October 27 in Scientology history

Keith Raniere, the former head of NXIVM, was sentenced to 120 years in prison yesterday. One of the main people who brought him to justice was Mark Vicente. A former leader in the NXIVM movement, he and his wife, Bonnie Piesse, along with Sarah Edmunson and her husband Nippy Ames and Catherine Oxenberg were chronicled in the excellent HBO Series The Vow about their awakening and subsequent efforts to bring the leaders of NXIVM to justice. We interviewed Mark on the Aftermath Podcast a few weeks ago.

Tags: Catherine Oxenberg, Clear, Facebook, HBO, Keith Raniere, Mark Vicente, NXIVM, Quicky, Twitter

Last week we published a story that discussed how California's version of "Marsy's Law" might afford some protection to the women suing Danny Masterson who also happen to be his alleged victims in a criminal rape prosecution that has the That '70s Show actor facing 45 years to life in prison. In the article Texas attorney Ray Jeffrey, a veteran of Scientology litigation, specifically brought up the victims' rights law and said that it seemed like a great argument for the women to make in order to keep them from being forced into Scientology's "religious arbitration." "It seems like it would be a good argument to make in the civil hearing that by trying to push the thing into religious arbitration, Scientology is violating the protections they have from Marsy's Law now," Ray told us. "Trying to push them into religious arbitration is a form of intimidation. To get them behind closed doors? And perhaps with their rapist? I think they're entitled to this protection."

Tags: 1951, 1996, A&E, Annie Broeker, Australia, Bobette Riales, Bryan Seymour, Buddhism, California, Chrissie Bixler, Critic, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, Fair Game, First Amendment, Freezone, Judge Steven Kleifield, Leah Remini, Los Angeles Superior Court, Mike Rinder, Nebraska, Ray Jeffrey, Religious Technology Center, Scientology and the Aftermath, Texas, Tilden, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, William Forman

A once-dormant Scientology front group is making a resurgence. This month Friends of Narconon launched a new Twitter account, and they're making the remarkable claim that their educational program is endorsed by SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The agency is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services, including drug rehab programs. Friends of Narconon claims that SAMHSA has classified them as an "evidence-based program" and they have verified that Narconon produces results and its materials can be used in classrooms. It's not true, and it's not the first time Narconon has claimed a phony certification. Friends of Narconon ran Scientology's drug education efforts for decades. They visited schools, raised money and attracted considerable celebrity support as Scientologists John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Kirstie Alley recruited their friends — celebrities such as Morgan Fairchild, Robert Ginty, Donna Mills, John Matuszak and the cast of Family Ties to publicity events.

Tags: 1951, 1985, 2005, 2006, 2014, ABLE, Abuse, American Academy of Certified Forensic Counselors, Bobby Wiggins, Buddhism, California, California Department of Education, Canada, Daphna Hernandez, Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Friends of Narconon, GoFundMe, IRS, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, Mental Health, Narconon, National Association of Forensic Counselors, Pasadena, Patty Schwartz, Robert Hernandez, SAMHSA, Truth About Drugs, Twitter

The following is one in a series of stories that won the then-St. Petersburg Times the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. In it, reporter Charles Stafford, who won the prize along with Bette Orsini, details how the Church of Scientology moved into Clearwater with big plans under a false name. The story, originally titled "Church entered Clearwater on path of deceit," was published on December 20, 1979. The Church of Scientology came to Florida's Suncoast in late 1975 wearing a cloak of secrecy that concealed a dagger of deceit. The mystery began Oct. 27. The Fort Harrison Hotel was purchased by Southern Land Sales and Development Corp. for $2.3-million hard cash, and then a few days later the old Bank of Clearwater building for $550,000. For whom? And why?

Tags: 1975, 1979, 1980, 2007, Apollo, Bette Orsini, Church of Scientology of California, Clearwater, Clearwater Sun, Congress, Flag Building, Florida, Fort Harrison, Gabriel Cazares, Guardian's Office, Henning Heldt, IRS, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, Project Power, Pulitzer Prize, Quicky, Sorel Allen, Southern Land Sales and Development, St. Petersburg Times, Tax exempt, United Churches, United Churches of Florida, Washington

Scientology's Presence In Clearwater, Fla. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with reporter Tracey McManus.

Tags: Audio, Clearwater, NPR, Quicky, Tampa Bay Times, Tracey McManus

The show where I answer your questions. Please leave any comments or feedback in the comments section here below. I see everything and want to hear from you. SHOP FOR CRITICAL MERCHANDISE http://shop.spreadshirt.com/chrisshelton

Tags: Audio, Critic, Quicky, Scientology: A to Xenu

Our Saturday 'Scientology Lit' series has been coming to this — still the best biography of Scientology's founder and perhaps the best book about Scientology of them all, Russell Miller's Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard. Difficult to find in this country for a long time, the book is back in print now. Russell himself is a delight, and we're fortunate to have spent time with him a few times. We're thrilled that he chose this chapter to share with us and our series. Launching the Sea Org 'Hearing of L. Ron Hubbard's plans for further exploration and research into, among other things, past civilizations, many Scientologists wanted to join him and help. They adopted the name "Sea Organization" . . . Free of organizational duties and aided by the first Sea Org members, L. Ron Hubbard now had the time and facilities to confirm in the physical universe some of the events and places he had encountered in his journeys down the track of time . . .' (Mission Into Time)

Tags: 1936, 1940, 1960, 1961, 1966, 1967, 1987, Africa, Amos Jessup, Avon River, Bare-Faced Messiah, Bill Robertson, Canary Islands, Caribbean, Chris White, CIA, Committee of Evidence, Companies House, Company, Connecticut, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, David Miscavige, Diana Hubbard, East Grinstead, Egypt, E-meter, England, Ethics Officer, Europe, Explorers Club, FBI, France, Greece, Ideal Org, Italy, Joe van Staden, John McMaster, L. Ron Hubbard, Las Palmas, London, Manchester, Mary Sue Hubbard, Mediterranean, Mission Into Time, Morocco, New Year's Eve, New York, New Yorker, Operating Thetan, OT, Pope, Portugal, Quicky, Ray Kemp, Rhodesia, Royal Scotman, Russell Miller, Saint Hill, Saint Hill Manor, Sara Northrup, Sea Org, South Africa, Southampton, Spain, Tangier, Tax, Telex, Valencia, Virginia, Wall of Fire, Washington

Sending shirts to hand out for photo ops. Something to help the victims might be good... But that's never been what is most important... it is always the photo op.

