This summer when the Trump Administration first released limited information about which businesses had received Covid bailout loans, we reported that among them were three Scientology churches — the New York and DC ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and the Belleair, Florida mission — as well as two Narconon drug rehab entities and Scientology’s nuttiest front group, Citizens Commission on Human Rights. We also pointed out that four Scientology-affiliated schools received PPP loans, including Scientology’s “Hogwarts,” its premier boarding school in Oregon.
Now, the administration has released more detailed information about the exact dollar amounts of the PPP loans, and it turns out that several more Scientology entities are on the list. We have the full breakdown for you, which includes not only dollar amounts but also the identity of the lenders involved.
“It’s insane,” Leah Remini told the Daily Beast when she was asked about Scientology getting Covid bailouts of taxpayer money in July. “Mike [Rinder] and I have tried to meet many times with the IRS, and the IRS knows what they’ve done. They’ve known that they’ve cleared the way for Scientology to misappropriate their money. It’s run like a business for profit. And this just says that!”
Rinder added, “The PPP loans were about ensuring that people don’t lose their jobs, and Scientology, when confronted about the fact that they don’t pay minimum wage or anything, say these people are volunteers! Staff members of Scientology organizations are ‘volunteers,’ they’re not employees, and they’re getting loans so that people don’t lose their jobs?”
It does seem insane. And now we know the full extent of it.
First, the Scientology orgs:
Founding Church of Scientology of Washington DC
Amount: $184,837
Lender: TD Bank
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard created the first “Church of Scientology” corporation in December 1953 in Camden, New Jersey, and the first actual church opened in February 1954 in Los Angeles. The DC church didn’t open until 1955, but it’s still called the “Founding Church of Scientology” by the organization. It opened its “Ideal” version, on 16th St NW, on October 31, 2009, and that’s the facility that received the PPP loan on April 30.
Church of Scientology of New York
Amount: $184,071
Lender: Kabbage, Inc.
Just off Times Square, the New York “Ideal Org” on W 46th Street was formally opened on September 26, 2004.
Church of Scientology Mission of Belleair
Amount: $150,000
Lender: Regions Bank
Although Belleair is only a mission, its proximity to Clearwater means it is under more scrutiny by church leadership than most.
Church of Scientology of Harlem
Amount: $133,043
Lender: Bank of America
The Harlem Ideal Org and its community center were opened on July 31, 2016.
Church of Scientology of Michigan
Lender: The Huntington National Bank
The Detroit Ideal Org is a newer one, having opened October 14, 2018.
Church of Scientology Mission of Los Feliz
Amount: $82,855
Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank
Sandlot actor and Scientologist Patrick Renna opened the Los Feliz mission in 2013.
Church of Scientology of Boston
Amount: $54,200
Lender: Citizens Bank
Boston’s few Scientologists are still raising money for the grand opening of their Ideal Org, which will be housed in a nondescript office building next to a highway (see photo). In the meantime, the “church” is an out of the way office somewhere.
Church of Scientology of Missouri
Amount: $40,130
Lender: Royal Banks of Missouri
St. Louis is another place where Scientologists have been hit up for donations for a new “Ideal Org” for literally decades. After one disastrous real estate misadventure, the latest plan seems to be to merely add on to their existing building.
Church of Scientology (Lake Forest, CA)
Amount: $39,455
Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank
The Lake Forest “Ideal Mission” was opened on July 18, 2017.
Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge
Amount: $32,909
Lender: First Horizon Bank
The Baton Rouge Ideal Mission was opened on July 8, 2017.
Church of Scientology Mission of Sherman Oaks
Amount: $17,574
Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank
We’re surprised to hear this place exists at all at this point.
Church of Scientology of Puerto Rico
Lender: Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Fundraising for an Ideal Org in Puerto Rico had begun in earnest before the pandemic hit. This is an artist’s rendition of what it will look like.
Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre of New York
Amount: $13,733
Lender: Kabbage, Inc.
Not to be confused with either the Hollywood Celebrity Centre or the “Ideal Org” off of Times Square, the small “Celebrity Centre” on 82nd Street in Manhattan has a much lower profile.
Church of Scientology of Illinois
Amount: $12,831
Lender: Bank of America
Another project that has gone through years and years of fundraising, the Ideal Org in Chicago was nearing its grand opening when the pandemic lockdown stopped everything in its tracks.
Church of Scientology Mission of Houston
Amount: $10,497
Lender: BBVA USA
The largest city in North America without a Scientology “org,” Houston got to call its mission “Ideal” last year as a consolation prize.
