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Scientology posts the (nearly) full deposition of reclusive ‘Justice Chief’ Mike Ellis

Mike Ellis [Photo by Doug Owens]

Our fevered brain is still keeping us hunkered down in the Bunker. The cats are mixing up some nasty-smelling elixirs they swear will make us well. We think they just enjoy seeing us suffer.

Anyway, we only have energy for another short post today, and we apologize if it []

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HBO moves back ‘Going Clear’ to March 29 and TV’s most coveted spot: Sunday night

In a move that signals how much HBO thinks of Alex Gibney’s new documentary ‘Going Clear’ after its Sundance Film Festival premiere, the network has moved its airing from March 16 to March 29.

HBO is under heavy pressure from the Church of Scientology, which has tried to spoil the film’s arrival with full-page newspaper ads, []

TAMPA SHOWDOWN: Scientology’s religious exception faces mini-trial today

This is certainly a day we’ve been waiting for here at the Underground Bunker. Luis and Rocio Garcia filed their federal fraud lawsuit against the Church of Scientology back in January 2013, alleging that they had been lied to in order to get them to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to Scientology’s building projects []

On the eve of the big Tampa hearing, the Garcias fire back at Scientology’s ‘bench memo’

Mike Ellis [Photo by Doug Owens]

We told you last week that Scientology pulled a bit of a fast one in the Garcia federal fraud lawsuit, submitting a substantial “bench memorandum” with just days to go before tomorrow’s big evidentiary hearing.

There’s so much at stake in this hearing, which will decide if Scientology can []

Days before crucial hearing, Scientology pulls out a ghost to sway a federal judge

Judge James D. Whittemore

Federal Tampa district Judge James D. Whittemore has been preparing in a very methodical way ahead of a February 18 evidentiary hearing that could have a huge impact on the Church of Scientology.

He’s already held one live hearing on this important preliminary matter, and in anticipation of next week’s event, []

‘You encourage people to leave the Church of Scientology’: The Mike Rinder deposition

On Wednesday, we told you about the startling admission by Mike Rinder in his January 6 sworn deposition that Leah Remini, who defected from Scientology in 2013, has been in talks to join a federal fraud lawsuit against the church.

Now, we’re going to post the entire deposition for you to examine, and we think you’ll []

LEAH REMINI IN TALKS TO SUE SCIENTOLOGY: MIKE RINDER TESTIMONY

In July 2013 the Underground Bunker first broke the news that Leah Remini had defected from the Church of Scientology. Now, we’ve learned that within the last year, Remini has been in talks to join a federal fraud lawsuit seeking refunds for former Scientology members, according to a sworn deposition.

Luis and Rocio Garcia of Irvine, []

VIDEO LEAK: Another segment from Marty Rathbun’s deposition — his ‘Liability Formula’

Our source has made available another portion of Mark “Marty” Rathbun’s December 22 deposition; the first portion we published on Sunday.

As we pointed out then, this is the first time that Rathbun has been deposed since he emerged as a critic of his former employer, the Church of Scientology, in 2009. He had left the []

Las Vegas attorney files 27th suit against Scientology rehab, Michigan attorney files 2nd

Las Vegas attorney Ryan Hamilton has filed his 27th lawsuit against Scientology’s drug rehab network, Narconon, and Jeffrey P. Ray, an attorney in Michigan, has added two of his own in just a week’s time.

Endorsed by Scientology’s most well-known celebrities, such as Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley, Narconon was for many years one of the []

Earache my eye: A Scientology official’s excuses why he can’t fly for deposition in fraud suit

Mike Ellis [Photo by Doug Owens]

The Church of Scientology is known for its legendary scorched-earth legal tactics that can tie up lawsuits for years or persecute its enemies with endless motions and obfuscations.

But its legal chicanery can also be a hoot.

We have a series of documents that have been flying back and forth []