amusing. Much more often, psychotics turn sane on this one: ‘Come up to present time, please.’ They do and they say, ‘Hello!’ They’re not insane anymore; just pull them out of an engram.” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 24, 1957
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“LOY AND CANDY: These two were doing all right until they came to Flag at which time their parents anti-Scn attitude keyed in and they became as cases ‘Troublesome Sources.’ They have been sent back at Flag expense to handle their parents and report to AOLA and complete their retrain at which time their Class VIII will be restored.” — The Commodore, January 24, 1970
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“Dianetics doesn’t handle everything but it does handle a lot. It is absolutely amazing technology. The newer processes and the E meter make it even more amazing! As an auditor you will start to see how the tools work , very quickly experience past life events and start to see that engrams are very real and do create negative effects. I do wish LRH had included some of the newer processes in the book such as R3RA.”
2000: Bob Minton reported revenge pickets in Boston this week. “My former home in Boston has been picketed the last 3 days, inclusive of today, as a means of harassing my children and Therese, my wife, from whom I am at present legally separated. Could Scientologists explain the rationale for this?”
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“If you believe that the Church of Scientology is a criminal organization, that makes David Miscavige the most successful crime boss in the world.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal brief due by December 23.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing February 24, 2025.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud, awaiting sentencing.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1.
——————–
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Leah Remini applauds an MP’s call for investigation of Scientology in the UK
[TWO years ago] Who takes over Scientology after Dave? Surprising answers from our experts
[THREE years ago] L. Ron Hubbard’s galactic adventure: 36 years since the Scientology founder left the planet
[FOUR years ago] AUDIO: Tommy Davis, as Scientology spokesman, secretly recorded discussing ‘disconnection’
[FIVE years ago] Game over? Scientology claims it’s already won arbitration motion against Valerie Haney
[SIX years ago] Thirty-three years later, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is still surfing the galaxy
[SEVEN years ago] The Battle of Portland: How Scientology turned a nightmare court verdict into a major victory
Another Leah, inspired by her namesake, comes forward with a harrowing Scientology escape
[NINE years ago] On the 30th anniversary of L. Ron Hubbard’s galaxial soul ejection, an obit by an old friend
[TEN years ago] First time in full: 1997 interview of Barbara Klowden, L. Ron Hubbard’s PR agent and lover
[ELEVEN years ago] Eric Idle and Kirstie Alley discuss Scientology!
[TWELVE years ago] Lawrence Wright: “Scientology Is Heading for a Reckoning”
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,154 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,649 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,164 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,714 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,704 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,090 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,585 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,889 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,760 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,312 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,653 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,220 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,139 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,307 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,889 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,148 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,185 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,901 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,465 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,780 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,955 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,637 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,974 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,828 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,943 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,305 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,714 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,112 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,988 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,553 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,064 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,320 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,428 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 24, 2025 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
Killing green power to own the libs: The storm is here!
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Before Biden's last SOTU it was a week long media blitz about how Biden better give a banger of a speech or it would be proof of his crippling dementia. Trump will get no such coverage going into his first SOTU of this term. https://t.co/5fXZZqQ19L
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) January 24, 2025
Trump wants to kill green energy to Own The Libs. That's what you get when you vote for him. Spiteful policy designed to hurt an imagined enemy. https://t.co/RnR2jd2Kin
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) January 24, 2025
You know less than nothing about the JFK assassination. None of you QAnon grifters do. I was a JFK watching grassy knoll loving conspiracy nut and I longed for this day to come but now I know it’s all meaningless. There is nothing there. pic.twitter.com/Nec1FbJcJ1
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) January 23, 2025
Himes: You have two choices when people on your side do things that are wrong.
You can call them out, you can stand with principle, and you can be clear. That's what leaders do.
Or you can obfuscate and try to change history, try to suggest that what we all saw and… pic.twitter.com/6wPbcmfFHW
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 24, 2025
Mockler: Now that we’re about 48 to 72 hours into the Trump administration, what message would you have for Trump himself?
