You’ve seen a lot of media coverage of Danny Masterson’s legal troubles lately, but here’s what the other news organizations never bring up: Danny would not be looking at the potential of 45 years to life in prison for raping three women if those women had not stood up to the Los Angeles Police Department for almost botching their investigation.
On March 3, 2017 when we first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation, we also revealed that the probe, which had been going on since October, was already in crisis. We revealed that on February 22 of that year the woman we referred to then as “Victim A” and who later identified herself as Chrissie Carnell-Bixler had written a lengthy letter to then-Chief Charlie Beck complaining bitterly about the way she and the other two women had been treated by the department.
One of the things Chrissie explained to the chief was that when she reported her allegations, she was told by LAPD officials that her case could not be handled at the Hollywood Division because it was hopelessly compromised in its relationship to the Church of Scientology. She said that she was told her case not only needed to be handled by a downtown unit, but that they would be keeping her case out of the department’s computer system to make sure Hollywood detectives wouldn’t even know about the investigation.
Again, let us make this clear: Chrissie was told by the LAPD that parts of it were in thrall to Scientology and could not be trusted even to know that a crime against a major Scientology celebrity was being investigated.
But even with those precautions in place, Chrissie was shocked by how the downtown unit handled the case, with a detective who treated them inappropriately and didn’t interview key witnesses. Chrissie’s letter to Chief Beck listed numerous problems with the investigation. As a result of the letter, Chief Beck reassigned the detective and put another in charge of the investigation. That detective saw the investigation through and delivered the case to the DA’s office.
Because Chrissie had stood up for herself, these women got the investigation they deserved. But it turns out that their timing was good. Since then, the LAPD has dismantled the downtown special task force that handled their case, and if Chrissie Carnell-Bixler were coming forward to the LAPD today, she would have no choice but to trust the Hollywood Division, where her allegations occurred.
Yes, the Hollywood Division that even the LAPD itself told them is hopelessly corrupt because of its fawning attachment to Scientology.
The LAPD has also been very helpful to David Miscavige in keeping his wife Shelly Miscavige under wraps. In 2013, Leah Remini filed a missing-person report on Shelly, who vanished in 2005 and has only been seen in public one time since then, in 2007. The LAPD told us that two of their detectives had met with Shelly, who said she was fine and didn’t want to make a public statement. When we asked Lt. Andre Dawson if any other church officials were present at the time, he told us “That’s classified.” And when Leah later tried to get copies of documents involved in that operation, which were a direct result of her own missing-person report, she was turned down.
After that, we noticed that Lt. Dawson after his retirement became a featured speaker at Scientology events.
It was also the Hollywood Division that actually put a Scientology kiosk on its station house, until an atheist organization complained and it was removed.
Last year we published some shocking emails from LAPD Capt. Cory Palka, showing just how chummy his relationship was with the church.
In one example, the LAPD captain was writing to Detroit police on behalf of Scientology, who wanted the Detroit department’s help with the opening of a new building. What a pal!
Palka has left the LAPD, but we’ve seen no evidence that the department has shown any interest in shaking off its decades-long history as David Miscavige’s lap dog.
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology
3: The judges
4: The LAPD
5: The dirty tricks private eyes
6: The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
8: The ghost private eyes
9: The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office
10: Political shills
11: Gary Soter
12: The city of Clearwater, Florida
13: Google and other tech titans
14: The Los Angeles Times
15: Jeffrey Riffer
16: James Packer
17: Louis Farrakhan
18: Mark “Marty” Rathbun
19: Wally Pope
20: Gensler
22: Graham Norton and other celebrity strokers
23: The apologist academics
24: Rebecca Dobkin and other low-level PI grunts
25: DirecTV and filmmakers buffing Dave’s channel
——————–
“We pick up somebody. Let’s say he’s a Marine captain or something, and we’re auditing him. He’s been a Marine years ago. Obviously, this person is no mystic. This person is no spiritualist. He knows nothing about these things. Let’s audit him, and get through, and so forth. And we audit him for about five hours, and he’s making very slow progress. And he’s liable to ask you at the end of the five hours if you really think his guardian angel approves of the techniques you’re using. Don’t be too alarmed if you hear such a reaction, because there’s practically 100 percent of the populace, one time or another, have been mixed up with spirits, spiritualism, mysticism or any one of the allied lines by which man has sought truth and has gotten booby-trapped. This Marine, you find out, served a long hitch in Santo Domingo. And all the time he was in Santo Domingo he was talked to continually by a mamaloi. Otherwise, this boy’s been sane ever since. He receives all of his directions from a witch doctor, or a witch. Yeah, he’s been ordering troops around on the advice of a witch doctor for years. This is not uncommon. Because a thing is not spoken about is no reason it doesn’t exist or isn’t known. And that’s a good rule for you to go on.” — L. Ron Hubbard, March 31, 1954
——————–
“My thanks to S. Moreau, R. Savage, Gerry Armstrong, and H. Harrison for helping on a voluntary basis cleaning up Fwd Tween Decks and Storage and mest moving in Hold 1 last night. L.H. 2 has been cleaned and restowed. Anyone littering or enmesting the area of any hold space will be dealt with severely by Ethics. These spaces (as well as all ship spaces) must be kept neat, clean and secure.” — Capt W.B. Robertson D/Captain FSO, March 31, 1971