Tags: International Association of Scientologists, Quicky, Volunteer Ministers

Marauding Scientologists in San Francisco take to the streets with their pseudoscientific literature on drugs. Scientology's cure for drugs? $360,000 in Scientology auditing and courses. A frequently asked question: How many members does the Church of Scientology have? I suggest that the better question is this: How many Scientologists are left in the Church after what has been a continuing mass exodus since 2005?

Tags: 1954, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, Clearwater, David Miscavige, England, Flag Building, Florida, Florida State University, Germany, Hungary, International Association of Scientologists, Italy, Los Angeles, Pat Harney, Police, Quicky, Russia, San Francisco, Sea Org, Shrine Auditorium, Taiwan, Tampa

Dynasty star Catherine Oxenberg sat down with DailyMailTV on Friday and spoke about her 26-year-old daughter India, who she says has been 'brainwashed' by an 'insane' cult. Last year, India moved to Albany New York, where the self-help group NXIVM is based. In previously interviews, Oxenberg detailed how she and her daughter got into the group, after the mother and daughter took one of their 'Executive Success' classes in 2011.

Tags: 1999, 2011, Albany, California, Casper, Cult, Facebook, Keith Raniere, Mormon, New York, New York Times, NXIVM, Quicky

Hungarian Scientology just got a huge fine and the investigation continues. Their reaction… They asked the members to 10X their IAS donations.

Tags: Europe, Hungary, International Association of Scientologists, Quicky, Russia

CLEARWATER — When voters in 2000 handily rejected a referendum to build along the depressed waterfront, developer Al Justice wondered if dreams of a vibrant downtown were gone forever. He had spent decades bringing major projects — the Bank of America office tower in 1974, the now FrankCrum headquarters in 1998 — and wondered why more private investment wasn't following. "It's always been a mystery to me," said Justice, now a consultant in North Carolina. "You've got one of the most beautiful waterfronts anybody has ever looked at, you've got all the beach activities just over the bridge. My God, what will it take to get somebody to wake up and take advantage of this?"

Tags: 1974, 1975, 1980, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2016, Anne Garris, Ben Shaw, Brian Aungst, Clearwater, Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland Street, Detroit, Dunedin, Fort Harrison, North Carolina, Quicky, St. Petersburg, Station Square, Tampa, University of South Florida

Like anything else in Scientology, how children are treated is governed by a huge number of policies and reports, and in this series we're looking documents that show how children were treated under the ideas of L. Ron Hubbard. We're fortunate that one man has done so much to collect huge numbers of such documents — Mark "Warrior" Plummer, who left Scientology in 1983, and is pretty legendary for the collection of church materials he's amassed. Also helping us is Sunny Pereira, who for several weeks has been working with Mark to pull out key documents for us to discuss. The Bunker: Sunny, today's document dates from 1979, and it's about the setting up of a "Sea Org school" for children at the Los Angeles headquarters. Help us navigate it. Sunny: This document explains how schooling of children was successful on the ship Apollo with L. Ron Hubbard, where the children were all together with stable nannies and tutors, from 1967 to 1975.

Tags: 1967, 1975, 1979, 1983, Abuse, Apollo, Budapest, Cadet Org, Clay demo, Clear, Commodore's Messenger Organization, Criminal, David Sund, Debbie Radstrom, Delphi, Delphian School, Facebook, Flag Order, Google, Hungary, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Mark Plummer, Narconon, Narconon Hungary, National Tax and Customs Office, Office of Special Affairs, Patti LaMarr, Peter Bonyai, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Sea Org, Sunny Pereira, Tax, Trina Falston, Word Clearing

Nathan Rich and I discuss his experiences growing up in Scientology. Nathan's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSzC... Nathan's video response to Scientology's hate website:

Tags: Leah Remini, Nathan Rich, Quicky

RB is still on hiatus. This was the LRH birthday 2016 edition. Another of my personal favorites.

Tags: 2016, L. Ron Hubbard, Quicky, Regraded Being

Just in case you thought Republican/independent/Democrat/governor/vice presidential finalist/washed-up former politician/now Congressman Charlie Crist's career couldn't get any weirder, there's a new development. A singer and diehard Trump supporter appears to be looking at running against Crist for his Pinellas County U.S. House seat. Joy Villa, best known for wearing a Make America Great Again dress at the Grammy's, told Fox & Friends on Friday that she is looking seriously at running as a Republican for Congress in Florida, California or New York -- "most likely" Florida.

Tags: Breitbart, California, Charlie Crist, Clearwater, Congress, David Jolly, Donald Trump, Facebook, Florida, Joy Villa, Los Angeles, New York, New York City, Pinellas County, Politics, Republican, Steve Bannon, Tampa, Twitter

Residents in Moseley were left angry after the newly-opened Church of Scientology posted invitations for a personality test through their doors. The test, which several people in the area have reported receiving, tests 'the 10 key personality traits that determine your future success and happiness' and helps you 'find out how to improve them'. Graeme Wilson, the Church of Scientology's UK-based public affairs director, said: "The personality test is a measure of how people see themselves, particularly if they want to learn more about life and improve conditions for self and others. "We are planning to distribute invitations for tours and a cup of tea, and it appears that a couple of our enthusiastic volunteers distributed some personality test vouchers in the meantime.

