Tony Ortega's Blog, page 66
December 22, 2024
With Elon running things, 45/47 can get back to the golf course
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“Elon should run the government like one of his businesses” pic.twitter.com/M0HVOUaRlh
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 22, 2024
Milo and Laura Loomer’s verbal fight lasted for at least 7 minutes at James O’Keefe’s TPUSA afterparty.
Security asked them to stop fighting and go to separate levels. pic.twitter.com/g55VzczJKR
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 21, 2024
The conflict between Milo and Loomer at a mainstream MAGA function highlights the GOP’s embrace of far right figures.
On Truth Social, Trump has amplified Laura Loomer and her content himself over 100 times. https://t.co/qV1P7yy5Et
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 21, 2024
I’m reading @DineshDSouza’s sworn testimony in the lawsuit over the thoroughly debunked “2,000 Mules.”
And his statement that we “spoke” surprised me, because it never happened. I have never spoken to D’Souza.
He declined to respond to our requests for comment. pic.twitter.com/B8zfKLXIwp
— Tom Dreisbach (@TomDreisbach) December 21, 2024
Musk helped kill a congressional spending bill. But much of what he spread was misinformationhttps://t.co/hz59eqKiJK
— stevanzetti.bsky.social (@stevanzetti) December 21, 2024
Tilman J. Fertitta, Trump’s new United States Ambassador to Italy pic.twitter.com/zaBDz4Kh24
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 22, 2024
Trump golfing yesterday while Elon handled everything pic.twitter.com/R7m45ippAk
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 21, 2024
Here come the MAGA Panama Canal memes pic.twitter.com/OlEO2QCLSw
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 22, 2024
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 December 22, 2024 at 08:00
December 21, 2024
The Underground Bunker’s 2024 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Another winter solstice has sneaked up on us here in the northern hemisphere, and to our antipodean friends, enjoy your summer! Once again it’s time to take stock of the year just past with our annual review of Scientology news, which begins today. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Food fadism and nutritional knowledge are interlocked in the public mind to such a degree that some unscrupulous fellow who knows better could advise people to eat only tree bark and they accommodatingly would. For instance there are books and books and books out currently, by M.D.s and others who should have done their homework, inveighing against ‘cholesterol’: This is a biochemical composition of animal oils and fats. They say it gets into the arteries and causes strokes and heart attacks. Well, that is all very well. But did you also know that every glandular secretion in the body, the secretions which keep one young and functioning are ALL made by the glands from cholesterol? If people do not take in cholesterol bearing foods they, by simple logic, could be seen to rapidly age and die. What’s wanted is the knowledge of how to keep cholesterol controlled not how to take everyone off cholesterol. One would think the American Medical Association owned shares in undertaking parlors.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
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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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“Once in a while you’ll send a preclear up to the moon, and Earth and sun, you know, doing a Grand Tour, and you get a fascinating reaction from him if he is really on the ball. There’s a space station on the back of the moon — that’s space station 33 — and it has corridors and observatory domes and a lot of other things, a lot of odds and ends. But these corridors are on different levels. So that we have a hallway, you see, a corridor, and then we have one which is maybe 12 or 15 feet above the level. You see, the next level. So we’d go down this corridor, and then we’d have to go up 12 or 15 feet to go down to the next corridor. And they’ll take a look at this and they will see that there is nothing but sheer wall face between this lower corridor and the upper corridor floor — 15 foot sheer drop between these two corridors. And they will say, ‘Something is wrong here. There are no stairs. I don’t know what I’m doing here, or what’s going on, but this place is kind of funny. There are no stairs here.’ Why should there be any stairs where gravity is so slight?” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 21, 1954
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“CHRISTMAS: I trust you like the place chosen for Christmas. Sure looks like a Christmas tree. It began by the pilots Out-PROing us. Remember that the pilots are not the rest of the harbour people and have their own set up. They sent us a lovely card, welcoming ‘the world’s largest yacht and its fantastic crew.’ Visit to port authorities went great. Plan to keep it very cool.” — The Commodore, December 21, 1969
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“I see the possibility of a renaissance of Scientology. It can be big again. A second opportunity. An opportunity to make it go right. To learn from past mistakes and not commit it again. However currently the group is going through a process of dying and in my opinion the process must be carried through its end. The place looks like a ghost town. It’s hard to see it, but to deny won’t help it. We must make an honest review, see what went wrong and do it again. The death of the Scientology group must probably be completed and at the same time we can try again. What were the worst mistakes of us? Give your opinion. Mine is: promising states that were never achievable. Pretension of having attained such states.”