Warren: I’d say, live up to your promise. You ran for office saying you were going to make life better for average Americans—well then, do it. Renaming the… pic.twitter.com/H0t8vJ5TJT
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 24, 2025
BREAKING: Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Executive Order Ending Birthright Citizenship https://t.co/RJXHjY5Wrz
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 23, 2025
Wow, those Nazi puns just roll off the tongue don’t they? pic.twitter.com/vmAcKaUTz9
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 23, 2025
🚨 House Speaker Mike Johnson’s aide warned GOP lawmakers not to subpoena Cassidy Hutchinson over Jan. 6—because it could expose sexually explicit texts they sent her. https://t.co/QmklyvavL5
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 23, 2025
welcome to the age of Weird Terror. just shooting up a school or a grocery store doesn't get you attention anymore, and so would-be mass murderers all try to find some way to peacock to get attention. we're going to see more eccentric manifestos and styles of attack every year.
— Robert Evans (The Only Robert Evans) (@IwriteOK) January 23, 2025
🚨Trump administration just ordered a blackout on public communications by agencies across government, multiple officials tell me.
Here's a memo from HHS I obtained describing the comms blackout. pic.twitter.com/X69iUO3Gm0
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 23, 2025
“The Proud Boys are not terrorist masterminds. These are not the brightest neofascists out there," said @Jon_Lewis27. "But they are committed to the cause. They are single-minded in this mission now: for revenge, for retribution."https://t.co/oHq78XoF71
— Tess Owen (@misstessowen) January 23, 2025
I spent inauguration milling around outside the DC jail, waiting for the release of January 6 prisoners.
Bonus – a guy got hit in the face for Neo Nazi stuff. https://t.co/kSmGzxCiUi
— amanda moore 🐢 (@noturtlesoup17) January 23, 2025
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 24, 2025 at 08:00
January 23, 2025
Scientology spends $26 million to double the size of its European HQ
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology will no doubt say that it just plunked down $26 million to double the size of its European ‘Advanced Org’ because of increased demand. But we think there’s a different reason for it. ALSO: Ex-Scientologists strike back cleverly at the church’s new ad campaign. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“If any auditor has a poor record of getting Dianetic Results, of bogged flows, etc, he needs an HDC Retread. His drills and TRs are out or he is committing Gross Auditing Errors. Dianetics gives remarkable results only when flawlessly done. The commands must be precisely given and all commands 1-9 A-D are used. It is NEVER shorted ‘because the pc did it’.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1974
——————–
THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
——————–
THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones
——————–
“Man is continually representing to you that he owns a body, and he doesn’t. He steals one. And Freud was looking for guilt. Do you want to find some guilt? Let’s look that one in the eye for a moment. The very thing he owns with he stole and he knows he stole. And somebody comes along and grabs him and throws him into the clink or something for having run off with a couple of teaspoons from the local manor or something, and he goes into a complete fit. Why does he go into a fit? He thinks he’s going to be tried for his basic crime in this life which is the theft of one Homo Sapiens, which is kidnapping.” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 23, 1953
——————–
“JANIS GILLHAM is assigned a condition of LIABILITY for goofing up an LRH Conference recording resulting in that one side of the tape did not record. I am assigning myself a condition of NON-EXISTENCE for not testing recorder before the recording started.” — Msm Anne Tidman, January 23, 1971
——————–
“Just started reading and looking at videos on app downloaded. I’m 64 years old — person my age, is there any help for a person in my late years to begin this journey? Many years looked and traveled seeking truth only find out wanting. My desire is not just to improve myself but humanity as a whole. All of these religions and other ideas on spirituality of searching for over 50 years still leave me as something missing. I do know God created us to be as he intended but mankind has missed the mark. My heart breaks seeing the world in shambles and lack. Not just money, but peace, love, kindness and help mankind be whom we were actually designed as we are supposed to be. This will and is my last call for help as all other systems have failed. There is truth, but truth must be allowed to be put in action. May God help us all.”