Tags: Birmingham, Graeme Wilson, Moseley, Personality test, Quicky, UK

Hello everyone. After a short break, we are back with my on-going series, deconstructing this book, Scientology, edited by James R. Lewis with contributions by a gaggle of sociologists, religious scholars and others who have something to say about the subject of Scientology, usually along an apologetics vein. I was informed by one of my viewers that James R. Lewis has a new compendium coming out in the UK in November, this one called Handbook of Scientology, published by Brill Academic Publishers. It features a variety of authors, only a couple of whom are featured in this current book I'm taking apart. The new book will only be sold in the UK for something like $200, so clearly Lewis is not interested in anyone actually reading it.

Tags: 1927, 1928, 1940, 1950, 1964, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1990, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2011, 9/11, A Piece of Blue Sky, Academic, Apologetic, Auditing, Bridge to Total Freedom, Buddha, Canada, China, Christian, Christian Science, Clear, Clearwater, David Miscavige, Dianetics, E-meter, Emma Hopkins, Flag Land Base, Flag Service Organization, Florida, Gail Harley, Gordon Melton, Guardian's Office, Independent Scientology, International Association of Scientologists, James Lewis, John Kieffer, Jon Atack, Kathy Feshbach, L. Ron Hubbard, Mary Baker Eddy, Mental Health, Mission, Montana, New York City, New York Times, Objective Processing, OT, Publisher, Quicky, Red Cross, Religious worker, Salvation Army, Sea Org, Simon Hare, Tampa, Touch Assist, UK, University of South Florida, Vietnam, Volunteer Ministers, Washington

Editor's note: Several weeks after this story published in October, Spencer gave a triumphant speech at a conference in Washington describing America as a "white country" and proclaiming, "Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!" He was met with cheers and Nazi salutes. Read more in our investigation of how the white nationalist movement capitalized on the Trump campaign. Richard Spencer uses chopsticks to deftly pluck slivers of togarashi-crusted ahi from a rectangular plate. He is sitting in the Continental-style lounge of the Firebrand Hotel, near his home in the upscale resort town of Whitefish, Montana, discussing a subject not typically broached in polite company. "Race is something between a breed and an actual species," he says, likening the differences between whites and people of color to those between golden retrievers and basset hounds. "It's that powerful." We are well into our third round of Arrogant Frog, a merlot that Spencer chose because its name reminds him of Pepe, the cartoon frog commandeered as a mascot by the "alt-right" movement that has been thrust from the shadows by Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Spencer says Pepe could also be seen as the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian frog deity, Kek: "He is basically using the alt-right to unleash chaos and change the world," he says, looking slightly annoyed when I crack a smile. "You might say, 'Wow,' but this is literally how religions arise."

Tags: 1990, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 4chan, Africa, Alexander Dugin, Alt-Right, America First, American Freedom Party, American Renaissance, Ann Coulter, Barack Obama, Bavaria, Breitbart, Budapest, Catholic, Cato Institute, Chinese, Christian, Clear, Congress, Daily Stormer, Dallas, DC, Donald Rumsfeld, Donald Trump, Dupont Circle, Egypt, Europe, European Union, Friedrich Nietzsche, Genocide, George W. Bush, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Heritage Foundation, Hillary Clinton, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jared Taylor, Jewish, John McCain, Katie McHugh, Kevin DeAnna, Kremlin, Ku Klux Klan, Milo Yiannopoulos, Montana, Muslim, National Policy Institute, New York Post, Overton window, Pat Buchanan, Peter Brimelow, Red Pill, Reddit, Republican, Richard Spencer, Ron Paul, Russia, Russia Today, Secret Service, Skype, Slate, Southern Poverty Law Center, Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, Texas, Tokyo, Turkey, Twitter, University of Chicago, University of Virginia, VDARE, Vladimir Putin, Washington, White nationalism, Whitefish, William Johnson, William Regnery

A week ago, Tom Cruise was in London for the opening of his newest film, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, when the rarest of occurrences happened on the red carpet: A reporter asked Cruise a real question. If you know something about Tom Cruise, you know that his media appearances are highly controlled affairs. If you want Tom on your show, you have to abide by a strict set of rules, which include not asking him about what everyone wants to know. Like, why the hell doesn't he spend more time with his daughter, Suri? And why is he still involved in Scientology, even after the humiliating things about him that came out in Alex Gibney's 2015 documentary, Going Clear? But Tom rarely ever faces questions like that. Even Jon Stewart, in the last weeks of his show and with nothing to lose, couldn't bring himself to break the rules and ask Cruise a real question.

Tags: 2004, 2015, Alex Gibney, BBC, Chris Shelton, Clearwater, David Miscavige, England, Florida, Freedom Medal of Valor, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Jon Stewart, London, Louis Theroux, Lucrezia Millarini, My Scientology Movie, News organization, Quicky, San Diego, Tampa, Tom Cruise, US Weekly

Chris Shelton spent two and half decades living and working as a Scientologist, climbing the ranks until he became a course leader for Scientology churches all over the Western United States. Now he dedicates his time to speaking out against the Church. What happened? Exhausted by the Church's demands on his time and curious about the protesters he kept encountering outside Scientology properties, Chris started listening to criticism of Scientology by people like Tony Ortega. It triggered an all-out repudiation of his faith.

Tags: 2008, 2009, Anonymous, Chris Shelton, Dissemination, Oxford Capacity Analysis, Rehabilitation Project Force, Santa Barbara, Scientology: A to Xenu, Sea Org, Tony Ortega

Silicon Valley Groundbeaking A year after completing their funraising they are finally going to beak the ground. At least they spelled it right this time....