2000: Marin News reported that a judge has refused Scientology’s request to hold Gerry Armstrong in contempt for speaking out against Scientology. “Church attorneys filed a contempt motion against Gerald Armstrong, a former Scientology archivist, for persistently violating a judge’s order in 1995 to stop criticizing the church and discussing his experiences as an employee there. As evidence, church attorneys submitted a sheaf of messages Armstrong had posted in Internet discussion groups between March 1998 and July of this year. The messages, most of which were posted on the alt.religion.scientology newsgroup, include bilious exchanges between church members and Armstrong – who refers to his former employer as the ‘Church of $cientology.’ But Judge Vernon Smith yesterday rejected the church’s motion for a contempt citation, saying the judge who issued the original order, Gary Thomas, is long retired, and the church had failed to explain why Smith himself should issue a contempt order. ‘The court has overwhelming evidence to hold him in contempt,’ protested Andrew Wilson, the church’s Sausalito-based attorney. ‘I’m not convinced of that,’ Smith said. But he continued the matter until next Wednesday, giving church attorneys a chance to file more briefs in support of their argument. Armstrong, who now lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia, was not present at the hearing. But reached by telephone yesterday, he described Smith’s action as ‘really cool.’ ‘I’m really glad that a judge has taken note of the fact that Scientology is not what they’re representing it to be,’ said Armstrong, 54. ‘This is an extraordinary time in my history.’ Armstong, during an interview yesterday, did not deny writing the Internet messages.
If anything, he said, the church understated his output. ‘My count was 2,289,’ he said. Armstrong also insists the 1986 agreement does not trump his First Amendment rights. ‘I settled my lawsuit against them for 12 and half years of lies and deceit and abuse,’ he said. ‘I did not settle with them to become a punching bag of the Church of Scientology.'”
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“Chinese food, Mexican food, good fish’n’chips and the occasional great hamburger and potatoes are all I need to live.”
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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 January 13, 2025.
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] The Underground Bunker’s 2023 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[TWO years ago] Richie Acunto, Scientology donor and ‘Survival Insurance’ mogul, dead at 70
[THREE years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2021 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[FOUR years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2020 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[FIVE years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2019 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[SIX years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2018 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[SEVEN years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2017 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[EIGHT years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2016 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[NINE years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2015 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[TEN years ago] The Underground Bunker’s 2014 Scientology year-in-review starts today!
[ELEVEN years ago] Jon Atack: For Scientologists, thinking outside the church can feel like breaking a taboo
——————–
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.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,120 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,615 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,130 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,680 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,670 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,056 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,551 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,855 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,726 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,278 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,619 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,186 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,105 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,273 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,855 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,115 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,151 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,867 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,431 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,746 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,921 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,603 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,940 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,794 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,909 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,271 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,574 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,680 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,078 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,954 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,519 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,030 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,286 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,394 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 21, 2024 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
Q patriot speed dating, because flat earthers need love too
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Speed dating at anti-MLK activist Charlie Kirk’s MAGA conference pic.twitter.com/swpyyAQdfh
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 21, 2024
AfD was one of Q's first outreach targets; they replied positively to AfD supporters in a /pol/ thread that otherwise was not related to Q narrative at the time. Read @AlxnderThaGr8's article on it here: https://t.co/w9vf71EieV https://t.co/Rb10C84oeh
— Gavin Fox (@FantasticGvnFox) December 20, 2024
A few weeks ago I reported on how X has become a hotbed for neo-Nazi content, and how Musk has interacted with neo-Nazi accounts.
Today, Musk endorsed a German fascist political party AfD, which features members who participated in a secret group that shared anti-semitic memes. pic.twitter.com/JPha70M5ok
— stevanzetti.bsky.social (@stevanzetti) December 20, 2024
The suspected perp in the German Christmas market attack is an “AfD fan and likes Elon Musk,” per @derspiegel’s national security reporter: https://t.co/uEP2xUZo40
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) December 21, 2024
The details slowly emerging about the main suspect in the horrific Magdeburg attack contradict so much of what was posted online in the immediate aftermath.
This is why it's always wise to wait for the facts before rushing to post unverified information about breaking stories.
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) December 21, 2024
Trump Was "Embarrassed" By Republicans Raising the Debt Ceiling. Now He Demands They Eliminate It.