Church of Scientology of Buffalo
Amount: $8,600
Lender: Evans Bank
One of the first Ideal Orgs created, the Buffalo version went through a rededication in 2012.
Church of Scientology Battle Creek
Amount: $6,990
Lender: Kabbage, Inc.
Another small mission on life support that managed to snag a loan.
The Narconon rehabs:
Narconon Fresh Start
Amount: $481,447
Lender: Wells Fargo Bank
Fresh Start operates several Narconon rehabs in Southern California.
Narconon Suncoast
Amount: $199,905
Lender: Regions Bank
After the flagship rehab in Oklahoma hit on hard times, Scientology put a lot of effort into a new large Narconon center in Clearwater and close to its spiritual mecca, the Flag Land Base.
Narconon Louisiana – New Life Retreat
Amount: $133,052
Lender: First Guaranty Bank
The rehab near Baton Rouge was opened in 2006.
Narconon Pacific Coast
Lender: Wells Fargo Bank
Scientology bought Larry Hagman’s estate in beautiful Ojai, California in order to turn it into a boutique Narconon for celebrities who needed to dry out. Business must be bad, though. Not only did they apply for a PPP loan, but they have a GoFundMe now that Juliette Lewis is pimping.
Narconon of Oklahoma
Amount: $74,900
Lender: The Bank National Association
Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma was Scientology’s flagship rehab, designed to house more than 200 patients at a time. But three patient deaths in a nine-month period in 2012 brought a lot of unwanted attention, and the place has been a shell of what it once was.
The schools…
Delphi Schools, Inc.
Lender: KeyBank
The Delphian School in Sheridan, Oregon has been called “Scientology’s Hogwarts,” and it’s a place where wealthy Scientologist parents park their kids to prepare for service in the church. This warped institution received the single biggest PPP loan.
Clearwater Academy International
Amount: $255,900
Lender: BankUnited
Has become known as much for its football program than for its Hubbardism, Clearwater Academy specializes in recruiting European students who have talent for American football.
True School
Amount: $251,955
Lender: The Bank of Tampa
Also known as the Delphi Academy of Florida, this Clearwater school is another feeder for future Sea Org workers.
Delphi Academy of Boston, Inc.
Amount: $216,500
Lender: The Bank of Canton
“An independent, coeducational, non-sectarian day school,” it calls itself. Sure.
The Front Groups…
Citizens Commission on Human Rights
Amount: $307,440
Lender: Bank of America
CCHR is Scientology’s most unhinged front group, openly attacking the mental health profession and offering Hubbardism as a replacement. Its most over-the-top move is operating the “Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum” on Sunset Boulevard. After the Delphian School, this monument to insanity received the largest PPP loan.
Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Austin
Amount: $28,485
Lender: BancorpSouth Bank
CCHR Texas director Lee Spiller got his very own episode on the Scientology TV channel.
Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida
Amount: $24,300
Lender: Regions Bank
CCHR regularly lobbies against any advancement in mental health that threatens to make its way into law.
Applied Scholastics of Northern California
Amount: $122,865
Lender: Bank of America
Applied Scholastics is a Scientology front that tries to get school districts to accept its educational materials, without telling them that it’s a way to get L. Ron Hubbard into the schools and, eventually, Scientology itself.
Applied Scholastics Online Academy
Amount: $37,396
Lender: Bank of America
An online private school that Applied Scholastics operates, and that has a Perris, California address. Not sketchy at all.
The Way to Happiness Foundation
Lender: Pacific Premier Bank
A Scientology front group that prints an anodyne pamphlet with ripped-off tenets of basic morality that it then presents as the answer to all of life’s ills.
Hubbard College of Administration
Amount: $113,863
Lender: CDC Small Business Finance Corporation
L. Ron Hubbard considered himself a genius of business organization, and so Scientology tries to rope in business executives with his administration schemes.
Valley Life Improvement Center
Amount: $9,208
Lender: Cross River Bank
Granada Hills Scientologist and Stand League blogger Joe Hochman managed to snag a PPP loan for his field operation, the Valley Life Improvement Center. Such field outfits used to be a lot more numerous and fed the orgs with beginning Scientologists.
So let’s add it up:
Scientology orgs and missions: $1,077,292
Narconon rehabs: $1,014,983
The schools: $1,671,355
The front groups: $677,258
For a grand total of $4.4 million in taxpayer money going to Scientology and its affiliated groups, an organization that is filthy rich in donations and real estate and already pays its workers minimum wage or less.
What a country.