Tags: 1975, Alfreddie Johnson, Angela Sharp, August Ryan, Barbara Kalergis, Bob Schmidt, CCHR, Clear, Daniel Trevor, Jim Rego, Joy Villa, L. Ron Hubbard, London, Michael Chan, Nashville, New Year's Eve, OT, Phoenix, Piltdown Man, Portland, Quicky, Silicon Valley, Thursday Funnies, Whole Track

"Trouble Makers" by Moxie Magee © October 2015 Oh wimmen wimmen wimmen | What're you up to now (hey) Go sit down | Get back home where you belong (get back, girl) Oh trouble trouble trouble | What're you stewin' 'bout (hey) Get back down | Grab your bag and move along CHORUS: You can game her | But you can't tame her She's our lovely Trouble Maker You can blame her | But you can't break her Here comes Trouble

Tags: Leah Remini, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, Video

My old friend, Andy Porter, sent me this article. It's an eerie look at scientology from a different perspective. What I find especially interesting is the fact that this gave rise to an outraged piece in the New York Times, yet, as you will see, the conduct they deemed worthy of a lengthy article pales in comparison to scientology. I would probably have added a parenthetical note to Andy's title — Amazon: The New Scientology? (Not even close...)

Tags: Abortion, Amazon, Anderson Cooper, Andy Porter, Clear, CNN, David Miscavige, Jenna Miscavige Hill, Lawyer, Management by Statistics, New York Times, OT, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Scientology organization, Scientology staff, Sea Org, Tampa Bay Times

Followers and former members of Scientology appeared before a Belgian court, as the church is facing a possible ban from the country on a series of charges including fraud, extortion and illegal practice of medicine. Judges in Brussels heard about the church's financing and rituals on the first two days of the trial that opened earlier in October at the end of an 18-year investigation. A defendant said worshippers paid up to €2,000 (£1,440, $2,200) for a 10-day "purification programme" they believed helped them become a better person. "It involves sauna sessions, plenty of sleep, running, healthy eating and taking supplements," the man, who chaired the Scientology's Belgian branch in the early 2000s, told the court, La Libre newspaper reported.

Tags: Belgium, Brussels, Copenhagen, Extortion, Fraud, Judge Yves Régimont, Leah Remini, Purification Rundown, Tom Cruise

The Belgian branch of the Church of Scientology went to trial in Brussels on Monday, facing charges of fraud and extortion in the wake of investigations into the church's fundraising and recruitment practices. According to The Guardian, the country launched two investigations — one in 1997 and another in 2008 — looking into complaints about the church's inner workings, as well as allegedly bogus job offers manufactured by the church to recruit new members. Eleven members of the Belgian branch and two affiliated bodies are facing the charges, which also include running a criminal organization and violating the right to privacy. A conviction, according to The Guardian, could lead to a ban on Scientology in Belgium. Scientology is reportedly not recognized as a faith in Belgium.

Tags: 1997, 2008, Belgium, Brussels, Extortion, Fraud, The Guardian

On Friday, Leah Remini will provide a glimpse of her explosive tell-all, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, with an hour-long interview on ABC's 20/20. The book itself comes out officially four days later, on November 3. But today, the Underground Bunker has an exclusive that not even Remini's book reveals: In-depth looks at the "Knowledge Reports" (also known as "KRs") written by Scientologists who informed on Remini as The King of Queens star began her doubts about Scientology in 2006 and then left it for good in 2013. In her book, Remini refers to the KRs but doesn't provide the detailed look at them we're going to show you today. And what they reveal is that Remini's trajectory out of Scientology occurred just as we told you back in 2013, when the Underground Bunker first broke the news that Remini had left Scientology behind, and we explained that the beginning of her disaffection came at the 2006 wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in a castle outside of Rome.

Tags: 1967, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1999, 20/20, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, ABC, Andre Dawson, Anne Archer, Author Services Inc, Beverly Hills, Brooke Shields, Bruce Hines, Celebrity Centre, Chairman of the Board, Clearwater, Colombia, Creative Artists Agency, David Miscavige, David Petit, Debbie Cook, Ethics Officer, Flag Land Base, Flag Service Organization, Florida, Hollywood, Ideal Org, Italy, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Jenny McCarthy, Jessica Feshbach, Jim Carrey, John Futris, Julian Swartz, Katie Holmes, Kevin Huvane, King of Queens, Kirstie Alley, Knowledge Report, Knowledge Reports, L. Ron Hubbard, LAPD, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Marc Anthony, Master at Arms, Melinda Brownstone, Michelle Workman, Monique Rathbun, New Year's Eve, New York Post, Norman Starkey, OT 7, Police, Quicky, Rome, Sea Org, Sec Check, Shane Woodruff, Shelly Miscavige, Sunset Boulevard, Suppressive Person, The Hole, The Way to Happiness, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, Truth Rundown, Valerie Futris, War of the Worlds, Will Smith

Our old friend and fellow Scientology aficionado Mark Ebner tells us that on Saturday he and his lovely wife, Michelle Scott, enjoyed a brief repast at HMS Bounty, an old-timey bar and restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard in LA's Koreatown section. Afterward, they walked west on Wilshire, when Ebner spotted something unusual. It was a collection of what appeared to be discarded items, like someone had hastily cleaned out an office and had piled a few things — including a drawer from a desk, and some other items — in a pile on the ground. But what caught his eye, Mark says, was the glint of metal on a couple of wall plaques. He took a closer look, and was stunned by what he'd found. They were Scientology plaques, the kind that you receive when you donate large amounts of money to the International Association of Scientologists.

Tags: 2005, 2006, Al Ribisi, Beck Hansen, Bridge to Total Freedom, Class XII, Facebook, Gay Ribisi, Giovanni Ribisi, Hollywood, International Association of Scientologists, Jason Lee, Karen de la Carriere, Marc Maron, Marissa Ribisi, Mark Ebner, Office of Special Affairs, Patron with Honors, Quicky, Scientology celebrity, South Park

The highly obscene "R" word in the Church of Scientology is REFUND as in, "We hate to give anyone a refund!" There are three types of refunds in the Church of Scientology: 1. Refunds of Advanced Payments (AP) which is often called "monies on account." The Church has always solicited and encouraged its members to make advanced payments for future services. The push for advanced payments surged dramatically in the late 1970's when financial inflation was rampant(1). The Church is said to have a large financial exposure on AP. Chaos could ensue on Church finance lines if there were a sudden mass demand for refunds by thousands of disaffected Scientologists.