Trump's old social media posts show a complete reversal on the issue https://t.co/TFsSVl9PQZ
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 20, 2024
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s boyfriend with “The Patriot Barbie” who recently indicated she was a flat-earther pic.twitter.com/oqbBXUya7B
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 21, 2024
Flat-earther Jimmy Levy was the national anthem singer at anti-MLK activist Charlie Kirk’s MAGA conference pic.twitter.com/00UZXu2tuz
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 21, 2024
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 December 21, 2024 at 08:00
December 20, 2024
Scientology granted delay in the Danny Masterson civil lawsuit
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Yesterday Danny Masterson’s attorneys posted their appeal brief as they try to overturn his prison sentence. But even before Masterson was charged criminally, he and the Church of Scientology were sued civilly in 2019 by his victims. And it’s been slow going ever since. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“Medicine has been overtaken in healing by nutritionists and biochemists. They still seek to exclude these skills from their knowledge and experience. Indeed, when demanding $46,000,000 to research heart disease from a not always bright Congress in the U.S., medicine was contradicted by no less than the head of Health, Education and Welfare who stated that their ‘research’ as planned did not include biochemistry, a rather strange omission since this is the most result-filled field. It goes without mention that the demand also excluded nutritional research. Many individual doctors are prone to attack any patients they find ‘on vitamins’ or who timidly mention Vitamin E. And one is struck with the fact that heart disease is the largest income source, I believe, of the doctor.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
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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
[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({});
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“Hitler didn’t have any trouble with a large section of his population. He just put them all in concentration camps and that was it. And it’s that kind of a game if you want to look at it. It’s not the game of government and who will we elect and democracy über alles, or something, it’s not all that kind of a government. It’s just the kind of a government, well, there they are nicely out of the running, everybody is out of the running, isn’t that nice. And things are just barely ticking over, and we’re not going to be troubled by those fellows from the 18th Panzer Division that put up such a hell of a fight on Exnoo. We’re not going to be troubled with them anymore because we got them implanted very nicely, and they’ve all been sent down to Earth, and the mores of the society there will take care of everything And they will never be in circulation again as space jockeys. It’s that kind of thinking, you see?” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 20, 1961
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“Kindliness note: FEBC students and public students are no longer thrown overboard at Flag. It went out in ’68. We haven’t thrown anyone overboard for just ages. There hasn’t even been a low condition assigned on Flag for a couple of years. However, with new recruits aboard and the decks getting dirty…” — The Commodore, December 20, 1970
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“I think the biggest mistake is selling and aiming at OT. Theta level auditing is spectacular, gives wonderful key-outs, and seems like it is really doing something — but when you actually look at the real lives of OTs they usually don’t look too impressive. We bypass all the myriad reasons things don’t go right in this life and this world. We should aim at making people’s real lives better, not getting them to some mystical state. That train has left.”
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1999: A letter from the Foundation for Religious Freedom was posted to a.r.s this week. They are the Scientology group that has taken over the name of the Cult Awareness Network. “In the spirit of this holiday season, I am enclosing information on a vital new publication from the Foundation for Religious Freedom: Tolerance 101: Practical Solutions for Interfaith Family Problems. This book communicates basic truths which any family can use constructively when confronted with a loved one’s involvement with an unfamiliar religious group, or to use the pejorative, a so-called ‘cult’. As you may be aware, the Foundation for Religious Freedom operates the ‘New Cult Awareness Network’ or CAN. Tolerance 101 is intended to counter or replace previous volumes distributed to bookstores and libraries by those seeking to create suspicion and distrust between members of
differing faiths. To see that this new book is widely distributed throughout the public nationwide, the ‘New CAN’ needs our support. As the
year ends, please consider a tax-deductible gift to this organization to assist the Tolerance 101 project. You can donate by check or credit card
to the ‘Foundation for Religious Freedom’ by using the enclosed return envelope. Yours very truly, Timothy Bowles. The Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing reason, truth, and understanding to an often explosive subject: the involvement of oneself, a friend or loved one in a group that might be called a ‘cult’. We don’t criticize or endorse any one religion. We have people from many diverse Faiths on our board and acting as professional referrals. Our service is free. We promote honesty, dialogue, and mutual respect.”
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“12:35! Oh shit, there goes another day shot to hell.”
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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.
