It was a stunning allegation that came out in Leah Remini’s lawsuit in December, and was repeated in last week’s Los Angeles Times investigation of Scientology interference in the Danny Masterson criminal case. The accusation? Last year, Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon had tried to tamper with a criminal prosecution to frame Leah Remini.
The allegation stems from a 2022 incident involving a man named Armando Garcia who had been told to stop leafleting Scientology’s LA headquarters by a security guard. The guard then claimed that Garcia had tried to hit him with his car before driving away. Garcia was facing felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon (the deadly weapon being his vehicle).
According to Garcia’s attorney Adella Gorgen, she was approached by Kendrick Moxon, a longtime Scientology attorney and Scientologist himself, who said if Garcia would say on the record that he had been motivated to leaflet Scientology by watching Leah Remini’s A&E series Scientology and the Aftermath, the church would persuade the district attorney’s office to change the charge to a misdemeanor or drop it altogether.
Gorgen said this in open court to the judge handling Garcia’s case. A transcript of what she said about Moxon offering the quid pro quo was included by Leah Remini’s attorneys in her lawsuit as an example of the lengths Scientology will go to try and smear her. Moxon himself then filed a sworn declaration saying that the allegations were untrue because Garcia’s previous attorney, Justin Page, had told him that Garcia had been, in fact, motivated by watching Leah’s show.
Last week, Justin Page told the Los Angeles Times that Moxon’s description of that conversation was “baseless.”
And now, for the first time, Armando Garcia himself has spoken to us about the incident and about what happened in court.
Garcia is 52, and speaking to us by phone told us that he grew up in the Stanton area of Orange County and today is unemployed and homeless. He was raised Catholic, and says that the more he had read about Scientology and looked into its history, the more he was alarmed by it.
“I started reading up about it and learning more of the history of it, and the connection between [Scientology founder] L. Ron Hubbard and [British occultist] Aleister Crowley and [Pasadena rocket scientist and occultist] Jack Parsons,” he says. I read a book that kind of details some of the things that went on, and it became clear to me that Hubbard was not the person he said he was, and was probably a practicing Satanist and had created Scientology as a mockery of religion.”
Garcia says he made occasional visits to Hollywood to visit friends, and had been approached by Scientologists with their E-meters, trying to recruit him. He says he was alarmed that more wasn’t being done to publicize the organization’s roots.
He put together a black and white flyer with information about Hubbard and Crowley and began distributing it around the Scientology properties on Hollywood Boulevard and also at the Celebrity Centre on Franklin Avenue, as well as the big headquarters compound on Fountain Avenue and L. Ron Hubbard Way near a large Kaiser Permanente medical center.
“I had started making it like a pattern to hit them up on the weekends. I had done it for three weeks prior to that,” he says, referring to the February 7, 2022 incident.
“On that night I had finished flyering the Celebrity Centre and on Hollywood Boulevard, and was going to the final target by the hospital,” he says. “I flyered around the neighborhood first, then I had put some around the compound.”
Often referred to as “Big Blue” by non-Scientologists, church members themselves call the campus “PAC Base” for “Pacific Area Command.” It’s a former Cedars of Lebanon hospital that Scientology purchased in 1977, along with several other nearby structures, and painted all in the same light blue shade. The small north-south street that runs through the compound was renamed in 1997 from Berendo Street to L. Ron Hubbard Way, just one sign of the influence Scientology has had on local political leaders and law enforcement.
Garcia describes his version of what happened next.
“One of the security guards approached me. He had some of the flyers in his hand, and he asked me to pick them up. I refused, and I drove away. And then I went to the other side of the compound, and I was deciding whether to continue to put up fliers, and I decided I would leave. I turned around to go up L Ron Hubbard Way, and I saw the security guard coming the opposite way. He was flashing his light at me, and I thought he might want me to pull over. So I drove up to him. He seemed startled and had pulled his bike up on the driveway. When I realized he wasn’t signaling me, I just drove away. And that’s it.”
Scientology saw it differently, telling police that Garcia had tried to ram their security guard, and the district attorney’s office was convinced enough that it filed charges.