Tags: 1970, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1991, A Piece of Blue Sky, Church of Scientology International, Claims Verification Board, David Miscavige, Donation, International Association of Scientologists, IRS, Lawyer, Marty Rathbun, Mission, OT, Quicky, Refund, Super Bowl, UK, Washington

The new LA Org Mag is being sent out. A special correspondent scanned and sent it to me. Portions of it appear below. It is the hype mag for the new universe of scientology at LA Org — the org that "sets the standards for making planetary clearing a reality." Even though they haven't made a single clear. Along with some other fine features, it provides a listing of the key execs and their experience.

Tags: Class IV, Class V, Clear, Egypt, Ideal Org, OT, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Sea Org, Shermanspeak, Thailand

This email is a bit dated now, but I have had so much other news to report it just didn't make it into the mix. But I looked at it this morning and it is enlightening in its own way BECAUSE it is now 3 weeks on. I am sure that 7 OT V starts in a week is the best they have done in a LONG time. But honestly, this is really pathetic. With an Ideal Org and SH size org in London and 6 other orgs in the UK, if this is the volume of "Bridge flow" that is occurring, it is sad that these people are SO excited about how they are taking the planet by storm because they had 7 starts in a week.

Tags: AOSHUK, Basics, Clear, Golden Age of Tech, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, London, OT, OT V, Quicky, Saint Hill, UK

Narconon of Georgia's own insurance company is now trying to drop its coverage, accusing the program of fraud. In a federal court filing, the Illinois-based Evanston Insurance Company says Narconon of Georgia "made the misrepresentations with the actual intent to deceive" and that the insurance company has "no obligation ... to defend or indemnify Narconon." A federal judge has yet to rule on the status of the insurance policy. An attorney for Narconon of Georgia declined to comment because of pending litigation.

Tags: Class action, Danny Porter, DeKalb County, Evanston Insurance Company, Georgia, Gwinnett County, Insurance fraud, Jeff Harris, Narconon, Narconon Georgia, Narconon International, Norcross, Police, Raid, Ralph Hudgens, Real Estate, Rhonda Burgess

Scientology is being accused forced abortions for its members, as ex-member Laura Ann Decrescenzo has filed a suit against David Miscavige and Scientology. Gary Morehead, the former head of security at Scientology's desert compound, admitted to coercing women to get abortions on video, and we look at the recording and the many layers to the story with Scientology muckrakers Tony Ortega and Mark Ebner on this Media Mayhem clip. Watch the full interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lthXXn...

Tags: Abortion, David Miscavige, Gary Morehead, Mark Ebner, Quicky, Tony Ortega

A year ago, the Church of Scientology held a grand opening for its new "National Affairs Office" in Washington DC. And hey, why not? If only a few more world leaders could be exposed to L. Ron Hubbard's books and maybe get some past-life auditing, Scientology could take over the world that much faster! Now that a year's gone by, it was time for the folks at the National Affairs Office to cut loose with some wild celebrations. They then put together a newsletter about all the fun they were having, and it was forwarded to us by one of our great tipsters, just in time for this week's installment of Scientology Sunday Funnies. We've put the entire newsletter into our Scribd account so you can scroll through it at your leisure. Not only will you see that actress Jenna Elfman made the scene, but so did former Indiana Congressman Dan Burton, who has been a big friend to Scientology despite his staunchly pro-life views. (Something tells us Burton is not aware that for many years, Scientology forced young women in the Sea Org to have abortions if they became pregnant.) Anyway, we thought you'd enjoy scrolling through this celebration of Scientology's big push in the country's capital...

Tags: Abortion, Class VIII, Congress, Dan Burton, DC, Dianetics, Gavin Potter, Halloween, Hollywood Boulevard, Ideal Org, Indiana, Jenna Elfman, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, Nashville, National Affairs Office, Quicky, San Fernando Valley, Sea Org, Sunday Funnies, TomKat Project, Valley Ideal Org, Washington

October 27, 2012 - - Great turn out for Scientology protest in Montreal. ORG staff were on top of the roof watching us and Police were called for frivilous CULT call. Most fun I've had since Dublin, Belfast, Arrowhead, and closing of Narconon Trois-Rivieres protests.

Tags: Belfast, Dublin, Halloween, Montreal, Narconon, Police, Quicky, Trois-Rivières

Tom Cruise was guest of honour at a lavish Scientology event in West Sussex – quashing rumours that he had left the controversial sect. About 2,500 guests paid up to £2,000 each to be in the company of the Hollywood star who had reportedly been distancing himself from Scientology since his shock divorce in June from actress wife Katie Holmes, 33. Cruise, 50, broke off from shooting his new movie, All You Need Is Kill, to attend the 28th Anniversary Patrons Ball for the International Association of Scientologists on October 20 at the church's UK headquarters at Saint Hill Manor near Gatwick.

Tags: David Miscavige, Freedom Medal of Valor, Hollywood, International Association of Scientologists, Katie Holmes, London, Patrons Ball, Quicky, Saint Hill Manor, Tom Cruise, Twitter, UK, West Sussex

Still one of our favorite photos: Louis Farrakhan at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood for a gala several years ago, with Scientology's Alfreddie Johnson and former X-Factor contestant Stacy Francis For several years now some of us in the press have been bringing up the strange relationship that has grown up between Scientology and the Nation of Islam. Most recently, Eliza Gray did a wonderful job looking at Louis Farrakhan's embrace of L. Ron Hubbard in The New Republic. It's been fascinating to watch Farrakhan explain in videotaped lectures how he's managed to fall under the spell of the whitest man who ever lived. And it's true that he's asked many of his followers to get trained in Dianetics and to get training as auditors. But on this Saturday, we'd like to open up the blog for discussion of a question we have about this strange relationship between such unusual groups. For whatever reason, Farrakhan has decided to embrace the ideas in Hubbard's books, and to make sure a large number of his followers get trained in order to benefit the Nation of Islam. But we wonder, is there really all that much cross-pollination going on in the other direction? What we mean is, are these NOI members actually becoming active members of the Church of Scientology and gaining positions of authority in it under David Miscavige?

