TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Last year, Scientology leader David Miscavige held what we figured was a one-off celebration to mark 75 years since publication of L. Ron Hubbard’s 1950 bestseller Dianetics. But Dave had so much fun, apparently, he wants to do it all over again on the 76th anniversary. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Where any management team or executive is failing, it will be found that their view is very short term and they are other-intentioned on post. In management and executive post purpose clearing, one has to keep these two things in view. A good manager or executive works hard hour by hour to keep the show on the road but always with a long term view as well. And he intends that org and staff will prosper. The auditor in post purpose clearing will get a lot of glib answers. The stats, the honest ones, and the true long term performance of the executive, measured by the health of his zone of responsibility tell the tale and should be consulted when in doubt.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1981
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“Now we take eating and condense it down. That is to say, let’s make food scarce and let’s make it very hard to get — and we got a condensation, you might say, which completely escapes time itself. And you go outside of time and get sex. That is to say, the outside of present time and you get future time, which is sex. An individual goes right straight off the time track between eating and sex, and there’s nothing will float on a time track like a sexual engram. They just float all over the time track; they don’t nail down at all. They’re very mobile. Believe me.” — L. Ron Hubbard, May 3, 1954
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“No new crew cases should be begun until ‘parked’ ones are pushed up into Solo range. ‘Complete in HGC’ is the target. Dozens of cases are overlong in grade. L10s should be completed only after OT III anyway. So an HGC completion does not mean ‘all possible pgms we can do in HGC.’ It means just get the pc safely off into Solo. There are also some non-soloing solo auditors aboard. FEBCs who have Solo work to be done should be shoved onto it hard within 48 hours of arrival. I want to see crew ‘HGC Completes’ up through the roof and Solo w.d. hours ranging around 900 a week minimum!” — The Commodore, May 3, 1971
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“More than a year and a half ago now, an incident happened with my daughter. Her teacher sent home from 5th grade a VERY disturbing writing she had done in class. This prompted removing all sharp objects and placing them in a lock box. I emailed Ron to ask for some remote help. He asked for her name and our location. A few weeks later he emailed me he’d done what he could and hoped it was helpful. (Now, for those here who have no understanding of the spiritual universe, this is very normal. Static, after all, has no location, but Thetans attach themselves compulsively to bodies. The GE seems to have the function to RUN a body. Others are NOT the ‘owners’ but they think they are!) Ron ran various Infinity procedures and the BT’s that were planting bad ideas in her went on to productive spiritual activities elsewhere. Is this a win? Beyond words.”
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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%. 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% to 60% 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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“The only people who don’t adore me are the people who abhor me, and that’s just how I want it. You’re either in or you’re out.”
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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] L. Ron Hubbard 2.0 hits on best scheme yet: His own Scientology Sea Org!
[TWO years ago] Priscilla Presley lawsuit gains a new bombshell in the fine print
[THREE years ago] Judge Olmedo nixes defense claim that door was opened to Danny Masterson’s own report
[FOUR years ago] What the New Yorker left out of its story about Elisabeth Moss and Scientology
[FIVE years ago] Scientology can’t get enough corrupt South American police generals under its wing
[SIX years ago] Scientology boasts about members keeping up online — and once again reveals its true size
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology measles ship Freewinds ditches St. Lucia quarantine for Curaçao, its home port
[EIGHT years ago] How Scientology’s mental health ideas end up enabling the worst compulsions
[NINE years ago] Confirmation of the 2009 FBI trafficking probe of Scientology that the church denied
[ELEVEN years ago] Whale watching: The wealthy donors keeping Scientology afloat, 2015 edition
[TWELVE years ago] Ken Dandar gets another day in court after his $1 million Scientology judgment
[THIRTEEN years ago] Scientology is Staking Everything On Portland Like It Actually Matters
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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 3,617 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,121 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,627 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,177 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 3,167 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,553 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 3,048 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,352 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 5,003 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,221 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,775 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,116 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,687 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,603 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,770 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,356 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,615 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,363 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,932 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,243 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,418 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,100 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,437 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,290 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,406 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,768 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 4,182 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,567 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,451 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 4,015 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,527 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,787 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,891 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 3, 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
