TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Caroline McKuen never thought she’d reach out to a site like ours, but she wasn’t sure where else to turn. To help us understand, she sent a shaky video of a church service where a woman on stage was cutting off a man’s toes in front of a live audience. Oh, she got our attention. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Many persons auditing have not yet crossed over from ‘knowing about’ to ‘applying.’ Thus you see them fooling about with pcs. When a skilled auditor sees a critical pc he knows BANG — pc has a withhold and pulls it. That’s because this auditor’s tech is in. Meaning he knows what to do with his data. Some other person, who knows a lot of Scientology, has had courses and all that, yet sees a critical pc and then tries to add up everything he knows about pcs and stumbles about and then decides on a zero pc it’s a new thing that’s wrong that’s never been seen before. What’s the difference here? It’s the difference between a person who knows but cannot apply and a skilled technician who can apply the knowledge.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1981
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“Always had a lot of fun riding motorcycles, it’s something I shouldn’t do, not in America. Motorcycles are ridden by delivery boys. They’re ridden by admirals and members of parliament over in England so I always have to ride motorcycles with an English accent anyway, to keep up my social caste, you know, it’s very important.” — L. Ron Hubbard, March 6, 1957
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“It should be made known that there has never been ANY order from the Commodore to have Dining Room windows left open so people freeze as they eat. There is an order to Chief Steward to handle cooking smells.” — OOD, March 6, 1971
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“I have a vision of an OT (very far advanced of course, nothing like seen here so far) being so cause over banks that this is actually how a planet or universe gets cleared — not one by one that’s a joke — but by being so damn Cause, so damn Big, so damn encompassing and pervasive, that all the negative frequencies and images are transmuted to theta/Light.”
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2000: The Los Angeles Times reported that a government panel in France has decided that Scientology should be disbanded. “A blue-ribbon government panel studying what French officials define as ‘sects’ has concluded that the faith, founded by the late U.S. science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, is a ‘vast enterprise of transnational character’ with its own private police force run clandestinely from the United States. ‘They have a clear strategy of infiltrating and of trying to influence the state, and the will to do it,’ said Denis Barthelemy, a career magistrate serving as secretary-general of the panel, the Interministerial Mission on Combating Sects. ‘This goes beyond being an ordinary pressure group. For the internal security of the state, we are afraid.’ In the report to Prime Minister Lionel Jospin published this month, the panel contends that Scientology is, in fact, a moneymaking venture. The report goes to the extraordinary length of proposing the dissolution here of Scientology and another religious group, the Order of the Solar Temple, which lost 74 members to murder-suicides in France, Switzerland and Canada between 1994 and 1997. Some former Scientologists agree. ‘I was turned into a robot,’ said Mona Vasquez, a 40-year-old Frenchwoman who spent seven years in the organization. ‘They made me leave my studies, my boyfriend, my family.’ French authorities maintain that they are not attacking religious beliefs, which are protected by law, but illegal conduct. Leaders of France’s Scientologists indignantly deny the charges against them. They plan to issue a detailed rebuttal. ‘These are total hate campaigns,’ Gounord said. ‘We are people who obey the law.’ The French report makes special mention of Scientology’s Office of Special Affairs, which it labels a private police. Stacy Brooks, a former member now working with an anti-Scientology organization in Clearwater, Fla., described the OSA as a dirty-tricks squad that targets the church’s critics. ‘I know all about these people,’ Brooks said. ‘They tried to smear and harass me and my husband after I left in 1989.’ Karin Pouw, spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology International, called Brooks a ‘liar for hire.’ Pouw, a member of the OSA, said the office functions as a ‘public affairs office.'”
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“Hubbard was definitely trolling people on some level. You can see it in that cartoon lupine grin he was always sporting.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal now fully briefed, waiting for 2nd Appellate District court to set a hearing date. Masterson has also submitted a habeas corpus petition.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Pleaded guilty on Nov 10 to a 17-year prison sentence (eligible for parole in two to three more years). Awaiting transfer to state prison.
— Aaron Matthes charged for SA of child under 12 years old: OT Scientologist facing multiple mandatory life sentences. Next pretrial court hearing set for March 9.
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, which is now fully briefed. Awaiting the setting of an oral arguments hearing.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ 15 days of arbitration completed, Val waiting for further word from the IJC.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal. Appeal fully briefed. Motion to replace Jane Does’ AI-tainted brief denied by court. Oral arguments hearing on March 3.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration. Trial has been set for January 10, 2028.
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Other links: The prosecution of Danny Masterson. Leah Remini’s Fair Game Podcast. Leah Remini’s A&E Series. Scientology’s Celebrities, from A to Z. Bryan Seymour’s suppressed series, 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] Who’s the mystery Mexican donor of $4 million to Scientology?
[TWO years ago] East Grinstead councillor resigns amid Scientology controversy: A connection?
[THREE years ago] Jenny Burpee, former Scientology Sea Orger and Cat White friend who helped find her, dead at 39
[FOUR years ago] Never before published: Jane Doe 1’s plea to Scientology to report rape by Danny Masterson
[FIVE years ago] When Rinder met Hubbard: A Scientology story for the ages
[SIX years ago] Riffer madness: Scientology in a tizzy days before next week’s hearing in Masterson suit
[SEVEN years ago] When Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ is forever, and other developments
[EIGHT years ago] What Scientology TV should be about — but won’t dare to put on the air
[NINE years ago] Scientology caught in a lie to federal court — but will the judge care?
[TEN years ago] Scientology snags a TV news host, and other social media finds around the world
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology posts the (nearly) full deposition of reclusive ‘Justice Chief’ Mike Ellis
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology gets the ‘America’s Book of Secrets’ treatment soon!
[THIRTEEN years ago] Scientology Response to Federal Lawsuit: Force The Garcias to Use Church Arbitration
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,559 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,063 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,569 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,119 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 3,109 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,495 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,990 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,294 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 4,945 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,163 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,717 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,058 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,629 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,545 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,712 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,294 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,553 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,305 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,870 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,185 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,360 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,042 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,379 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,232 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,348 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,710 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 4,121 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,509 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,393 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,957 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,469 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,729 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,833 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 6, 2026 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter.
Our book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is 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, 1995-2024 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2024), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
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Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