Tags: Alfreddie Johnson, Armageddon, Celebrity Centre, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Eliza Gray, Hollywood, Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam, New Republic, Quicky, Stacy Francis

Ebner Update: a private investigator describes sifting trash for the Church of Scientology. As we continue to investigate Scientology's retaliation campaign against South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and their friends and employees, we remembered that an old colleague of ours, journalist Mark Ebner, worked with the animator duo for their infamous 2005 episode "Trapped in the Closet." Ebner is important to this investigation for a couple of reasons. Not only did he work with Parker and Stone on the very episode that raised Scientology's hackles, but Ebner has himself been the subject of a concerted Scientology harassment campaign through its "Office of Special Affairs" -- and he learned about that campaign through a document leaked by former Scientology executive Marty Rathbun.

Tags: 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006, Breitbart, Gawker, Halloween, Hollywood, Hollywood, Interrupted, Isaac Hayes, John Cook, Lloyd Kaufman, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Matt Stone, Office of Special Affairs, OT III, Paramount, Personality test, Private investigator, Quicky, Republican, Scientology executive, South Park, Tom Cruise, Trapped in the Closet, Trey Parker, Xenu

Lincoln County has a drug rehabilitation center at the Rainbow Canyon Retreat, also known as Narconon, a few miles south of Caliente. County Commissioner Paul Donohue introduced Gerry Marshall, Narconon fresh start field control supervisor from the Los Angeles office, at the County Commission meeting Oct. 17. Marshall explained the vision and purpose of their program, and the work at the retreat center here, which has been in service since 2004. Donohue said he along with Commissioners Mathews and Rowe, and their wives, were recently invited to dinner at the retreat center for a tour of the facility and to watch a graduation and awards ceremony.

Tags: Gerry Marshall, Ian Confer, Laci Thornton, Narconon, Nevada, Rainbow Canyon Retreat, Tammy Hangen, Tommy Rowe

Mike Rinder, the former Church of Scientology spokesman, appeared on Irish national television last night as he prepares to take part in a debate about Scientology today. We'll look at Rinder's Dublin TV performance and more as we round up this week's high and low marks for the church. Every Thursday at 2 pm, Scientology's "orgs" collect their weekly stats to judge how things are going -- and we do the same here every Thursday afternoon at Runnin' Scared. So join us as we examine the church's week here on "STATurday"!

Tags: 2006, Anonymous, David Miscavige, Dead Agent, Dublin, Eric Sherman, Erin Banks, Ethics, Frederick Melo, Ideal Org, Ireland, L. Ron Hubbard, Lauren Smiley, Lloyd Kaufman, Mark Bunker, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Matt Stone, Mike Rinder, Office of Special Affairs, Pioneer Press, Quicky, Religious Freedom Watch, San Francisco, SF Weekly, South Park, St. Paul, Trey Parker, Twin Cities, Wise Beard Man

Mike Rinder is in Dublin Ireland today. He was invited to Trinity College to speak on behalf of Scientology in a debate sponsored by the Philosophical Society. The question: should Scientology be considered a legitimate religion? Corporate Scientology chose not to participate. Mike represents Scientology (clearly of the Independent variety, as opposed to the Corporate version) as I post this. Mike was greeted at the Dublin airport yesterday by seven Corporate Scientologists screaming in his face "YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN IRELAND!" The rabble probably represented half the total die-hard Corporate Scientology field in Ireland. Irony or ironies, Mike Rinder came to Ireland for one purpose and one purpose alone, to defend their rights to believe and practice their religion; a chore that David Miscavige explicitly ran for cover from. Here is Mike on national television broadcast last night in Ireland. Note, despite Corporate Scientology's best efforts to shut Mike up and prevent his appearance at Trinity College, you just can't stop the shinin'. My take: With Davis MIA and Miscavige AWOL, the applied religious philosophy of Scientology finally has a spokesperson Scientologists can be proud of. (note: the video goes up to about 17 minutes, then repeats itself without sound - no need to watch beyond the conclusion of Mike's interview)

Tags: David Miscavige, Dublin, Independent, Ireland, Mike Rinder, OT, Quicky

I'm reading an interesting book, Escape from Freedom by Erich Fromm. I love the title. He wrote the book in 1941, after the rise of Hitler, exploring why people give up their freedom to follow a totalitarian fascist like Hitler. I'm reading it because I'm interested in why people will give up their freedom to follow an authoritarian religion like Scientology, ironically in the name of attaining freedom. In the book, Fromm traces the historic roots of our modern concepts of freedom. In the Middle Ages, he notes, there was not a lot of freedom. People were separated into castes and classes, and if one was born into a certain class, one stayed there. If your father was a farmer, likely you would be a farmer. Nobles were nobles, serfs were serfs. And as far as the broader questions of life, death and salvation, that was the province of the Church. God was in Heaven and if you were good and confessed your sins and went to Church, you would expect to go to Heaven. With the Reformation, the rise of the middle class, the appearance of modern capitalism, the Industrial Revolution, everything changed. Man gained a lot of freedoms. He could rise from poverty and become rich. He could travel. He could change his profession. He could even change his religion. But with these modern freedoms came insecurity, aloneness and doubt. Fromm says:

