TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Joy Villa shared a bombshell with us this week, an email from Scientology mega-donor Craig Jensen who claimed he’d arranged a tour of Scientology’s spiritual headquarters for Charlie Kirk, and gave him a booklet that Kirk said ‘saved his life.’ What’s in that booklet, anyway? [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Health of a body requires some exercise. When a body is not exercised it goes downhill, diet or no diet. Exercise and correct diet keep a body going. This applies especially to auditors, desk workers and students. That’s why you should be out there getting some air in your lungs and some limberness in the muscles for a short time each day.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1980
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“We’re not in the business of whether people are crazy or not crazy. It’s just a method of calling dirty names anyway. The psychiatrists have no idea who’s crazy and who’s sane, and so forth. It’s just a matter of saying, ‘This fellow’s no good, and the US government wants to get him out of the way so he’s crazy.’ It’s just a matter of expediency. It says en masse, ‘We don’t agree with this particular person. He sees spiders on the ceiling and we don’t. Therefore he’s crazy.’ Has nothing to do with anything we are doing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Just forget those classifications. We don’t care how potty this guy’s ideas of the physical universe are, you know, he just might have come down here from the Martian scout command or something like this, and they probably have very, very odd ideas, you see? The quality, the significance of the fellow’s ideas are no business of the auditor’s.” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 19, 1963
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“Recently Flag was divided into 3 separate orgs. The Flag Bureaux (FB), the International Management Org was the first to be formed fully. It is the FOUNDING Org of the other two. It is doing very well and has stats rising in most areas and is heavily in the Mission business. Its colour flash is GREEN. The Flag Admin Org (FAO) is the Service Org. It trains, processes and handles Finance. It has the pattern of the standard 7 Division Organization. It is the ESTABLISHING ORG. The FAO flash color is RED. The Flag Ship Org is the ship itself. It consists of the usual yacht organization functions of Command, Deck, Stewards and Galley and Engine Room. The Ship Org Flash color is BLUE….To summarize the FB is running excellently, the tech and training of the FAO is tops. Finance FAO is going in well. By constant personal work and lots of help, I have these points in hand. Now the three numbered points above must occur and every effort, including very heavy Ethics, will be made to bring them into existence. Your cooperation will be appreciated.” — The Commodore, February 19, 1971
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“We need auditors well trained. When I went through the upper sections no one could get on the solo course without the Briefing Course first — that was (and is) the level of understanding it takes to make happy, successful OTs. Unfortunately that no longer seems an option either in the independent field or in the Church of Scientology. No Saint Hill Special Briefing Course offer there, I have heard. I offer it, but so far, no takers, not in 20 years. So how do we get OTs functioning and happy? It takes a lot of personal attention, helping the student solo auditor fill in his missing data, helping him through his levels.”
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1999: Adweek published an article this week on the controversy over anti-Scientology advertising on public buses. “The ads were purchased by Former Scientologists Speaking Out, which asserts its First Amendment rights were violated when the ads were removed. ‘When you look at the board’s definition of political
advertising, it is limited to that for candidates running for office,’ said Ken Dandar, the ex-Scientologists’ attorney. ‘They now have a nonprofit organization that is willing to sue them if they don’t do the right thing.’ Scientology lawyer Paul Johnson said the PSTA should move to strike any noncommercial ads from public transportation, or else the county could see ‘hate organizations like the KKK’ running ads on its buses. ‘This is important stuff under the First Amendment, but the American Association of Advertising Agencies believes that advertisers should be able to advertise,’ said John Kamp, a Washington, D.C., attorney at the 4A’s. ‘I run a business. I don’t want to limit commerce, but this has created a real problem in Clearwater,’ said Bob Clark, a PSTA board member and Clearwater commissioner. ‘There’s no question in any person’s mind that these were attacks, and as a public official … when I saw them, I was very upset.'”
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“Confiscating people’s passports is a classic Eastern European sex trade/slave tactic. It doesn’t get more obvious and sinister.”
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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 Feb 2.
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 respondent’s brief is due February 11.
— 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. Awaiting a court hearing date.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1. 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] After RHONY, Rebecca Minkoff back to promoting Scientology’s sneaky front groups
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s Sea Org: Almost no pay and no sleep, but plenty of swearing and smoking!
[THREE years ago] Celebrity Sunday: John Travolta, Anne Archer, and ‘rising star’ Joy Villa
[FOUR years ago] Valerie Haney asks court for reconsideration after Scientology defeat in Masterson case
[FIVE years ago] Transcript: In the Danny Masterson lawsuit, Scientology continues to get its way
[SIX years ago] California is going ‘Ideal,’ and Scientology is on fire about it
[SEVEN years ago] Leah Remini accuses former Scientologists of sabotaging an episode of ‘Aftermath’
[EIGHT years ago] Atack: What David Mayo told me about L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the upper levels
[NINE years ago] Disconnecting from the dead: Another employer accused of forcing Scientology is taken to court
[TEN years ago] DOX: A former L. Ron Hubbard business partner dishes on Scientology to the feds
[ELEVEN years ago] HBO moves back ‘Going Clear’ to March 29 and TV’s most coveted spot: Sunday night
[TWELVE years ago] SCIENTOLOGY’S PRAYER: The Hail Mary petition to keep David Miscavige from being deposed
[THIRTEEN years ago] SUPER POWER UPDATE: Scientology Has Even More Excuses Not to Open Its Boondoggle
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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 3,544 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,048 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,554 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,104 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 3,094 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,480 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,975 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,279 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 4,930 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,148 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,702 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,043 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,614 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,530 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,697 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,279 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,538 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,290 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,855 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,170 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,345 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,027 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,364 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,217 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,333 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,695 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 4,106 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,494 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,378 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,942 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,454 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,714 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,818 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 19, 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
