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Scientology’s Sea Org, in NEW YORK CITY? Take the survey to see if you qualify!

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was a disaster in the actual US Navy, but he got his revenge later when he created his very own armada! To this day the ‘Sea Org’ is a hoot with its faux-naval ranks and stuff, and now they want to recruit more swabbies to… New York City?? [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

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“It doesn’t take 70 years or 300 years to process a pc. A year maybe up to homo novis. A few years to OT. Even traveling it casually slow. 25 hours to repair someone’s life and 50 to 100 hours to get him up to no somatics with Dianetics is pretty satisfactorily fast.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1970

 
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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

“One day this part of the reactive mind which has been trying to keep a doll surviving on the Galaxy Gee Whizzes, from being destroyed by gorillas, gets a whiff of a fur coat and goes into total action. Takes over, right as out of that moment. You’ve got an emergency situation, instantly. You’ve got gorillas in the vicinity and it’s better not to inspect, even. People who turn around and really inspect things are very often amongst the wounded and dead. So what are you going to do? It means, that when you speed up things in the universe to too great a degree, on the false basis that you are ‘prone to non survival,’ but in the interest of keeping something surviving, you are then going to run into this timeless reactivity of action without inspection. Infinite dedications to the survival of forms and patterns.” — L. Ron Hubbard, June 9, 1961

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“QUESTION: When are you going to dig this ship out of N/E? It will take a lot of action, not desk time. She is unbilled, undrilled and accepts rumours of my orders that aren’t true and rejects direct orders that are.” — The Commodore, June 9, 1970

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“If Andy Nolch had been handled with ethics since the beginning, he would not be in jail now for drug possession, and would not be smearing the reputation of the independent field. The wog justice system handled him only after he had perpetrated crimes. Scientology ethics should have be applied to him.”

 
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Past is Prologue

2001: Keith Henson was released from a Canadian jail this week. He had been arrested for allegedly entering Canada without disclosing a conviction in California for interfering with a religion, Scientology. Now Magazine published an article on Keith prior to his release. “It’s an unshaven and frazzled-looking Keith Henson who shuffles into the converted jail cell used as a hearing room Thursday morning at the Metro West Detention Centre. He’s in broad-rims, jail-issue orange jumpsuit and blue canvas runners that he’s wearing like flip-flops because they’re too small for his feet. A flap of grey hair is swooshed over a bald spot on the top of his head. He looks like he should be out in a backyard somewhere pruning roses, but it turns out that Henson is on the lam, wanted for failing to show for a sentencing hearing in his native California back on May 16. He was convicted on a charge of ‘making threats to interfere with freedom to enjoy a constitutional privilege’ i.e., the right of Scientologists to practise their religion. A misdemeanour. The foot-high stack of documents sitting in a file in front of Irene Dicaire, the senior lawyer with Immigration who will be making the case against Henson’s release, doesn’t paint a flattering portrait of the activist. ‘There’s a certain psychological profile that emerges,’ Dicaire says. ‘As far as we understand, Mr. Henson is an explosives expert who has threatened to target sites involving the Church of Scientology. ‘It’s not known at this time,’ Dicaire adds ominously, ‘if this may involve any Canadian targets.’ There may be information coming on that later, but the cop at 52 Division with the supposedly incriminating evidence is on vacation and won’t be back until Monday. It’s all sounding a little fishy to Henson’s lawyer, Joel Sandaluk. If the threat were serious enough, presumably, the police would have acted on it by now. His client hasn’t been charged with anything, yet now Dicaire is asking the adjudicator to detain Henson on evidence that hasn’t been presented and is not properly before the board. ‘This is all very vaporous,’ says Sandaluk. He’s trying his best not to sound too dismissive about the ‘bomb threats’ – musings on the Internet about the ease with which an ICBM could be aimed at Scientology – that Henson’s alleged to have made. ‘This alleged threat is so completely grandiose as to require a complete suspension of disbelief,’ Sandaluk says. He makes a persuasive argument. But it’s an open-and-shut case. Henson is wanted in the U.S. And while even the adjudicator in this case agrees he may not be a threat to the public, she rules that Henson poses a flight risk. Release denied. The official police line is that Keith Henson was picked up because he failed to tell immigration authorities when he entered Canada that he was facing a sentencing hearing in the U.S. But it’s clear that Scientology
had something to do with the arrest. ‘Yeah, we called the cops,’ says Buttnor. Detective constable Phil Glavin, the officer in charge of Henson’s arrest, says it’s not at all unusual for heavily armed police to pick up someone who’s wanted for a misdemeanour offence. In any event, it’s not his job to determine how real a danger Henson poses. He’s wanted. He was arrested. ‘We hunt people down that are fugitives in Canada,’ Glavin says. ‘It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. You’re wanted. You don’t belong in Canada. You’re arrestable. We arrest you.’ Henson says he’s planning to file a claim for refugee status in Canada. He calls the allegations against him ‘ridiculous,’ and says Scientology’s attempts to silence its Internet critics are to him ‘as vile and disturbing as somebody coming into town and burning your newspaper down.’ Time in jail is not going to keep him from criticizing Scientology. ‘This is a serious fight.'”

 
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Random Howdy

“You need to word clear ‘whole track’ as well as ‘mass hysteria hypnotized role-playing pseudo-religious delusional Stockholm syndrome suffering suckers’.”

 
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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 31, 2024.
David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.

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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.
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, on hold until appeal over new judge heard.
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] OT Phenomena: Ghost stories that entice Scientology members to pay millions
[TWO years ago] Joy Villa recruiting for Scientology in Brighton: The photographer’s tale
[THREE years ago] The Scientology celebrity blues: ‘Oh, Danny boy, the banks, the banks are calling…’
[FOUR years ago] Scientology ‘Sunday service’ has always been a lazy PR ploy, and now it’s on full display
[FIVE years ago] Scientology in Sweden: A telling snapshot of a failed Ideal Org under pressure
[SIX years ago] DENIED: Los Angeles judge rejects Scientology’s latest delay tactic in forced-abortion case
[SEVEN years ago] Thanks for the slick videos, Marty Rathbun. Here’s a not very slick one for you.
[EIGHT years ago] There’s nothing quite like when Scientology cancels your superhuman powers with a ‘declare’
[NINE years ago] When the FDA interviewed L. Ron Hubbard’s first family about Scientology
[TEN years ago] Casey Kasem’s sordid family drama: Is Kerri’s involvement in Scientology relevant?
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies, Revolt in the Stars Edition!

 
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder

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 2,926 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,421 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,936 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,486 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,476 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,357 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,661 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,532 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,084 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,425 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,992 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,911 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,079 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,660 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,921 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,957 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,673 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,237 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,552 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,727 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 7,278 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,409 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,747 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,600 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,721 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,077 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,380 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,486 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,884 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,760 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,325 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,838 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,092 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,200 days.

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on June 9, 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), 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

 

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