Tags: 1941, 1960, Erich Fromm, Escape, Quicky

Hello, My name is Joanna Cook, I am 25 years old. I grew up in Scientology, claimed it as my own when I was 16, joined the Sea Org shortly thereafter, found out I was unqualified, and worked from 16-24 trying to find my identity now that I could not be in the Sea Org. I volunteered with The Way To Happiness, the Volunteer Ministers, Criminon, a few OT Committees (OTCs), and finally worked for three years as a volunteer for Latin America or LATAM (defined as Mexico, Central America and South America) side-by-side with my mom, Mary Jo Leavitt [the LATAM IC], as her co-Stats IC, PR IC and, for one and a half years as the Compliance Reports IC, whereupon we (and the 9 OTCs across LATAM) worked in tandem to achieve the first – and as I understand it, only – "continent" in the world to complete the entire program! Because we didn't make the OTCs fit the program, but rather validated what they were already doing right that fulfilled the purpose of the program, we obtained awesome, magical expansion and joy across the entire zone. It was the most beautiful experience I had ever had; I loved every person I worked with, and this ideal world promised in events seemed actually possible. But right at that high point, everything changed, and I went from being the most gung-ho person I knew (and one of the most gung-ho public as recognized by a huge stack of commendations) to a public utterly disaffected with Management. So what the heck happened? Apparently, the OSA line to others is that my mom suddenly sprung a weird something-something and turned into a Suppressive Person (an "SP", in the same class as Hitler) and corrupted me, too, which is so ridiculous that I was grateful for the people that disconnected from us, because they proved to have never been friends in the first place. Never mind that the Cont. Justice Chief told me my mother was not declared when I asked about it, yet I've been rumor-declared for failing to disconnect from my mom on a rumor. (That's another story for another time.)

Tags: 2009, Blackmail, Clear, Criminon, Dianetics, Ethics, Ethics Officer, International Association of Scientologists, Justice Chief, Knowledge Report, Mary Jo Leavitt, Mexico, Office of Special Affairs, OT Committee, OTC, Quicky, Sea Org, South America, Suppressive Person, Tone Scale, Volunteer Ministers, Wogs

The court convicted the Church of Scientology's French office, its library and six of its leaders of organized fraud. Investigators said the group pressured members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain and used "commercial harassment" against recruits. The group was fined $600,000 and the library $200,000. Four of the leaders were given suspended sentences of between 10 months and two years. The other two were given fines. The court did not order the Church of Scientology to shut down, ruling it would be likely to continue its activities anyway "outside any legal framework."

Tags: France, Fraud, Legal

A three-judge panel at the Correctional Court in Paris convicted the church and six of its members of organized fraud, but stopped short of banning the church, as prosecutors had asked. The court also fined the members as much as 400,000 euros ($595,000) each and sentenced them to as much as two years in prison, though the sentences were suspended. The decision follows a three-week trial in May and June, during which two plaintiffs said they were defrauded by the organization, which is classified as a sect in France.

Tags: Conviction, Eric Roux, France, Fraud, Legal, Paris

A Paris court on Tuesday convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than half a million euros – but stopped short of banning the group as requested by prosecutors. The group's French branch immediately announced it would appeal the verdict.

Tags: Conviction, France, Fraud, Judge Jean-Christophe Hullin, Legal, Patrick Maisonneuve, Purification

Two branches of Scientology's French operations - the Celebrity Center and a book store - were ordered to pay fines of 400,000 euros and 200,000 euros respectively after being found guilty of preying financially on vulnerable followers in what the court's verdict said was the "commercial harassment" of recruits. Scientology's leader in France, Alain Rosenberg, was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence and fined 30,000 euros.

Tags: Alain Rosenberg, Celebrity Centre, Conviction, France, Fraud, Legal

When the hearing opened, there were expectations that the court could order the group to be banned in France but due to a mixup over a law that passed in parliament just before the start of the trial in May, that option was ruled out. The legislation has since been changed back to allow the dissolution of an organisation found guilty of fraud but because of the timing of the case, there was no question of forcing the Church of Scientology to be wound up.

Tags: Conviction, France, Fraud, Georges Fenech, Legal, Lyon, Marseille, Olivier Morice

Everybody has his or her own take on Paul Haggis' dramatic letter, announcing his break with Scientology after 35 years of membership in the church. But what especially fascinated me was how much his letter, full of passion and moral outrage, resembled large portions of his film and TV work, especially his scripts for "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Crash," the latter of which won him an Oscar. If you missed the news, the Church of Scientology was a public sponsor of Proposition 8, which Haggis describes in his letter as "a hate-filled legislation that succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California."

Tags: Disconnection, LGBTQ, Paul Haggis, Prop 8, Tommy Davis

And the Oscar for most public resignation from a church goes to ... Paul Haggis. In a stinging letter to Church of Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis, the Canadian screenwriter and director quit the controversial group over the weekend, citing "tacit" church support for banning same-sex marriage.

Tags: LGBTQ, Martin Bashir, Paul Haggis, Tommy Davis, Xenu

But just 45 minutes before the segment was to air on Thursday, Davis showed up at ABC headquarters on West 67th Street and asked to speak to Bashir and the show's executive producer about the interview. "He demanded to a security guard that he be let in," a network insider told Page Six. "The guard called 'Nightline' staffers down to come deal with him. He was told as politely as possible that the piece was cut and in the can and could not be changed and that Martin would be unable to see him. He was then asked to leave." Adds our source, "He was not happy."

Tags: David Miscavige, LGBTQ, Martin Bashir, Nightline, Paul Haggis, Tommy Davis

Here is a summary of the verdict and sentences in the Paris trial of Scientology. I have laid it out in the same style I used for What the Prosecution Wants to give you an idea of how far the court followed their recommendations. Perhaps the most important feature of the judgment is what the court did not do: it made no direct ruling that would restrict the activities of either the Celebrity Centre or the SEL bookshop. But the following individuals and organisations were convicted of organised fraud against some, but not all the alleged victims (of which more below):

Tags: Alain Rosenberg, Aline Fabre, Aude-Claire Malton, Celebrity Centre, Didier Michaux, France, Herald Tribune, Jean-François Valli, Le Figaro, Maisonneuve, Olivier Morice, Paris, Patrick Maisonneuve, Personality test, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Sabine Jacquart, Time magazine, UNADFI

Tommy Davis, the latest chief spokesman and outraged-interview-cutter-offer for the Church of Scientology, is a callow Hollywood brat, Tom Cruise hanger-on, and "drug revert" who thinks "L. Ron Hubbard is the coolest guy ever."

