Tony Ortega is a journalist who was formerly the editor of The Village Voice. He's written about Scientology since 1995, and in May 2015 released a book about Scientology's harassment of Paulette Cooper titled 'The Unbreakable Miss Lovely.' He continues to monitor breaking developments in the Scientology world from an undisclosed location in an underground bunker he shares with four cats and one of them wrinkly Shar Pei dogs. Despite his super-secret security protections, you can still reach him pretty easily by sending him a message at tonyo94 AT gmail.com (Drop him a line if you'd like to get an e-mail whenever a new story is posted.) [Header image courtesy John Rickard]
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Viral video: Heartless killing of a defenseless wombat, or cherished native ritual?

You may have seen the viral video to come out of South Australia this week, which shows an off-duty cop named Waylon Johncock stoning a terrorized, defenseless wombat to death while he’s urged on by his pal filming, ‘Hit it! Hit []

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Jehovah’s Witnesses plan massive media center — hey, just like Scientology!

[Watchtower’s rendering of its very own SMP]

 Not satisfied with copying Scientology’s methods of ripping apart families, scorched-earth legal tactics, and hiding away in remote headquarter compounds, the Jehovah’s Witnesses governing body has now announced that it was so jealous of Scientology’s Sunset Boulevard gem, Scientology Media Productions, the JWs are planning a media complex of []

CLEARWATER APOCALYPSE! No, not really. But let’s help Scientology run its new board

 Last night Tampa Bay Times stalwart Tracey McManus reported that for the first time, Scientologists had won a majority on a government body in the city of []

White House rejects impeachment inquiry with precious 8-page letter, hilarity ensues

 Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

The White House today dropped an eight-page letter from White House counsel Pat Cipollone, announcing the White House’s refusal to cooperate with the House’s impeachment inquiry because of a series of not-at-all relevant reasons. Most lawyers will recognize the letter as the []

Defeat of Trump lawsuit has stunning implications for presidential immunity

 Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

Yesterday I discussed the first part of the SDNY opinion by Judge Marrero, where he dismissed Trump’s lawsuit seeking to bar the NY Attorney General from subpoenaing his tax returns. The court’s ruling was based on the doctrine of abstention — i.e., []

Supreme Court denies longshot appeal by Watchtower in California molest case

 A few weeks ago, hardworking ex-JW activists Lloyd Evans and Mark O’Donnell invited us on one of their videocasts to discuss one of Watchtower’s recent legal moves: appealing to the US Supreme []

Sondland’s testimony blocked: Add obstruction to the Articles of Impeachment

[Trump and Sondland, AP Photo]

Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

Add obstruction to the Articles of []

ABC7 in Los Angeles covers the Scientology Narconon fraud hearing — with sketches!

[Judge Michael Pastor, Hanan Islam and her son Rizza Islam in court yesterday]

Thanks to producer Lisa Bartley, ABC 7 in Los Angeles has always showed more interest in local Scientology stories, and they were the only channel to cover yesterday’s decision by Judge Michael Pastor to bound over for trial the defendants in a Scientology []

Scientologists will face trial after judge cites ‘sophisticated fraud’ scheme

[Hanan Islam and her son Rizza]

Once again, Jeffrey Augustine was on hand as the preliminary hearing continued yesterday in the case of Scientologist Hanan Islam and three of her children, accused of a scheme using a Scientology Narconon drug rehab clinic, corrupt local educators, and unwitting high school students to defraud the state’s Medi-Cal program []

Judge expresses amazement at the scope of immunity sought by Trump in 75-page order

[Judge Victor Marrero]

Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

Okay, so the opinion on appeal before the Second Circuit concerning Trump’s tax returns is a doozy. U.S. Senior District Judge Victor Marrero expresses amazement at the scope of presidential immunity sought by Trump, which he characterizes as “unqualified and []