TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Running for city council in Clearwater, Florida is a nonpartisan affair, but the Pinellas County Republicans have decided to target Mark Bunker with a torrent of pathetic ads, which only ends up benefiting Scientology. We asked Mark for his reaction. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“The mind handles problems in terms of loose symbolisms. Amongst the most indefinite symbolisms are dreams. The dream has an entirely valid place and purpose in computations. It recombines data into new entities and is an important part of imagination. Imagination is vital to computation for it recombines for the purposes of creation, construction and prediction. Creative imagination can be such a complex computation and can be accomplished on such thin data by a good mind that it can assume an aspect of divine inspiration. Just because one can understand the functional process of imagination does not mean that one can thereby detract from its value, for it is the highest echelon of computation.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1951
——————–
“The history of Guk should be known to you. For a long time we had been scouting for the one-shot Clear, whereby a person walks in, you take a hypodermic syringe and shoot it in his arm, he goes up against the ceiling and comes down Clear. And we had been talking about this for some time as something feasible. Around 15 July 1950 a chemical engineer (the ex-director of research at the Bloch Chemical Company) told us about an atropine derivative that might be used.” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 29, 1950
——————–
“BULL: Do not snort suddenly behind Peter Gilham. It is a tender subject. Not every day does one get plowed 15 feet down the street by a made 1,000 lb. Bull! The main damage was hurt feelings. A general good time was had by all.” — The Commodore, September 29, 1970
——————–
“We have great news — the Theta-Meter app for Apple Watch has been released. Now you don’t even need the phone to do auditing. Happy owners of bluetooth Theta-Meter e-meter, you can download Theta-Meter Watch program to your Apple Watch in the AppStore!”
——————–
1996: It was reported this week that a Scientologist killed two children of a Canadian couple, also Scientologists. The murder was committed in Copenhagen, Denmark. Excerpts from news reports, including the Toronto Sun. “A woman drowned a pair of one-year-old Canadian twins while bathing them, then dressed the bodies, put them in a stroller and pushed them to a police station, police said Monday. A Russian-born nanny turned herself in to police and was taken into custody for a psychological examination and questioning. The one-year-old boy and girl were drowned on Saturday, police said. They said the children’s bodies were mutilated. The twins’ mother was identified as Deborrah Helen Hiver, of Canada, and the father as Paul Maurice Hiver of France. The couple had met the nanny at a Scientology church where they are all members, church officials said. While Debbie and Aime Hiver were at work at a cleaning company Saturday, police say, their 47-year-old nanny, Ludmila Vassilieva, appeared at a local police station with a stroller bearing the bodies of their daughter, Lauren, and son, Herve. Vassilieva, like the Hivers, is a member of the Church of Scientology, and in a public letter the parents laid the blame for their nanny’s behavior on psychiatric treatment, ‘which not only does not help but can influence a person to kill.'”
——————–
“More people are killed by domestic pigs around the world annually than are killed by sharks.”
——————–
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, oral arguments scheduled for June 25. 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. Now serving time in 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 June 19.
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. Oral arguments hearing set for July 23.
— 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 upheld on appeal. Scientology expected to file additional petitions before case can return to Kalra’s court.
— 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.
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology and oiliness: More renderings from the Super Power Building
[TWO years ago] Scientology must be thriving in the biggest city in the world, right?
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s elder abuse: The legal demand that even the church couldn’t ignore
[FOUR years ago] Double storms hit Scientology: Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Mike Rinder
[FIVE years ago] Appeals court moves back hearing, and asks if Scientology arbitration is ‘neutral’
[SIX years ago] Leah Remini podcast: Attorney Ray Jeffrey on Marty Rathbun’s betrayal
[SEVEN years ago] Who had the biggest booth at the Black Caucus DC confab this month? Scientology, that’s who.
[EIGHT years ago] Inside Jesse Prince’s book about Scientology: Doing L. Ron Hubbard’s dirty work
[NINE years ago] Turning hurricane chaos into gold? Scientology might learn something from L. Ron Hubbard
[TEN years ago] ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely’ audiobook on sale, and we’re doing a Reddit AMA at noon
[ELEVEN years ago] O Canada: We’re in Vancouver today, getting our British Columbia on. Let’s talk Scientology!
[TWELVE years ago] Jon Atack takes his presentation — ‘Scientology: The Cult of Greed’ — to Russia
[THIRTEEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: Nothing But Unstoppable Scientology Expansion in Every Direction!
——————–
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 3,766 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,270 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,776 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,326 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,702 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 3,197 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,503 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 5,152 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,370 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,924 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,265 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,835 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,752 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,919 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,505 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,764 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,512 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 4,081 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,392 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,567 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,249 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,586 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,439 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,555 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,917 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,716 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,560 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 4,175 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,676 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,936 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 16,040 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on September 29, 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, 1995-2025 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)
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates.
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