1999: Bob Minton announced that Factnet had discovered a Scientology operative working under-cover. “They had unfettered access to information about me and my whereabouts, Stacy’s inner circle of friends, FACTNet records, Dan Leipold’s office, Graham Berry’s office and other juicy bits of info. Not only that, this plant had worked for the Cult Awareness Network for years and was an intimate friend of Cynthia Kisser, Craig Branch and a number of others active in the counter-cult movement. Her name is Laura Terepin. We hired some PI’s with impeccable credentials to check up on a few points about Laura. Laura lied about living alone in Madison WI. She never mentioned that one of her 3 house mates was a co$ chicago staff member. Laura cell phones were billed to a Hollywood, CA private investigator who seemingly had at least 13 other phones billed to him that were linked to co$ operatives. Laura’s boyfriend works for the same PI who handled the phones. And the clincher is that daily calls to OSA in LA showed up on Laura’s phone records.”
——————–
“Typical Space Ozzie & Harriet ‘Remember the good ole days before all the perversion and permissiveness that lead to the downward spiral?’ reactionary bullshit. Except for the Space Opera, Scientologists have the same mindset as your average teabagger, fundie christian, conspiracy nut, gun lovin’ closet Nazi wingnut. I suggest we round them all up and send them to the FEMA camp called Branson MO.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal brief due by December 23.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing February 24, 2025.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud, awaiting sentencing.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1.
——————–
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Did Marc and Claire Headley just find Shelly Miscavige’s new location?
[TWO years ago] DONOR DRAMA: Stunning new data on the life cycle of a Scientology whale!
[THREE years ago] Scientology on the Autobahn: Selling blue sky to the Germans and Swiss back in the day
[FOUR years ago] Tom Cruise doesn’t want you to visit his camera-heavy condo in Scientology’s mecca
[FIVE years ago] Where in the world is Scientology leader David Miscavige?
[SIX years ago] Never forget: Scientology calls exes liars, but spells out its own abuses in documents
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology celeb Kerri Kasem marches for religious freedom in Hungary
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology wastes no time making a move on the new president, but where does Trump stand?
[NINE years ago] Whale watching, 2016 edition: Who’s keeping Scientology afloat?
[TEN years ago] VIDEO LEAK: Another segment from Marty Rathbun’s deposition — his ‘Liability Formula’
[ELEVEN years ago] Ray Jeffrey on Scientology in the courtroom: ‘Constantly getting tripped up on the facts’
[TWELVE years ago] SCIENTOLOGY SUED FOR FRAUD OVER REFUND SCHEME, MORE PLAINTIFFS TO COME
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,153 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,648 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,163 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,713 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,703 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,089 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,584 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,888 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,759 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,311 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,652 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,219 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,138 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,306 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,888 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,147 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,184 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,900 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,464 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,779 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,954 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,636 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,973 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,827 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,942 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,304 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,713 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,111 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,987 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,552 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,063 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,319 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,427 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 23, 2025 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
God emperor: Roars like a lion, whimpers at criticism from a liberal bishop
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Trump wants to get rid of FEMA? https://t.co/WI2maojC9W
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 23, 2025
Fox News reacts to stories like an immune system attacking a threat—whatever they hit hardest is what they fear most. A bishop preaching kindness and pleading with Trump? Immediate outrage. Elon Musk's salute? Full defense mode. Says it all. https://t.co/3TWx6eczaq
— Brett Meiselas 🇺🇸🦅 (@BMeiselas) January 23, 2025
Trump’s deportation forces have already started highway checkpoints in Arizona according to this video.
