Clearwater to Scientology about contested street: Not so fast there, bub

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology claims that a 1922 map proves it already owns the roadbed it wants the city of Clearwater, Florida to vacate for a new auditorium project. But Clearwater is pushing back, and in a new letter argues that Scientology is glossing over some things that can’t be ignored. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“In R3RA Engram Running By Chains you are following down and erasing a somatic chain. Here, in almost all cases, an earlier incident on the chain takes precedence over an earlier beginning to the incident being run. Therefore, if the TA is even slightly up at the end of the pc’s run through an incident on the chain, the auditor asks first for an earlier incident and if there is none (or none the pc can yet see) he asks for an earlier beginning to the incident being run. Where you find an earlier beginning to an incident on the chain that is not the basic incident you rerun that incident only once more through from the earlier beginning to the end of the incident. If TA does not come down on that run through, there’s an earlier incident.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1978

 
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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

“Man, in the past, every time he got up along the strata of trying to evaluate data, would get up to some point and say, ‘Above this point it is just God, and God did everything from here on down and you can’t go any further than that.’ Then he would push back the frontier of knowledge just a little bit further and he would say, ‘Beyond that is God. God starts right in here,’ and he would use that to evaluate data. This is somewhat unworkable because there are not two data. That is why man was having trouble. But there was a second datum there all the time: there was the devil. This fits in with the double-data system. The basic unit of knowledge is two. You have to know there is a man before you can know whether or not a man can be aberrated or not aberrated. How do we describe the devil? The devil is evil and God is good. We can describe, then, and we can get some conception of magnitude, of comparative data and of value. It is very simple. ” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 16, 1951

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“All DOC members are to star-rate check out on HCO PL 22 February 1968 ‘Ethics Admin’ and FO RS 322 ‘The Hat of the Master”. Compliance to be effected within 24 hours. Twin checking between DOC members is preferred.” — The Commodore, July 16, 1970

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“I have listened to several critics of Scientology, and I have been playing around with my mock ups. I have come to the conclusion that at one point in time critics were caused grief, and in present time they are trying to cause the offenders to be in guilt, regret, or remorse for their actions. There could be an Earlier Similar Group on their track. The handling for this case phenomenon would be to mock up two synthetic thetans beside each other. One would represent self in grief or sadness, the other would represent the offending party in guilt. These two dis-similar terminals are allowed to discharge against each other which may take a few hours. I hope this helps.”

 
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Past is Prologue

1997: The declaration of Roxanne Friend was posted for the first time on the net this week. Roxanne later died from a tumor that went undiagnosed during her time on Scientology staff. Some excerpts: “It was my understanding that everything about Scientology could be proven factually in the same manner as a scientist proves a scientific fact. These points are discussed at length in many Scientology publications. The Scientologist is not exposed to the above teachings until long after he/she has been indoctrinated into the group and subjected to mind control. Thus, for me, it became impossible to see the conflict between the scientific pretenses of Scientology and the ‘beliefs.’ I never accepted Scientology as a religion or belief and I continued to consider myself Jewish throughout my association with Scientology. I was also told that Scientology attempted to gain its status as a religion for two purposes–one being to avoid taxation for the organization and its constituents; and two, being to avoid having to come under scrutiny for its practices of Scientology and the far-out nature of the Upper Levels while I was still a member. During my relationship with Scientology, I was referred by Scientology to the Shaw Health Center for regular medical treatment. I was told that all of the doctors at Shaw were practicing Scientologists who used Scientology principles and techniques in their diagnosis and treatment. I was consistently dissuaded by my auditors and case supervisors from obtaining treatment from non-Scientologist physicians. [I]n the spring and summer of 1987 I was given auditing that I didn’t want and was not allowed to leave Flag when I wanted to. I was made to stay there for months to undergo auditing that I did not want and even though I told them I wanted to go back to Los Angeles because my father was visiting from the east, I was not permitted to do so. During this time I went from having mono to having pneumonia and getting very ill. Still, I was made to do auditing and was not allowed to leave. In December 1989 I went back to Florida for the purpose of doing a process called the Purification Rundown but was again forced to do the Introspection Rundown auditing. I left without Case Supervisor approval which was always required prior to leaving the Flag Land Base in Florida. I left in the middle of the night and took a taxi to a hotel near Tampa airport because I did not want to be on Scientology premises or continue the Introspection Rundown. Also, I made phone calls to the Clearwater, Florida or Tampa, Florida police saying that I was being held against my will. The Scientologists had the phone in my room cut off when I did this. In addition to the trauma of the kidnapping and imprisonment, the Scientologists took away my privacy. In December 1989 and January 1990, I was spied upon constantly, 24 hours a day. My phone calls were monitored (when I had a phone in December); my comings and goings were reported on; and, of course, in January when I was completely imprisoned, every aspect of my life was under constant surveillance. After I was released, I was unable to function at all. I could not work, I could not take care of personal business matters. I couldn’t think properly or have any social intercourse what-so-ever. I was so unbalanced by the experience that I was arrested for an assault and ended up under observation at U.S.C. Medical Center.”

 
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Random Howdy

“If the government simply enforced the already existing laws we wouldn’t even be here.”

 
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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, 2023. DA’s response to appeal brief due July 14.
— ‘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 July 7.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal. Leah’s appeal brief was filed June 3. Oral arguments are probably next.

 
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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] Leah Remini’s new lawyer for Scientology lawsuit: The man who put Pellicano in prison
[TWO years ago] Scientology and the Internet: Before there was Clambake, another OG made his mark
[THREE years ago] PODCAST: Bruce Hines on Scientology Sea Org insanity, and a Shelly story we hadn’t heard
[FOUR years ago] How many Scientologists live in your town? Surprisingly, Scientology has an answer
[FIVE years ago] Scientologists mourn the loss of Kelly Preston, say nothing about former member Ben Keough
[SIX years ago] It’s not hard to figure out where L. Ron Hubbard came up with Scientology’s space cooties
[SEVEN years ago] Saturday on L. Ron Hubbard Way — Scientology rolled out its sneaky focus on minorities
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology’s ‘Drug-Free’ influence-peddling plans for New York on August 1, in detail
[NINE years ago] Scientology’s appeal denied, trial date to be set in forced-abortion lawsuit
[TEN years ago] Leah Remini’s ex-Scientology friends rock TLC — and our interview with one of them
[ELEVEN years ago] Camilla Andersson goes public after 29 years in Scientology’s inner elite
[TWELVE years ago] Claire Headley Wonders, Was Kirstie Alley Doing Scientology’s “Doubt Formula?”

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 16, 2025 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