Well, we certainly are coming out of the summer doldrums here in the final days before the autumnal equinox. Wow, what a week of news it’s been, and we’re struggling to keep up with it all.
Yesterday we scrambled to get you a copy of the complaint filed by the Kent-Hamilton team, their third against Scientology and David Miscavige. But other legal documents came in this week that we wanted to make you aware of.
Luis and Rocio Garcia, for example, submitted their latest response in their ongoing appeal that is attempting to revive the fraud lawsuit they filed against the Church of Scientology in 2013. They want a Florida appeals court to overturn a decision by federal Judge James Whittemore that stayed their lawsuit and forced them into a farcical arbitration put on by Scientology.
Back in April, we posted the appeal brief that the Garcias delivered to the court, and noted that it was a thing of beauty. Scientology responded with a brief that not only argued against the Garcia appeal, but made a cross-appeal of their own which went way back to the beginnings of the lawsuit to argue that the case never should have survived an early challenge.
It sure seemed like a stretch to us, and so it’s interesting to see the Garcias take it apart in their newest filing. Here’s the document itself, and we look forward to our legal types giving us their analysis of it.
Garcia v. Scientology: Repl… by Tony Ortega on Scribd
Also this week, the annual financial disclosure by Scientology’s organization in the UK was made public. Known there as the Church of Scientology Religious Education College Incorporated (COSRECI), Scientology gives up more information by law than it does here in the country where it was founded. We look forward to our financial wizards taking apart this information…
COSRECI annual filing 2019 by Tony Ortega on Scribd
And thirdly, we are happy to have this promotional video from California. Scientology seems to be making fewer of these, or fewer of them are reaching us. This one promotes a Saturday fundraising event at the San Fernando Valley org to raise money for the Ideal Org renovation in Ventura, California.
This will be the last Ideal Org project in the state, which Scientologists are told is a huge achievement. And with this video prodding them to take part, how could anyone resist? Bring your checkbook!
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Narconon fraud case gets a new hearing date
Again, ten sheriff’s deputies were on hand at the Los Angeles Superior Court in the courtroom of Judge Michael Pastor yesterday as a case we’ve been following for four years tried, and failed, to get a preliminary hearing going.
Hanan Islam, accused of defrauding the state of about $3 million in insurance money by having unwitting high school students used for bogus drug addiction treatments at a former Scientology Narconon clinic in Compton, walked into the courtroom, saw that more people were there than in previous hearings, and said loudly, “Look at all of these people here who don’t know anything about this.” She was admonished by the judge to sit down and keep quiet.
But alas, a key prosecution investigator who will present evidence against Islam and three of her children, who have also been charged, wasn’t available. So Judge Pastor rescheduled the preliminary hearing for October 1 and admonished the defendants, “All defendants are ordered to appear, and this is independent of whether your name is spelled in all caps,” referring to the nutty ‘sovereign citizen’ arguments Islam and her son had made during a hearing on Tuesday.
Well, October 1 isn’t very far away. We sure hope some progress can actually be made that day.
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Source Code
“Age is hooked on to the body, normally, by the thetan himself as self-expression. And it is held in place in terms of engrams and secondaries. It’s held right there, man. Anything that is wrong with a body is held into it and on it by the thetan who has that body. That’s it. As long as he believes he can’t grow a new leg, he won’t have one, either.” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 20, 1962
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Overheard in the FreeZone
“I find Mission Earth insanely good, the only thing is that Hubbard uses so many unusual words, man was he a writer! you have to use study tech all the way through, then read it for a second time and the second time you can enjoy it much more, its so deep that earthlings cant appreciate it.”
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology ‘disconnection’ and the incalculable damage it does to children
[TWO years ago] Of course Jada Smith was a Scientologist, says principal who ran her Scientology school
[THREE years ago] EXCLUSIVE: Cat White’s marriage to man suing Jim Carrey was a sham to beat immigration, and was not her first fake wedding, say friends
[FOUR years ago] L. Ron Hubbard, would-be conqueror: Scientology’s fable about Rhodesia is a riot
[FIVE years ago] Sneaky Scientology finds another way to get access to high school students
[SIX years ago] JENNA HILL RESPONDS TO BARBARA WALTERS ON SCIENTOLOGY EDUCATION
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Has Marty Rathbun Arrested
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,573 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,702 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,206 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,726 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 746 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 637 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,944 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,812 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,586 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,360 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,706 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,272 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,191 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,359 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,940 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,201 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,240 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,952 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,478 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,004 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,567 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,707 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,027 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,883 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,002 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,357 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,660 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,766 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,168 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,040 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,623 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,118 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,372 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,481 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 20, 2019 at 07:00
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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, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
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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