In Trump’s America, it seems to be just a matter of time before you’ll be asked to show your papers. pic.twitter.com/bTKEL04Jjo
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 22, 2025
BREAKING: Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, the far-right extremist group leader convicted of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday after President Donald Trump commuted his 18-year prison sentence. https://t.co/G17rDIbnBl
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 22, 2025
Big week for the Bozell family: Son pardoned for Jan. 6 felonies on Monday, dad appointed to prominent role in Trump administration. pic.twitter.com/pcMOqqteWR
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 23, 2025
A 17 year old opened fire in a Nashville high school today. Hours before police shared his name, fringe extremist communities correctly identified him as one of their own. He left behind a manifesto expressing unadulterated neo-Nazi ideology and endorsed “accelerationst” tactics.
— Jared Holt (@jaredlholt) January 23, 2025
The manifesto includes links to four publications published by the neo-Nazi network Terrorgram, which the State Department named as Specially Designated Global Terrorist last week
It also includes repeated references to Terrorgram rhetoric, e.g. calling mass shooters "saints" https://t.co/Z9BLt0TRNY
— hannah gais (@hannahgais) January 22, 2025
TRUMP ALLIES ON INFLATION:
“GET OVER IT.” pic.twitter.com/wysabenzY2
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) January 22, 2025
Trouble in paradise pic.twitter.com/cClsSaEXfO
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 23, 2025
NEW: A Jan. 6 defendant who threw an explosive into a Capitol tunnel packed with cops — freed this week by President Trump — has been re-arrested on a felony gun charge that has been pending since 2023.https://t.co/nbgNKNFK05 pic.twitter.com/TSAffqQsY6
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 22, 2025
Found this in Reddit seems like it might be useful for some people. pic.twitter.com/Mg6tCg6aAB
— Chris Kavanagh (@C_Kavanagh) January 22, 2025
Trump advisor Alina Habba says she is a “big fan” of Andrew Tate. Tate is seen here advocating for adopting the Nazi salute. pic.twitter.com/g16Z1yr8J0
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 22, 2025
Great. Just what we need more of. pic.twitter.com/t40GCoqOs9
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 22, 2025
Dr Oz and Russell Brand at one of the MAGA inaugural balls. You didn’t miss anything. pic.twitter.com/5gKZFO3hDq
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 22, 2025
LOL, Trump posted this just now, but whimpered away when the bishop spoke truth to power yesterday pic.twitter.com/ntUzfZbUhf
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 22, 2025
Looking for some background on the QAnon movement? We recommend Travis View’s excellent article at New York magazine as a place to start.
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 23, 2025 at 08:00
January 22, 2025
Scientology bragged on new Africa drug rehab, now it’s accused of stiffing workers
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: At Scientology’s New Year’s event in LA, church leader David Miscavige boasted about a new Narconon drug rehab in South Africa, where he probably figured there would be lax oversight. But now a local newspaper is accusing the new rehab of not paying its workers. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“The pc who cannot run engrams has misunderstoods on the commands and terms of R3R and Dianetics, or it’s drugs. The pc will be able to run drugs because that’s what he’s stuck in. He’ll run those automatically as long as you’ve done the necessary Word Clearing. Pcs who won’t go backtrack are druggies or in recent shock of having died. This is handled by a thorough Drug RD and if necessary the usual Dianetic backtrack remedies As and Es double-assessed. Ss and Ps could be checked as well.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1974
——————–
THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
——————–
THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones
——————–
“Authorship of the universe is something which has been in question for many years. People have been arguing about this for a long time. Even in ancient times the Christian argument with the conservative, status quo religion of Rome involved the creation of the universe. Who created the universe? In the early days of Greece, you found the various factions fighting over this fact of the actual creator of the universe. People have a tendency to run it backwards and try to find an earlier creator or a master creator, or this and that. What are they looking for? They’re looking for you! You’re hunted! To that degree, you’re hunted. Fascinating.” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 22, 1957
——————–
“SMERSH: We have heard directly from the head of Smersh ‘Ban the Bomb Carstairs’ whose contempt for anyone else’s intelligence leads him to state he knows nothing about any attacks on Scientology. Ding, ding, ding, here comes the wagon! Plans for Ship Operation. I haven’t got any. Have you? Nice warm sun.” — The Commodore, January 22, 1970
——————–
“Idiots. Apparently the vaccine manufacturers didn’t know (or perhaps they do), that glycol was used on injections on the R6 Bank engram 75 million years ago. Now the idiots are wondering if polyethylene glycol is causing the gruesome Covid 19 vaccine adverse reactions.”