“I fought the case for around six months, maybe closer to a year. And eventually they showed the video to the judge, And my lawyer asked them to drop the case because I clearly came to a stop and drove way, I wasn’t trying to hit anybody,” Garcia says.
Page, his first attorney, was then replaced by Gorgen, who was approached by Scientology’s attorney Kendrick Moxon.
“The lawyer from Scientology approached her and made the quid pro quo offer. If I would implicate Leah Remini, in my flyering activity, if I was to say that my reasoning was that I had decide to do this flyering all because of Leah Remini, they would drop it. My lawyer was kind of shocked. She said, I think the judge should know, and she told the judge.”
This was Gorgen’s testimony, from a court transcript:
The individual, Mr. Kendrick Moxon, approached me on I believe Thursday when we were sent here for trial. He approached me individually outside of the court doors, and he told me that he, in his capacity as the attorney for what he called the victims in this case, which he said was the Church of Scientology as well as the main complaining witness or the security guard, he indicated if my client, Mr. Garcia, were to go on the record in some form or fashion to either state to the Court during a plea or put in writing, he initially asked my client apologize for being present and also to indicate that he was present on the date of the incident at the Church of Scientology grounds, and did what he did because he was “inflamed” by documentaries and a potential reality TV show that is currently airing or has aired on Netflix.
The specific individual who is producing or responsible for these documentaries is a celebrity by the name of Leah Remini, and Mr. Moxon wanted my client to state on the record that the documentary is responsible for his actions and the Church of Scientology would be able to go ahead and take these documentaries off the air.
Moreover, Mr. Moxon indicated that if my client were to make these statements on the record, he would then ask the D.A.’s office to reduce this to a misdemeanor or even less. He indicated multiple times that he did not believe that my client wanted to do what he did, but he was completely brainwashed or under the influence of these documentaries.
Garcia tells us he was never interested in the offer that Moxon was offering.
“The judge rolled his eyes. He gave me the lowest possible offer, to plead guilty and get probation, and stay away from Scientology and I wouldn’t be in trouble,” he says. “There was a part of me that wanted to fight it because I really hadn’t done anything wrong, but I had to think about my mother, and I accepted the plea deal and that ended the whole case. I was more interested in putting it behind me.”
So, we asked, is Moxon’s allegation true? Were you, in fact, motivated to protest Scientology after watching Leah Remini’s show?
“No. No, she didn’t inspire me at all in that regards. It was all my own intention.”
And Moxon’s claim, that he got that impression from your first attorney, Justin Page, that you were inspired by Leah?
“No, no I never said that to Justin Page, my first attorney,” Garcia says. Page himself told the LA Times last week that Moxon’s version of this conversation was “baseless.” Moxon did not respond to an inquiry by the Underground Bunker.
Garcia points out that when he was first trying to familiarize Page with the background of the incident, of Scientology and its history, it was Page who had brought up Remini and her series, not him.
But Garcia insisted that his research of Scientology had not been from watching Leah, but instead from reading websites like Operation Clambake (Xenu.net).
“I read that site all the time,” he says.
Garcia adds he was glad that his case was mentioned in the LA Times last week as an example of the lengths Scientology will go to smear its enemies.
“I hope more people find out about Scientology. It’s really not what people think it is,” he says. “My feeling is it shouldn’t be a church anymore.”
So now, Garcia and both of his attorneys are on the record disputing Kendrick Moxon’s version of events, and Moxon stands accused of attempting to tamper with a criminal case by having an alleged suspect lie and say he was inspired by Leah Remini, so Scientology could presumably then use that allegation in its ongoing harassment campaign of her.
Will Moxon face any consequences for this?
Will Scientology face any consequences for these practices?
Ever?
