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Joel Sappell Finds Former Scientology Enforcer Marty Rathbun To Be a Reluctant Whistleblower

Much of our coverage of Scientology in the past three years has focused on former church executive Marty Rathbun, and for good reason.

Rathbun is the most visible member of an “independence movement” that is splitting Scientology apart. He has participated in or masterminded several of the biggest legal and media offensives against church leader David []

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Did Scientology Kill Joel Sappell’s Dog?

Joel Sappell

UPDATE: We now have a review of Sappell’s full story, which has gone live at the Los Angeles magazine website.

One of our highlights of 2012 was getting to know Joel Sappell, the former Los Angeles Times journalist who, with his partner Robert Welkos, produced a series of blockbuster Scientology investigations in the []

Scientology Quick to Exploit Newtown Tragedy

Pity poor PIX 11 reporter Hilary Whittier, who had to put together one of those cloying, cliche-filled pieces in the wake of the Newtown massacre, the kind of thing where shell-shocked locals are interviewed talking about hope and prayers in the face of tragedy.

Near the end of her report, Whittier wants to give an example []

Sunday Funnies: Scientology Sets Its Worldwide New Year’s Party!

New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest days in the Scientology calendar. The church really pulls out the stops with a big party, and then urges members — and their wallets — to attend. What fun!

And this year, the event is coming early! As you’ll see in our weekly collection of Scientology fundraising mailers, []

Scientology Leader David Miscavige: Getting Desperate?

Nothing could match the revulsion we felt yesterday at the mass murder of 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Connecticut.

But there was something else that made the bile rise in our throat yesterday.

Marty Rathbun, at his blog, pointed out that one of the anonymous attack web sites operated by the Church of Scientology has begun putting up []

DOX: Florida Officials Fight Attempt to Hide Drug Rehab’s Scientology Connections

Kurt Feshbach: Shhh, he’s a wealthy Scientologist

Officials in Hernando County, Florida aren’t backing down in a lawsuit brought by a wealthy Scientologist who wants to expand a Narconon drug rehab site against the wishes of local residents.

The Narconon center’s landowner has asked federal Judge James D. Whittemore that the facility’s connection to Scientology, []

HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATING SCIENTOLOGY FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING

For at least eight months, the US Department of Homeland Security has been investigating allegations of human trafficking in the Church of Scientology, TONYORTEGA.ORG has learned.

Since at least the spring, agents with Homeland Security working out of its Tampa office have been interviewing former members of the church who have information about the way children []

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John Christmas Video Confirms Mayan End-of-World Prophecy

That meany Jon Stewart and just about everyone else has made fun of this video from America’s favorite cute movie couple, Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson.

But we know that our readers will have special affection for this darling Christmas carol that features so many of the things that make the holidays []

Only 2,418 Scientologists in England and Wales, Vastly Outnumbered by Jedi Knights

After all the new “Ideal Org” churches David Miscavige has been opening around the world in the last decade, there must be a giant surge of new members joining the Church of Scientology, right?

Um, well, no. In fact, the figures from the 2011 England and Wales census are out, and they are grim. In the []

Tiziano Lugli Releases Non-Nazanin Boniadi Version of “Blown for Good” Rap

Tiziano Lugli just released at his website a new version of the “Blown for Good” rap that he and Marc Headley (author of the book Blown For Good) conceived and recorded.

When we were in Los Angeles, Tiziano played for us a version of the song that featured several ex-Scientologists, including Nazanin Boniadi, who was once []