1998: Us magazine carried an article on Scientologist Jenna Elfman this week. “It’s another late afternoon on Fox Stage 21, home of the hit show Dharma and Greg. Elfman is remarkably unsurprised at her own success. She’s genuinely warm, but you know instantly not to mess with her. It’s the quiet confidence of someone who sits in a charmed circle, or in her case, a square – and at the four corners are her husband, her parents who come to every taping of the show, her acting teacher & mentor, Milton Katselas, and the Church of Scientology, of which Elfman has been a member since 1991. It’s clear that Scientology is important to Elfman, and she’s perhaps it’s best representative. While Tom Cruise, John Travolta and indeed, Kirstie Alley, field questions about their religion with weary defensiveness. Elfman chats away happily about it. ‘I think the people that misunderstand the church have a button on flowing support,’ says Elfman, puffing on a cigarette, her last vice. ‘I’m not hostile or critical of anything until I have picked it up myself. I don’t let people talk shit to me about other people. Read a book if you want to know what it is, and if you’re not going to read the book, keep your mouth shut.’ Elfman fields concerns about Scientology with the ease of a world-class goalie. Its cost? ‘You get counseling. You pay for it. If you want to see a therapist, you pay for it.’ It’s appearance as a cult? ‘Hubbard was just a man; he never claimed to be godlike.’ The perception that people can’t leave the church of their own free will? ‘I’ve never tried to leave the church, so I don’t know'”
——————–
“Scientology doesn’t have to murder people. It just drives them crazy and they end up murdering others or they kill themselves. Scientology may have murdered someone in the past, but there’s no conclusive proof — and critics talking like it’s a fact just makes them look kinda obsessed and a little bit nuts to outsiders.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal brief due by December 23.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing February 24, 2025.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud, awaiting sentencing.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1.
——————–
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] More new Scientology harassment detail in the lawsuit from Danny Masterson’s victims
[TWO years ago] Grant Cardone selling superhuman med beds to the wealthy sounds very Scientological
[THREE years ago] Scientology is begging members to download the new Freewinds app, and we’re green with envy
[FOUR years ago] As Kevin Trudeau’s prison stint nears end, his pitch sounds more like Scientology than ever
[FIVE years ago] Cedric Bixler-Zavala blames Scientology for poisoned dog he had to put down yesterday
[SIX years ago] Tonight, Leah Remini takes us into the incredible story of Scientology’s Clearwater takeover
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology relies heavily on Russian immigrants — and ‘disconnection’ doesn’t spare them
[EIGHT years ago] National civil rights museum knows it’s harboring Scientology front group, shrugs it off
[NINE years ago] Here’s your chance to meet the Sea Org at Scientology’s open house next week
[TEN years ago] Las Vegas attorney files 27th suit against Scientology rehab, Michigan attorney files 2nd
[ELEVEN years ago] Monique Rathbun seeks sanctions, Scientology tries to kill Miscavige deposition in court today
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology Scrambling to Deal with Bad Publicity
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,152 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,647 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,162 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,712 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,702 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,088 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,583 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,887 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,758 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,310 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,651 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,218 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,137 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,305 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,887 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,146 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,183 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,899 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,463 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,778 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,953 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,635 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,972 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,826 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,941 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,303 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,712 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,110 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,986 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,551 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,062 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,318 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,426 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 22, 2025 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
Trans icon Kate Bornstein on Trump’s anti-trans executive order
In the wake of President Trump’s first-day executive order denying the existence of trans people in the United States, we reached out to legendary trans activist, good friend to the Underground Bunker, and former Scientology first mate Kate Bornstein for their thoughts on this political moment. They not only penned this response, but also uploaded it to their brand new Substack. Please give it a look.