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Technology Cocktail
“The world before Dianetics had never known a precision mental science. Man has used mental knowledge in the past mainly for control, politics and propaganda. The word ‘psychology’ in the popular usage is synonymous with “getting around” somebody. In the thousands of years before 1950 there were many philosophers and much knowledge was gathered in the field of logic, mathematics, electronics and the material sciences. However, due to ideologies and political conflicts, little of this prior knowledge was ever applied to the field of the human mind.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1969
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
[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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“Is there any way to lick this thing called life? Well, that’s quite a thing to undertake, really. All in a few minutes, sit down with some preclear and go bang, bang, bang, and he feels better. Remember, this individual, at least so far as we can trace on an E-Meter has been about 76 trillion years on a track. He’s had experience after experience after experience after experience. He’s been through things they wouldn’t dare film or describe anywhere. And yet, we have the total conceit of — in using a few words — of attempting to resolve his wobbliness, his inabilities, his incapacities which have resulted from these experiences.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 8, 1954
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“DEMOTION: Pending Comm Ev for muddying up port relations Mike Smith, Peter Warren, and Amos Jessup are removed from post and restricted to the ship. Ship’s Rep actions will be undertaken by the Purser and the 3rd Mate….I finally got data enough to get things handled and, with reservations, all is okay. If a problem or situation can’t be handled get it to somebody who can handle it. Don’t sit on it until the roof falls in. People only get bit for (a) not taking responsibility for their areas and for (b) failing to do their jobs or for (c) getting us in a mess through irresponsibility or stupidity.” — The Commodore, April 8, 1969
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“I finally accept responsibility (KRC) for how I’ve mis-used this body for sensational purposes against its own biochemistry and anatomy — and ineffective or too little address to the mind too — first dynamics ethics condition formula ongoing — all’s going well now that proper conditions formula is at work Soon ready to declare and work through conditions on the 2D.”
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1996: The Tampa Tribune published an article concerning a drive by the cult to seal Clearwater Police records of child abuse and neglect. “The agreement would require a judge’s order to see certain files. Public files are usually required to be open under the state Government in the Sunshine Law. The article quotes the city mayor saying they believe the agreement to be legal and not to erode the public’s right to open government. The suit apparently began when the city sued the church after Scientologists protested release of police files to the media. The church counterclaimed and removed the case to federal court. The file boxes date back to 1979 and include allegations of child abuse and neglect at the church as well as identities and personal financial information of church members, according to Church lawyer Paul Johnson.”
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“From what I’ve read registrars routinely tell prospective clients that Scientology can cure numerous physical aliments that the person is suffering from. That is medical fraud, is it not?”
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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.
— ‘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 May 17, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Leah seeking to amend her complaint.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration. Plaintiffs allowed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Circuit.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: motion to file new complaint, hearing on May 29.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, hearing on April 16.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.
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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] Scientology propaganda update: The Fabos Factor is back as the entire US goes Ideal!
[TWO years ago] This time, Scientology puts up no fight as Jane Doe 1’s new attorneys join the fray
[THREE years ago] Talk about ‘enabling’ Scientology, watch this craven plan to kick Mark Bunker off board
[FOUR years ago] With Scientology largely shut down by the pandemic, the few remaining members reminisce
[FIVE years ago] Scientology admits in planning docs it expects only 6 walk-ins daily at new facility
[SIX years ago] Scientology buys another derelict building in order to pretend that it’s expanding wildly
[SEVEN years ago] You tell us: What’s the current condition of the Church of Scientology?
[EIGHT years ago] Brian Sheen continues to fight Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ in unique and unusual ways
[NINE years ago] Geoffrey Lewis, 1935-2015, a consummate character actor and an OT 5 Scientologist
[TEN years ago] Mike Bennitt shares with us a creepy e-mail he received after filming Scientology events
[ELEVEN years ago] An Interview with Brandon Ogborn About His Play, The TomKat Project
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 2,864 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,359 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,874 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,424 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,414 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,295 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,599 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,470 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,022 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,363 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,930 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,849 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,017 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,598 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,859 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,895 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,611 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,175 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,490 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,665 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 7,216 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,347 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,685 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,538 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,659 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,015 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,318 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,424 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,822 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,698 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,263 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,776 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,030 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,139 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 8, 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, 1995-2022 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2022), 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