— 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] Scientology leader David Miscavige’s New Year’s speech in Los Angeles — the transcript
[TWO years ago] Chris Owen and Jon Atack remember Jane Kember, Scientology’s ultimate spymaster
[THREE years ago] INSIDER: How the ‘Chase Wave’ began, and how it crashed, leaving Scientology in chaos
[FOUR years ago] Scientology social media: Planetary conquest still on track even as orgs are boarded up
[FIVE years ago] Scientology asks for emergency hearing Monday to force Valerie Haney into ‘arbitration’
[SIX years ago] Remembering that Scientology comes from a mix of science fiction and ghost stories
[SEVEN years ago] AUDIO: David Miscavige’s claim that Mexico has officially recognized Scientology as a religion
[EIGHT years ago] The fight over the secrets on a Scientology spy’s seized laptop that no one is talking about
[NINE years ago] Augustine: Compton scam rehab and ‘literacy crusade’ have vanished since raid
[TEN years ago] Jon Atack looks back at his final Scientology auditing session — and how he broke free
[ELEVEN years ago] Tom Cruise drops his disastrous suit against Bauer Media and its magazines
——————–
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.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,119 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,614 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,129 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,679 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,669 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,055 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,550 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,854 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,725 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,277 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,618 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,185 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,104 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,272 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,854 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,114 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,150 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,866 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,430 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,745 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,920 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,602 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,939 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,793 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,908 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,270 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,573 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,679 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,077 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,953 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,518 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,029 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,285 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,393 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on December 20, 2024 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 Elon and Trump puppet show is clowning Congress even before Inauguration Day
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});President Musk pic.twitter.com/F0IJa3z9Qr
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) December 20, 2024
* Elon demands bipartisan bill be changed in unhinged tweetstorm
* Republicans renegotiate bill with themselves
* 38 Republicans refuse to vote for the new Elon-approved bill
* Elon blames Democrats
Only the dumbest people would fall for this. pic.twitter.com/T1BIL8oAlX
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) December 20, 2024
I thought they wanted to Make America Healthy Again? https://t.co/h4xKWIQxo8
— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) December 19, 2024
Trump spox Karoline Leavitt responds to “Elon Musk is the real leader” rhetoric from Dems:
"As soon as President Trump released his official stance on the CR, Republicans on Capitol Hill echoed his point of view. President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Full stop."
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) December 19, 2024
In a 1:16 AM post, Trump, who praised the failed bill containing a temporary debt ceiling raise, is now calling on Congress to extend it for even longer. #TrumpShutdown pic.twitter.com/jW1bnFGAdo
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 20, 2024
New from 404 Media: An entity claiming to be United Healthcare is sending bogus copyright claims to internet platforms to get Luigi Mangione fan art taken off the internet https://t.co/tEeFKOonNG
— Joseph Cox (@josephfcox) December 19, 2024
NEW: Researchers at the @ADL say they found a TikTok account for the Madison shooter.
It posted racist, violent videos in last days, including one w. the caption "When all other forms of communication fail, violence is necessary to survive.”https://t.co/sG6lupHBQY
— Will Carless (@willcarless) December 19, 2024
Four years to the day: pic.twitter.com/n5PnrKl1PS
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 19, 2024
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 December 20, 2024 at 08:00
December 19, 2024
Elon is Saruman, and we might as well call him president?
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Michael Flynn in a recent interview said he was "meeting with key members of President Trump's national security team that are getting ready to prepare for Senate confirmation hearings" to "help them navigate some of the minefields that they are definitely going to walk through." pic.twitter.com/QPXHy86sTs
— Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) December 18, 2024
Trump is Theoden, Vance is Grima, and Musk is Saruman. https://t.co/MxHfLef9Wl
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) December 18, 2024
"The enemies of my enemies are my allies" That's QAnon boiled down to it's most base element. pic.twitter.com/2YrrP8p3fo
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) December 18, 2024
NEW: I wrote about the Great Drone Panic of 2024, and the combination of factors and failings that made it hit so hard and so quickly. And I explored ways that we can push back against such panics in the future.https://t.co/Rua680x07p
— Mike Rothschild (@rothschildmd on blu sky) (@rothschildmd) December 18, 2024
New: At least 11 passenger planes were targeted with lasers above New Jersey last night amid drone panic, according to an analysis by @lemonodor and Air Traffic control audio we downloaded. Some audio snippets in articlehttps://t.co/LrQSfHuTLl
— Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) December 19, 2024
Looking for a last-minute gift? Consider my book, Black Pill, the story of the incels and extremists who made the memes and ideas billionaires share today.