I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and saw a great big bulls-eye on my chest. President Trump is calling upon the United States government to wipe out everything gendery about me. That would be all my life’s work, the hurdles and challenges I’ve overcome on my seven decades old journey to become the not-man, not-woman gender outlaw I am today.
With literally the stroke of his big fat stupid felt marker, Trump is trying to make my very existence illegal. If he has his way, I and all my beloved chosen family of sex and gender outlaws—we’ll have zero recognition and protection under the law, and zero civil rights.
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});It’s shocking and it’s gut-wrenching, but none of it is surprising. Fact is, despite the fact that trans people make up about half of one percent of the country’s population, despite that ridiculously low number, we nonetheless got big enough, strong enough, and smart enough to scare the bejeezus out of the reactionary right. And now that they’re back in power, they are responding out of fear in the only way they know how: they build walls. They’ve been organizing things so that trans and nonbinary people aren’t welcome in the United States of America—and we won’t be able to live here legally.
Well fuck all that. We’re here now. We’ve been here for a long, long time. And we’ve been organizing too,
They wanna do away with trans? Ha! That genie’s out of the bottle. That train left the station. Too many of us are alive and well in this country. Too many of us have felt the miracle of self acceptance and self realization for us to ever go backwards to the bad old days. Too many of us have made our dreams come true, and in so doing we’ve already made the world a little bit better around us. No stopping us now.
To be sure, this is a difficult moment. Me and mine, we’ll no doubt be going through some dark times. Well, I was there in the very earliest days of the trans movement. Those were some dark times. Well now I intend to keep a light burning for trans and nonbinary freedom.
— Kate Bornstein
THE LOWDOWN is our blog for news, the QAnon phenomenon, and other subjects not related to our coverage of the Church of Scientology. If it’s our Scientology coverage you re looking for, please use this bookmark for our latest stories.
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 22, 2025 at 08:00
January 21, 2025
Briefing not meant for the public: LA fires are ‘historic opportunity’ for Scientology
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: LA’s fires are located where Scientology has its biggest concentration of members, so it’s not surprising the ‘Volunteer Ministers’ have been called out to take advantage of it. But rarely have we had such blatant evidence of Scientology’s real agenda in an operation like this. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“An OT is particularly subject to F/N abuse as he can blow things quite rapidly. If the auditor misses the F/N due to too high a sensitivity setting or doesn’t call it as he’s waiting for an “EP”, overrun occurs. It invalidates an OT’s ability to as-is and causes severe upsets. This error can also stem from auditor speed. The auditor, used to auditing lower level pcs or never trained to audit OTs, can’t keep up with the OT and misses his F/Ns or reads. Thus overruns occur and charged areas are bypassed. This could account for those cases who were flying then fell on their heads with the same problems that blew back again.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1974
——————–
THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
——————–
THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
——————–
“We have only 476 special terms, most of which mean what they mean in English. That’s right, that’s the whole vocabulary, 474 of these items. I wish elementary physics could say as much. And with only knowledge of 24 of these items and how to handle these items, you can make the blind see. You could also bring the dead back to life. Well, you think I’m kidding. That’s no trick. It’s whether or not they want to be alive that’s the point. I remember one black man that was busy dying and so on, and I looked him over and I, all I had to say was the magic words, you know? He’d been drowned and he hadn’t been drowned very long. It was very easy you know? And I said so-and-so and so-and-so and I found out he was connected with enough woe in life that it was no wonder that he had busily drowned. I just asked his friend who was standing there, ‘This man lead a happy life?’ ‘Oh boss,’ he says, ‘Oh no, no he have an awful time, awful time.’ I said, OK, cart him away.” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 21, 1961
——————–
“Our M.O. Dr. Steve Jarvis has just had a 2 page spread article on Scientology in ‘GP,’ the Medical Doctors’ journal in the UK. It is a splendid article, pointing up Scn’s role in psychosomatic medicine. The magazine asked for an article, three MDs in Scn submitted them. Dr. Jarvis’s article won. Copies will be mailed to all parliaments. Coronet magazine in the US printed an article by me, preceding it with a SMERSH write up. However, the article calmly made nothing of the attack and reader opinion is that it will do us a lot of good. Say, I’m busy as all hell on half a hundred hats. What’s going on with the rest of you cats?” — The Commodore, January 21, 1969
——————–
“Finally I am here! It’s a great feeling, being verified and acknowledged as Clear. God knows how long and how many sleepless nights I’ve suffered from the uncertainty and invalidations of it. Words cannot describe the millions of things going through my mind right now. I’m just grateful that I’m where I am right now. The future is brighter than ever!”