“You kind of just put body thetans in their place. See, they come at you full of light, sometimes as powerful beings. THAT LIGHT IS YOURS! Tell them, and take it back. And it kind of spins around and they blow as entities. Anyway, they do blow, it will vary from case to case. I never have any difficulty with them. Maybe a bit of SRT in the past somewhere can kick it all sideways? I don’t know, I just keep my eyes on the horizon. It’s true there are lots of very interesting areas to get sidetracked into. But this is the way to failure in solo auditing. Keep on the path and audit it off, don’t go into something because it seems exciting. That can hurt you and get you pretty mixed up. I keep in mind all I want is charge off. Between sessions that helped me stay focused. It doesn’t mean I don’t write my own side notes, cognitions, and odd phenomena experienced on the way. But I never let it pull me off just getting charge off. You can look at the whole thing afterwards, as there are many, many cogs to be had. But getting charge off gives them.”
——————–
1997: The Wall Street Journal printed an editorial titled “The Scientology Problem”: “Scientology is currently demanding acceptance throughout the world, mostly on the basis of a 1993 Internal Revenue Service ruling extending it 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. The State Department’s human rights report, an ad by Hollywood figures and others have berated Germany over persecution of Scientologists. Other sects have also started with odd theology and behavior; is Scientology now traveling the road to respectability? Conceivably so, though the Scientologists have more history than most to live down, most of it written in court decisions here and abroad. Scientology performs its ‘auditing’ and ‘clearing’ according to a schedule of set fees. Those who are ‘cleared’ at one level go on to the next with further training and further fees. To many authorities, not to mention alienated former Scientologists, Mr. Hubbard’s creation looks a lot like the business of personal counseling or psychiatry (to which Scientology also raises theological objection). There have been repeated reports that Mr. Hubbard told his science-fiction colleagues that the way to get rich is to found a religion. The Scientologists promote anti-drug and anti-crime efforts, but even in the post-Hubbard era have been a magnet for controversy. For one thing, they are confronting the Internet, using copyright and other laws to inhibit their critics, who gather in a discussion group called alt.religion.scientology. Scientologists have succeeded with U.S. copyright suits against the posting of secret Hubbard texts, but have angered the Internet community. The texts keep appearing, for example on a Norwegian site calling itself Operation Clambake. Further litigation is currently under way in San Jose and Denver, with the patience of presiding jurists being tested by both Scientologists and ‘netizens.’ Internet defendants are now challenging the validity of the copyrights, and seeking to depose the secretive Mr. Miscavige about the circumstances of their transfer.”
——————–
“Hubbard thought ‘1984’ was a How-To manual.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson arraigned Jan 20. Discovery hearing on April 20, prelim set for May 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing delayed to April 13.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial scheduled for May 20 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Charged in Brooklyn federal court on Feb 4. Arraigned on Feb 9. Pretrial conference set for Apr 29.>
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 30, Judge Kleifield granted Scientology’s motions to compel arbitration. June 7: Status conference.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 24.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
——————–
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
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’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] Mark Bunker, now as city councilman, confronts issues with Scientology on day one
[TWO years ago] Scientology is putting Ideal Orgs in every country where it operates — except one
[THREE years ago] A Scientologist is running for lieutenant governor in Nevada — and it’s who you probably suspect
[FOUR years ago] Jonny Jacobsen: The tweets about Scientology that got a comedian in hot water
[FIVE years ago] Reason Rally 2016 in Washington DC: The Underground Bunker wants to see you there!
[SIX years ago] Can you help French prosecutors find these witnesses to the death of a Scientologist?
[SEVEN years ago] Paris elects its first female mayor — and you have to see her record on Scientology!
[EIGHT years ago] Easter Sunday Funnies — Also: Our SMERSH Madness Championship!
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,257 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,761 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,281 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,301 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,192 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,499 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,367 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,141 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,471 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,945 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,261 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,827 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,746 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,914 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,495 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,756 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,794 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,507 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,032 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 387 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,562 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,113 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,262 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,582 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,437 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,556 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,912 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,215 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,321 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,723 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,595 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,178 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,673 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,927 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,036 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on March 31, 2021 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, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), 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