Too dark for the holidays? Wrong. There are jokes in it pic.twitter.com/oFMGbDWauv
— Elle Reeve (@elspethreeve) December 18, 2024
the murder hornet reign of terror has finally come to an endhttps://t.co/GCKgeQE82D pic.twitter.com/TmdsRgwZBt
— rat king 🐀 (@MikeIsaac) December 18, 2024
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 December 19, 2024 at 08:00
Here’s Danny Masterson’s entire appeal brief
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Danny Masterson’s appellate attorneys turned in their appeal brief a couple of days early, and we knew you’d want to dig into it and give us your thoughts. So here’s the whole enchilada. It’s too big to fit in an email, so please come to tonyortega.substack.com to see the whole thing. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“It is quite legal to heal by spiritual means and even part of the law of most states and countries and, indeed, was the sole province of religion for thousands of years before the medical doctor came along. But this is no reason why Scientology would make any effort to replace the medical doctor since he has considerable value in the mechanics of bones and structural matters. The only place he falls down is in handling general illnesses, especially of a chronic nature.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
——————–
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
——————–
“There’s a fellow by the name of Einstein passed some laws relating to the speed of light. And you get up to the speed of light, I understand, and you stop right there. And I hope that they don’t hear about this out in the outer planets there, because they’d have to drop those speedometers off. Because these boys going two or three times the speed of light there, as they just start to travel, would be embarrassed if they knew they couldn’t do that. And so somebody’d better inform them before they’re embarrassed by having this discovered about themselves.” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 19, 1953
——————–
“The Port Anchor Chain was not washed and mud is reported in the chain locker. This should be run out and cleaned up properly.” — The Commodore, December 19, 1969
——————–
“OT II was like prying-crowbar work yanking me out of the case, loosening and shaking things up quite well. OT III resulted in exteriorization and holding my own space no longer anchored to the body. Regges at AOs way back when used to tell me you don’t want to go out of this life without having reached at least OT III, and I consider that to be quite true. In my book, a very important point on the Bridge to reach for. LRH is indeed pure genius to discover this tech.”
1998: ABC News program 20/20 aired a show on Scientology this week. From the ABC web site: “The Church of Scientology, which claims a membership of 8 million worldwide, inspires a passion in its members as strong as any other faith. Yet a number of critics call the church’s practices extreme and, in some cases, dangerous. Two years ago, the controversy turned into a criminal investigation after the sudden death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson at the age of 34. McPherson’s family claims Scientologists held her captive – without food and water – and watched her die of dehydration. Exclusive video of a Scientologist ‘auditing’ session – the practice where church members relive painful events, sometimes from previous lives hundreds or even thousands of years ago Rare interviews with celebrity church members John Travolta and Kirstie Alley Interviews with five former church members who claim they were held captive by Scientologists in what they call prison camps An interview with Frank Oliver, a former member of Scientology’s internal security force, who says he personally took part in campaigns to harass, intimidate and threaten those regarded as enemies of the church. Frank Oliver, former Scientologist internal security official: ‘They can send private investigators out to your home or to your place of work, talk to your neighbors – they will illicitly try and obtain copies of your phone bills or credit rating – they will try and create problems for you at your place of employment. They will try and sue you. They’ll do everything they can try and do to stop you or to silence you.’ Stacy Young, former church member: “At 4 in the morning one night – Vaughn and I were asleep, and there was a knock on the door, and two security guards were there, and they took me away into the prison camp. Vaughn Young, former church member: ‘You go through interrogations, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month. Breaking you down. Breaking you down, breaking you down.'”
——————–
“The comments sections on the CCHR vids on YouTube are this uber weird mix of Scientologists and the mentally ill who gravitate to this bullshit because it justifies them not taking their meds. It makes for some very unusual reading.”
——————–
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 January 13, 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] How a police raid in Detroit prompted the creation of the Church of Scientology
[TWO years ago] VIDEO: If Danny Masterson had testified about ‘DJ Donkey Punch’
[THREE years ago] Reactions to our insider’s claim Scientology in pandemic chaos: It rings true, experts say
[FOUR years ago] Secrets of Scientology ‘Super Power’: The best testimonial we’ve seen yet
[FIVE years ago] ‘Have you got a head?’ — Listen in to Scientology as a wacky group experience
[SIX years ago] Scientology threatened to sue over last night’s episode, settled for sliming Leah & Mike instead
[SEVEN years ago] KID CORPS: Scientology wanted cadets as young as 6 dealing out justice to each other
[EIGHT years ago] Live-blogging Leah Remini’s special episode tonight: Get a load of these miscreants!
[NINE years ago] Witness: Compton scam rehab was a special Scientology project — how high does it go?