——————–
1997: Jeff Jacobsen reported having lunch with two Scientologists this week, who tried to persuade him to take down the Lisa McPherson web page and to stop the upcoming picket in Clearwater to protest her death. “To sum up, it seemed that they basically wanted a few things from me; 1) don’t mention the OT stuff next time I’m interviewed, 2) tone down my web page, 3) dump the Lisa McPherson page, and 4) stop organizing pickets of the church. #4 was the most interesting to me. They tried to imply that my calls to picket are dangerous because unstable people might join the picket and shoot someone or do something harmful. Their proof of this theory was a big stack of a.r.s. posts from names I don’t recall saying things like ‘bring a gun to your local picket and shoot up the place,’ and ‘henri’s’ post stating ‘bomb your local Church of Scientology.’ I protested that there could be nuts on both sides and that us picketers are in just as much danger from crazy people as the Scientologists. I also reminded them that my demonstration page has *always* promoted a peaceful, non-violent picket, and I even quote Gandhi and Vaclav Havel. But they didn’t seem moved by these arguments. The worst part of the lunch was at the end, when the LA person began to apparently run the security check drill on me. She had previously accused me of being a liar, and now she asked me if I’d ever bombed a building. I said no. She asked if I had ever murdered someone. I grabbed my notebook and left. She followed me out trying to engage me in more conversation, which I refused to do.”
——————–
“You’re nothing around here unless you’ve been corrected or admonished by The Proprietor at least once.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal brief due by December 23.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing February 24, 2025.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud, awaiting sentencing.
Civil litigation:
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1.
——————–
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology, abuse, and forgiveness: Val Ross on the men who did her wrong
[TWO years ago] PODCAST: Karen de la Carriere on the ‘Ls’ — Scientology’s nuttiest ‘technology’?
[THREE years ago] After huge court victory, women suing Danny Masterson and Scientology issue statement
[FOUR years ago] With not guilty plea, Danny Masterson assigned a trial judge his prosecutor knows well
[FIVE years ago] Scientology lets Diana Hubbard out of the compound again — what’s the occasion?
[SIX years ago] Scientology sells miracles, and we can’t get enough of them
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology front group targets unwitting indigenous people to spread its propaganda
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology is still a fraud in France, but it gets some revenge against anti-cult group there
[NINE years ago] When L. Ron Hubbard tried to convince the BBB that Scientology was raking it in
[TEN years ago] How Scientology responds to adversity: A classic example from its golden era
[ELEVEN years ago] Where is Scientology keeping Barbara Cordova Oliver?
[TWELVE years ago] Isabella Cruise and Eddie Frencher Reunite After He Leaves Scientology’s “Sea Org”
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,151 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,646 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,161 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,711 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,701 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,087 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,582 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,886 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,757 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,309 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,650 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,217 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,136 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,304 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,886 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,145 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,182 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,898 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,462 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,777 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,952 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,634 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,971 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,825 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,940 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,302 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,711 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,109 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,985 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,550 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,061 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,317 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,425 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 21, 2025 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 15 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
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