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“In the final run of it, he gets up to a fairly comprehensive idea of what he’s been and done….He gets himself one Godawful amount of time blocked out. Oh, some terrific amount of time blocked out. He gets up to trillions to the eighth power. Time, you know. Oh man, time, you see. First he gets horrified, you see, at the idea of twelve trillion years ago or something like that. He gets finally, up to a point where trillions to the eighth power take him back to some of the earliest implants. And he’s perfectly happy at this level that there’s an awful lot of track….Now, his track goes sizzling back to trillions to the 200th power. Well that’s, of course, one of these ridiculous figures. That’s trillion written two hundred times. Or one with two hundred times you write all the ciphers of a trillion. That gets to be quite a few ciphers and every one of those things is a year. You’re getting into the sweep of time by this time. Well, I myself have had, I just thought I was doing fine when I was doing some research this last summer. I said, ‘Gee, you know we’re getting clear back here.’ Trillions four, you know. Whew, you know? Dizzying. Concepts of time. Trying to date one of these confounded things, you know. Trying to handle these fantastic periods of time with arithmetic, and trying to dream up other methods of going into all this. Rough! Because it just took the auditor too tall, too long to say anything so you got crude rough approximations like, trillions 4.5, see?” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 3, 1963
“PORT: All is cool. They didn’t even come aboard to clear us in. Customs and police just wrote us down as cleared in. We are now popular here after the attempted attack and our then asserting PRO Area Control. They are honestly glad to see us. We will be here about six days. It has rained so hard here they couldn’t unload ships and the storm drove even more ships in because it made crews nearly 100 percent seasick on other ships. Trust you had a good liberty.” — The Commodore, December 3, 1969
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“The World Government is being implemented right now before our faces. Scientology OTs should have been working on LRH’s One World Government since the 60’s. International City. L. Ron Hubbard Lecture of 24 March 1964. LRH explains the plans for world peace by setting up an International City in Northern Africa.”
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2002: RTE reported that a former Scientologist is suing Scientology for psychological injuries while she was a member. “A Dublin woman who claims she was brainwashed by a cult has begun a High Court legal action for damages. 40-year-old sports shop owner Mary Johnson from Westwood, Foxrock, was a member of the Church of Scientology for two years between 1992 and 1994. She is now suing the organisation because of the experiences and pressures she claims she suffered while a member and the threats and intimidation when she tried to leave. In the High Court today her lawyer Sean Ryan said the evidence in the case will show how she was sucked into the organisation and subjected to processes and procedures which brought her under its control and influence. It is claimed she suffered psychiatric and psychological injuries and post traumatic stress disorder. She was introduced of Scientology in 1992 when she was upset after a relationship break-up.”
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“The really scary thing to me about Carla Moxon is that there are literally millions of others like her in this world that are seriously mentally deluded due to magical thinking and they are among us doing jobs that could cause the rest of us harm if they just go off a tad too much at the wrong time. Anybody keeping track of all the problems going on with members of the ICBM defense system? And that’s not even due to magical thinking.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to Jan 6.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing delayed for ‘Fatico’ hearing on Jan 19.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court filed Oct 30.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 18, re-hearing on motions to compel arbitration; Jan 29, Masterson’s request to stay discovery pending the criminal case
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Nov 18: Feshbachs indicated they will enter into consent judgment to pay the debt.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
Concluded litigation:
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs.
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
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’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] Scientologist says the church is telling Clearwater members not to vote for Mark Bunker
[TWO years ago] Thar she blows: The ‘whales’ who are keeping Scientology afloat in 2018
[THREE years ago] Scientology loses another outlet for attracting young acting talent in Hollywood
[FOUR years ago] In Scientology, dancing in a conga line might end up costing you thousands
[FIVE years ago] Augustine: How Scientology changes its story to fit what it’s trying to get away with
[SIX years ago] About that Tom Cruise Scientology ‘co-leader’ nonsense spreading in the media
[SEVEN years ago] Our Experts Prepare Us for the Wall of Fire — Scientology’s Operating Thetan Level Three!
[NINE years ago] Scientology Capsize: Commenters of the Week!
[ELEVEN years ago] David Cross Endorses Scientology In a Way Only He Can
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,139 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,643 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,163 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,183 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,074 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,381 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,249 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,023 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,827 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,143 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,709 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,628 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,796 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,377 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,638 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,676 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,389 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,914 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 269 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,444 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,995 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,144 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,464 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,319 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,438 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,794 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,097 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,203 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,605 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,477 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,060 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,555 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,809 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,918 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 3, 2020 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 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