[TEN years ago] Scientology’s Craigslist expert issues new instructions after so much ad flagging
[ELEVEN years ago] How Scientology ‘ethics’ creates your very own Truman Show
——————–
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.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,118 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,613 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,128 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,678 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,668 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,054 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,549 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,853 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,724 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,276 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,617 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,184 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,103 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,271 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,853 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,113 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,149 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,865 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,429 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,744 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,919 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,601 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,938 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,792 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,907 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,269 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,572 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,678 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,076 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,952 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,517 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,028 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,284 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,392 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on December 19, 2024 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
December 18, 2024
Miracle on 125th St: Christian missionaries provide Scientology a holiday PR victory!
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Christian missionaries, lured in by a restored L. Ron Hubbard property, put through staring exercises at the Harlem org, some books taken home, some restless leg cured. This is the way Scientology recruitment is supposed to work, people! ALSO: Tom Cruise gets a new medal! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“Recently, having found bottom on the mind and spirit some years ago, I have been looking into physical nutrition and biochemistry. These latter levels lie below the spirit and mind and could be loosely considered to be an undercut as they do impede spiritual gain. Many people are mainly fixated on the body and living as they do in an intensely materialistic society, they are caught between being a body in the work-a-day world and achieving spiritual freedom. This is of course paradoxical. The game of being a body is the only game they have in their eyes. Thus if something is wrong with their body they manifest having heavy problems and they are anxious at the thought of losing a body: in other words they have a hidden standard of body health as their measure of spiritual attainment which, though illogical, is where they are and what they are doing.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
——————–
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({});
——————–
“Let’s take the ant kingdom. The ants have been granted beingness. The ants themselves are not a beingness — that is, an independent beingness, such as a thetan. And here we get an oddity; we get an oddity in behavior in terms of ants. You go around and trifle with an ant. As a thetan, you go around and you start pushing around an ant: put a beam through his head, short-circuit out some of the working parts, make him walk in small circles, and you immediately start getting this, the idea that there’s something someplace that is getting awfully mad at you. Funny, isn’t it?” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 18, 1953
——————–
“MISSION ACCOUNTS UK: COMMANDER HANA ELTRINGHAM and FELICE GREEN are very much welcomed back. They did a fine job straightening up accounts at WW, SH and Pubs. As an added bonus they found Pubs was owed about £300,000, nearly 3 times what it owes and that SH was owed over £90,000 and £50,000. SMERSH is noted as active in Edinburgh in the form of our being worked on to make us unpopular. Well, they can try. The Mission did a great and very long job. They are highly commended.” — The Commodore, December 18, 1968
——————–
“Trust me, it might not be this life time, or perhaps the next, but this world WILL have decent, ethical, and legitimate orgs one day. Those that are left behind will eventually catch up. Independent Scientology makes more sense than any of these other superstitious religions. You’re right, we’re losing the war now because of the active suppression going on, but it won’t be forever.”
——————–
1997: LA Weekly carried a follow-up to their article on Scientology textbooks and learning techniques. A misdirected fax provided evidence of a Scientology-led fax campaign against the paper. “A misrouted fax rolled into our offices the other day, from one Margaret McCarthy at Applied Scholastics headquarters to one ‘Daryl at Player’s Choice,’ a trophy shop in Santa Ana. By all appearances, Ms. McCarthy is directing Daryl on what to write in a letter to the editor of the Weekly. McCarthy opens the missive to ‘Daryl’ with instructions for her to re-type an enclosed letter to the editor on her own company letterhead. And then things get weird. McCarthy uses some secret symbolic notation – two vertical lines alternating with two dots – to warn Daryl against making mistakes in the letter. As in: ‘Be careful of typos, etc. This is a [secret symbol] publication and you know they’ll nail us for any boo boos.’ We called McCarthy and asked if she was orchestrating a letter-writing campaign against the Weekly, but she wouldn’t say.’ The notation, ‘1.1’, was in a fax – mistakenly sent to our machine – from an employee of Scientology-affiliated textbook publisher Applied Scholastics to a Santa Ana merchant, directing her on what to write in a letter to the Weekly’s editor. The fax warns: ‘Be careful of typos, etc. This is a 1.1 publication and you know they’ll nail us for any boo boos.’ The notation, as many readers kindly alerted us, comes from the late L. Ron Hubbard’s mental Tone Scale, which ranges from 40 (serenity of beingness) to negative 40 (total failure). According to the online Scientology handbook, 1.1, ‘the most dangerous and wicked level,’ means ‘covert hostility’ – a common designation bestowed on the Church’s perceived enemies. Applied Scholastics president Ian Lyons confirmed the notation’s meaning, saying, ‘There is no secret about it.'”
