Scientology announced protest of ‘thousands’ as APA comes to NYC, so we showed up

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Thousands of Scientologists, descending on the evil psychiatrists who were having their annual convention in New York City, and only a pleasant bike ride from where we happened to be? We were pumped! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“If tech is ‘out’ in an area it will be because some of the auditors, whatever their class, are not capable of delivering simple Standard Dianetic sessions, regardless of the level at which they are auditing. And out tech will be compounded if the Case Supervisor is not also an excellent HDC for he won’t know the errors for which to look. When you can really dig this and know it and get it in practice the bulk of out tech and ‘failed pcs’ in an area will vanish. I know it is sometimes hard to achieve a simplicity as simple as Standard Dianetics but when it is done, tech worries from there on up are over.” — 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.

 
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?

[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH

— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see

[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf

— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond

[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones

 
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Source Code

“It’s very funny, you know: bodies have machinery laid into them from other times. It’s quite interesting. You’ll find some preclear wallowing around one time or another: ‘Well, look what I have done to this body. Look at the horrible machinery and things I have set up.’ Then he wonders why it runs much faster and gets much more solid. Well, some thetan that had the thing on the genetic line way back when has already installed a tremendous number of items. You didn’t install everything that’s wrong with your body.” — L. Ron Hubbard, May 5, 1957

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“MOVIE: The top Broadway hit man, Milton Katselas, through Celebrity Centre sent me a screen play that deals with some Scientology materials. I received it as he requested, went over it. As an old screen writer I found some ways to polish it and telexed him that I would. He has just telexed back very thrilled. In one week he did Grade VI, went Clear, was taken on at Columbia Pictures to direct his Broadway hit and got my assurances I’d help work on the new screen play. To quote ‘All in One Week. Wow.’” — The Commodore, May 5, 1971

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“The events we are living and participating to with LRH are nothing short of HISTORICAL. It is nothing less than the publication of what happened before the birth of this universe and the series of events that brought us or some of us to put an end to the former dying civilization so as to offer it a new chance in another universe.”

 
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Past is Prologue

2001: The Los Angeles Times reported that Scientologist and Earthlink board member Reed Slatkin has been accused of operating a Ponzi scheme to bilk investors, including many fellow Scientologists, out of $35 million. “Slatkin – a Santa Barbara socialite and venture capitalist – also is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for his financial activities, which allegedly included a day-trading operation that promised annual returns of up to 60 percent. Investors have filed at least three lawsuits accusing Slatkin of defrauding them of more than $35 million, and the size of the potential losses could grow. Attorneys say Slatkin invested more than $300 million for a nationwide network of more than 100 friends, business partners and members of the Church of Scientology, to which Slatkin belongs. Slatkin resigned from EarthLink’s board of directors Thursday, the day a meeting of Slatkin’s East Coast creditors was held in Washington, lawyers for the investors said. More than 80 investors attended a second creditors’ meeting Monday at the Santa Monica offices of Slatkin’s securities lawyer, Gerald E. Boltz. The meeting included representatives of a group of Scientologists who had invested more than $250 million with Slatkin, attorneys said. A lawyer for the Scientology investors, Michael A. Sherman, said Tuesday that he had no comment about the case or whether his clients would sue Slatkin. Boltz confirmed that Slatkin was a member of the Church of Scientology, a religion founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard and adhered to by a number of Hollywood celebrities. The plaintiff in the Santa Barbara suit, retired venture capitalist John K. Poitras, said he invested most of his life’s savings with Slatkin. Poitras is not a Scientologist and lives in the Northern California community of Woodside. In December 2000, Poitras said, Slatkin told him about a computerized day-trading program he had developed that could generate 50 percent to 60 percent annual returns. According to the lawsuit, Poitras invested $5 million with Slatkin, then an additional $10 million in February, which was to be invested in an account that Poitras was supposed to be able to tap with 48 hours’ notice. When Poitras changed his mind about the second investment, however, Slatkin didn’t return the money, the lawsuit alleges. Poitras’ attorney, Richard S. Conn, said it appeared Slatkin was using money collected from recent investors to pay returns to earlier investors – an investment fraud commonly known as a Ponzi scheme.”

 
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Random Howdy

“No one knows what possible dirt there may be in Katie’s PC folder. Her first concern is maintaining the image of a ‘fit’ mother so Cruise doesn’t try to get custody of Suri on that accusation. If she dishes dirt I’m sure so will he.”

 
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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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SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

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] PODCAST: Tory Christman on visiting the Danny Masterson retrial
[TWO years ago] 1950 US Census proves Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard did indeed have a second wife
[THREE years ago] The Scientology-QAnon connection that showed up in HBO’s ‘Q: Into the Storm’
[FOUR years ago] We’ve highlighted the parts Danny Masterson wants removed from the Scientology lawsuit
[FIVE years ago] Media and authorities should focus on the real horrors of Scientology’s Freewinds
[SIX years ago] In the US and Australia, new Ideal Orgs are increasingly isolated and uninviting. What gives?
[SEVEN years ago] Families of rescued patients are sharply divided on Scientologist-run Tennessee hellhole
[EIGHT years ago] How Ron Miscavige’s Scientology memoir reads to a former Scientologist
[NINE years ago] Neil Gaiman’s sister shows up in Scientology response video to Gibney film ‘Going Clear’
[TEN years ago] Scientology archiving magazines online? Are they nuts?
[ELEVEN years ago] Cinco De Funnies: Getting Drunk on the Wisdom of Ron!

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 5, 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

 

Tony Ortega at Rolling Stone