Tags: Anne Archer, BlackBerry, Celebrity Centre, Claire Headley, David Miscavige, Jason Beghe, Jeffrey Davis, John Sweeney, John Travolta, Martin Bashir, Mike Rinder, Paul Haggis, Psychiatry: Industry of Death, Rehabilitation Project Force, Robert Vaughn Young, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Xenu

Recently, Radar reported on Scientology's short-lived attempt to beat its Guy Fawkes mask-clad antagonists "Anonymous" at their own game: scary YouTube videos. A clip posted by a Sciento associate under the name "AnonymousFacts" displayed the names and personal information of several supposed Anonymous members and accused the group of violent threats and terrorism. YouTube quickly took the video down and suspended AnonymousFacts. But the hassle for at least one of the three men shown didn't end there. A little more than a week ago, Jonathan (he asked his last name not be repeated again), who'd joined a Facebook group called "I Support Anonymous" and attended their protests, answered a knock at the door of his parents' L.A.-area home, where he lives while attending community college. A mustachioed man in a suit and claiming to be from the law firm of Latham and Watkins was holding a "file" and asked to speak to Jonathan's parents by name, he recently told Radar. He told the mystery man his parents weren't available and offered to take the package for them. "No," the man said. "I can't legally give this to you." Jonathan shrugged and told him to come back later. That's when things got weird.

Tags: Anonymous, Facebook, Fair Game, Guy Fawkes, Latham & Watkins, YouTube

The on again - off again campaign to sell the Church of Scientology Melbourne headquarters at 42 Russell Street is on again, and it's public. Colliers International's Matthew Stagg and Pat Burke will auction the Church's outgoing headquarters, on the north-east corner of Flinders Lane next month.

Tags: Australia, Melbourne, Real estate

The unmistakable conclusion is that the burden for her murder (Jeremy stabbed his mom 77 times!) lies with Scientology and its belief that - as one Scientology former bigwig put it - "psychology and psychiatrists are the rats and vermin of our society." The Perkins family refused to have Jeremy treated with anti-psychotic medications despite the fact that he"d been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic after an arrest for jumping the wall at a nearby college and a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.

Tags: CCHR, Elli Perkins

About two-thousand members of the Scientology movement have protested in the German capital, Berlin, against what they described as discrimination against religious minorities in Germany. Correspondents say the protest drew far fewer people than had been expected.

Tags: Germany, Nazi labelling

The state Health Department licensed the Narconon substance-abuse center in northern Oklahoma on Monday, closing a more than two-year fight in which the state repeatedly tried to shut the center. "Receiving this license from the Department of Health signifies a milestone in our desire and original intention to supply drug and alcohol rehabilitation services to those in need," said Gary Smith, the president of Narconon Chilocco. "We are just very excited." The state Health Department license issued Monday certified only that the state found fire, health and safety standards at the center satisfactory.

Tags: Gary Smith, Narconon, Narconon Chilocco, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Carl Hager, director of the Seattle branch of a national group called the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, said the problem is that psychiatrists need to find reasons for prescribing drugs to support their livelihood. People wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "psychiatry kills" unfurled banners around town denouncing psychiatry. Many of them handed out brochures claiming psychiatrists are "making drug addicts out of America's school children." Hager said the practitioners of Scientology adhere to the idea that there is no such thing as mental illness.

Tags: Carl Hager, CCHR, Psychiatry Kills

For roughly three decades Hubbard ran the notorious Church of Scientology, a "religion" he formed to "clear" mankind of misery. It came complete with finance dictators, "gang-bang sec[urity] checks," lie detectors, "committees of evidence" and detention camps. In 1977 the FBI sent 134 agents, armed with warrants and sledgehammers, storming into Scientology centers in Los Angeles and Washington. Eleven top church officials, including Hubbard's third wife, went to jail for infiltrating, burglarizing and wiretapping over 100 government agencies, including the IRS, FBI and CIA. Hubbard could hold his own with any of his science fiction novels. Amid all the melodrama, at least $200 million in cash produced by his strange creation was gathered in Hubbard's name, and there is believed to be much more in organization assets: The Church of Scientology has proved to be one of the most lucrative businesses around. If Forbes had known as much as it knows now, after interviewing dozens of eyewitnesses and examining sworn testimony and court records in both criminal and civil cases, Hubbard would have been included high on The Forbes Four Hundred.

Tags: American Medical Association, Anne Broeker, Apollo, Author Services Inc, Battlefield Earth, Bent Corydon, Bill Franks, Bridge Publications, Commodore's Messenger Organization, Corporate Sortout, David Miscavige, Don Larson, Food and Drug Administration, Frank Watson, FSM, Gerry Armstrong, Howard Schomer, IRS, L. Ron Hubbard, Last will, Laurel Sullivan, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Pat Broeker, Raw meat, Rehabilitation Project Force, Religious Research Foundation, Religious Technology Center, Secondary copy, Snow White Program, Switzerland, Tanja Burden, Xenu

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Richey yesterday found nine members of the Church of Scientology guilty of various roles in a massive criminal conspiracy to plant church spies in government agencies, break into government offices and electronically "bug" at least one Internal Revenue Service meeting. Richey, whose ruling came after the federal government submitted nearly 300 pages of evidence against the church, did not set a sentencing date pending a presentence investigation that usually takes about one month. Eight of the defendantss could receive a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one could be sentenced to a maximum of one year. Richey's pronouncement of guilt came after a three-hour hearing marked by bitter squabbling among attorneys for both sides over suggested last-minute changes in the wording of the evidence presented.

Tags: 1950, 1976, 1977, Burglary, Carl Rauh, Cindy Raymond, Conspiracy, Convicted, Duke Snider, England, Food and Drug Administration, Gerald Bennett Wolfe, Guardian's Office, Henning Heldt, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Judge Charles Richey, Los Angeles, Mary Sue Hubbard, Mitchell Hermann, Quicky, Raymond Banoun, Richard Weigand, Secret Service, Sharon Thomas, US Department of Justice