——————–
“I think it’s safe to say at this point in the proceedings that the reason things are so bad in the unchurch of Scientology aren’t due merely to Miscavige being dumb or incompetent. It’s obvious that he is a purposeful sadist who actively enjoys plotting new ways to torment his captive flock. He’s King Joffrey, he’s Ivan the Terrible. He’s freaking nuts.”
——————–
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 January 13, 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] HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY, CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
[TWO years ago] PODCAST: If Scientology expert Claire Headley had testified at the Danny Masterson trial
[THREE years ago] INSIDER: Scientology has been devastated by the pandemic and is coming apart at the seams
[FOUR years ago] Oof: Jane Doe #1’s own attorneys flubbed and ID’d her and her IP address in court documents
[FIVE years ago] Why the IRS will likely do nothing about Mormon and Scientology illegal slush funds
[SIX years ago] Leah Remini asks ‘Where is Shelly’ as the Church of Scientology turns 65!
[SEVEN years ago] When love triumphs over Scientology: A fairy tale of New York for the holidays
[EIGHT years ago] Oh look, Scientology started a blog, and it already won an award
[NINE years ago] Compton scam rehab clinic definitely a Church of Scientology operation, witnesses say
[TEN years ago] Rick Ross has a new book that will help you get someone out of Scientology
[ELEVEN years ago] Happy Birthday, Church of Scientology!
——————–
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.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,117 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,612 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,127 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,677 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,667 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,053 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,548 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,852 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,723 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,275 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,616 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,183 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,102 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,270 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,852 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,112 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,148 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,864 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,428 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,743 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,918 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,600 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,937 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,791 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,906 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,268 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,571 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,677 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,075 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,951 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,516 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,027 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,283 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,391 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on December 18, 2024 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
Trump likes the thought of Canada as the 51st state
Some links to Q-related items today
Advertisement(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});In an unhinged Truth Social post at 3:23 AM, Trump claims “many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State” which he thinks is “a great idea.” pic.twitter.com/GXZFzoEkxZ
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 18, 2024
The House Intelligence Committee just wrapped its classified briefing on the drone situation in New Jersey.
The overwhelming consensus from members: there’s nothing nefarious going on in the skies there.
Most sightings appear to be manned aircraft, stars, etc., they say.
— Mark Satter (@marksatter) December 17, 2024
QAnon-adjacent Pennsylvania politician Doug Mastriano tweets a replica of a Star Wars spaceship assuming it's actually a mysterious drone that's been recovered after crashing in Orange Beach.
He was very close to becoming the governor of Pennsylvania just two years ago. https://t.co/g1Ha0BuYnt
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) December 17, 2024
The New Jersey Drones are run by Iran who are using them to activate 5G towers to trigger the spike proteins in the COVID vaccine. WAKE UP SHEEPLE!!! pic.twitter.com/fWfqtY10ta
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) December 17, 2024
So many of these people have gone from “You call me a Nazi cause you can’t debate the facts.” To “Yeah I am a Nazi, what of it?” pic.twitter.com/hMXvoZaqo4
— Poker and Politics (@PokerPolitics) December 17, 2024
Trump just picked failed Senate candidate Herschel Walker to be U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas. Yes, Herschel Walker.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 18, 2024
Infamous paper that popularized unproven COVID-19 treatment finally retracted
Study on hydroxychloroquine by Didier Raoult and colleagues gets pulled on ethical and scientific groundshttps://t.co/ixJu1sUqed
— Allison Neitzel (@AliNeitzelMD) December 17, 2024
Believe it or not, there are still some liberal users on this app who continue to think the election was "rigged", and that somehow Trump won't become president on 20 January. pic.twitter.com/IRGJDk9iLX
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) December 17, 2024
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 December 18, 2024 at 08:00
December 17, 2024
Why Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard isn’t coming back to Earth
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: A question from a reader sent us on a wild goose chase into Scientology’s dim past in search of something L. Ron Hubbard supposedly said about his future in this galaxy. Finally, we retrieved it, and we know you’re going to want to see it! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“The ‘proofs’ of supposing Scientology is a healing activity are abundant enough if one sees the recovery lists in any org. But they were not processed to heal them, only to free them. A recent example of this occurred when a preclear broke her ankle and was given medical treatment. Naturally the org was anxious to get on with her program of processing and the ankle injury was in the way. After weeks in medical hands with the ankle getting worse, the engram of the injury was run out, the ankle got well and the person was again being routinely processed a few days later. The auditor could be said to have been engaged in healing. All he was doing was getting a body difficulty out of his road so he could get on with it.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
——————–
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
——————–
“By the way, professional football is nowhere near as successful as college football; that is to say, people go to see college games. Well, actually I won’t go see a college game because I know most of those players are on the payroll. I was, by the way, the first boy in America to bust that story to the print, to the newspapers: professional paid football players on college teams. I didn’t get expelled for it, my fellow editor got expelled. But he didn’t really get expelled, he just simply got disgusted. And he is now one of the top sports editors of America. But the two of us found that college, the college — our own college — was paying considerable salary under the name of scholarships and bonuses and things like that, to good football players in order to make a good football team. And they were getting in more money at the stadium for every game than they were getting in through the tuition window. And this was an interesting story, we thought. So we broke it in the college paper and broke it over the Scripps-Howard newschain, which I was associate editor of the paper and my pal was also a sports reporter, as well as a student, on the paper.” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 17, 1954
——————–
“B. BEREZ: Goodbye Mr. Berez. You who used ethics most wrongly were found with a huge tin of marijuana to be the most out-ethics person aboard. B. Berez, you were the longest aboard in all the out ethics days of the old RSM. We can blow some charge on that. So goodbye Mr. Berez. I trust you will soon go up in smoke.” — The Commodore, December 17, 1968
——————–
“A thought occurred to me a long time ago while in session after reading the Factors and the Axioms of Scientology. And ever since that moment I have never felt at all ‘insignificant’ while contemplating the vastness of the physical universe. And that thought is: We are not actually ‘in’ the physical universe (unless we pretend to be so). We created it, the whole thing, from scratch. If anything, the physical universe is within US! A corollary to this idea was that one needn’t change location in the physical universe in order to visit or be in comm with another thetan. Just open a theta window and say ‘Hi’.”
1996: PA News reported that a member of the British House of Lords has announced he is a Scientologist. “A Liberal Democrat peer today disclosed he is a member of the Church of Scientology, as a Home Office minister warned of the ‘potential dangers’ of becoming involved in such organisations. In Lords question time exchanges on the operations of the organisation, Lord McNair, 49, declared: ‘I have to tell the House that I have an interest — and that interest is that I am a member of the Church of Scientology.’ Tory Baroness Sharples earlier told the House: ‘Those who have left the cult, a number of them, have been both threatened and harassed and a considerable number of them have been made bankrupt by the church.’ Home Office Minister of State Baroness Blatch said: ‘People should be warned of the potential dangers of becoming involved in organisations of this kind.'”
——————–
“After Waco the political will to do anything about cults vanished. The main reason they finally did something about Warren Jeffs and the FLDS was because it was a pedo factory. America is a very religious country and it’s also a celebrity-obsessed country. When you have names like Cruise and Travolta running interference for you, you can run a long way.”
——————–
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 January 13, 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] Life in Scientology: Saving the planet and lining your pockets at the same time!
[TWO years ago] Florida Bar past president hired to stop court from serving lawsuit on David Miscavige
[THREE years ago] Growing up in Scientology’s Sea Org, and encountering David Miscavige: A look back
[FOUR years ago] Scientology hopes to benefit from Michael Jackson estate’s arbitration win against HBO
[FIVE years ago] The Scientology spy who wants desperately to come in from the cold
[SIX years ago] Finally, Scientology spells out its crazy ideas in a video you weren’t supposed to see
[SEVEN years ago] Mexico officially recognizes Scientology as a religion, Miscavige claims at New Year’s event
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology is totally reading your comments here — and you’re scaring them senseless
[NINE years ago] FELONY RAPS FOR SCIENTOLOGISTS RUNNING L.A. REHAB SCAM WITH CORRUPT EDUCATORS
[TEN years ago] Scientology’s Clark Carr: Those letters after my name were no good and I didn’t know it
[ELEVEN years ago] At OT 3, you learn you have space cooties — how do you get rid of them? Scientology exorcism!
——————–
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.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,116 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,611 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,126 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,676 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,666 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,052 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,547 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,851 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,722 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,274 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,615 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,182 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,101 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,269 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,851 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,111 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,147 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,863 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,427 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,742 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,917 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,599 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,936 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,790 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,905 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,267 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,570 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,676 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,074 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,950 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,515 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,026 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,282 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,390 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on December 17, 2024 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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