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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Monique Rathbun seeks sanctions, Scientology tries to kill Miscavige deposition in court today

The BBC’s John Sweeney sets up today’s court clash for us

Monique Rathbun is back in court today in New Braunfels, Texas for her harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige. Several different issues may come up for discussion today. Monique filed a notice to depose David Miscavige on []

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Judge Waldrip grants Monique Rathbun’s discovery request, snubbing Scientology

Marty and Monique Rathbun

It’s another victory for Monique Rathbun in her harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige: Comal County, Texas Judge Dib Waldrip has granted her request for a continuance so she can gather more evidence to refute Scientology’s anti-SLAPP motion. A new hearing on the matter []

MONIQUE RATHBUN FILES FOR SANCTIONS, SUBMITS SCIENTOLOGY LEADER’S FOUL-MOUTHED TEXTS

Scientology leader and Sea Org captain David Miscavige

We have yet another surprising turn in Monique Rathbun’s harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige.

Yesterday, Monique filed for sanctions against Scientology for a “pattern of intentional abuse” during the discovery process of the lawsuit. Scientology has stonewalled the process, Monique []

Monique Rathbun back in court today: DAVID MISCAVIGE WILL BE DEPOSED, JUDGE DECIDES

UPDATE: Judge Dib Waldrip has decided that Scientology leader David Miscavige will be deposed in Monique’s lawsuit. See our new story for the latest updates.

Monique Rathbun’s harassment lawsuit against Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, resumes today in the Comal County courthouse in New Braunfels, Texas, and we should be getting dispatches from both Mike []

TEXAS SKIRMISH: Mike Bennitt is on the scene as Monique Rathbun’s lawsuit is back in court

We couldn’t leave the Bunker today for the big hearing in New Braunfels, Texas, but our man Mike Bennitt is on the scene, and we expect to get numerous dispatches from him, as well as video.

On the docket today are two big issues in Monique Rathbun’s harassment lawsuit against Scientology leader David Miscavige. Issue one: []

TEXAS SHOWDOWN: Can Monique Rathbun Get an Order to Depose Scientology Leader David Miscavige?

A week from today, on December 11, the next dramatic chapter in Monique Rathbun’s lawsuit against Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, will take place in the Comal County courthouse in New Braunfels, Texas.

In August, Monique filed the lawsuit, accusing Miscavige of orchestrating a years-long retaliation campaign against her husband, Mark “Marty” Rathbun, that had []

SCIENTOLOGY DROPS A BOMB ON MONIQUE RATHBUN’S HARASSMENT LAWSUIT

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Church files an Anti-SLAPP motion in the lawsuit, arguing that its 199-day intimidation of the Rathbuns was protected free speech

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Scientology’s chief private investigator now claims he is a Scientologist and was personally offended by Marty Rathbun’s apostasy

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Mike Bennitt, an ex-Scientologist who has been filming proceedings, reports that he’s now being tailed by private investigators, and []

FORMER SCIENTOLOGY SPOKESMAN TOMMY DAVIS SUBPOENAED BY MONIQUE RATHBUN

The Monique Rathbun harassment lawsuit against Scientology is really heating up, with a judge’s order yesterday that denied the church’s attempt to bounce Monique’s attorneys from the case and now, we’ve learned, former Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis is being dragged into the case to press him under oath about his years working with church leader []

THE TEXAS POST-GAME REPORT: Scientology, Monique Rathbun, and Judge Dib Waldrip

We said Judge Dib Waldrip was Ricky Gervais with Colonel Sanders’ facial hair. Did we nail it or what? [Source]

After two days of live-blogging here in New Braunfels, Texas, we left the Comal County courthouse yesterday afternoon with more questions than answers in the harassment lawsuit brought by Monique Rathbun against the Church []

MONIQUE RATHBUN VS SCIENTOLOGY, DAY 2: Texas Showdown Shifts Gears

Good morning from New Braunfels, Texas, where we will be providing a second consecutive morning of live-blogging from the Comal County courthouse.

Yesterday, Judge Dib Waldrip allowed opening statements and testimony in Monique Rathbun’s request to convert a temporary restraining order into a temporary injunction in her harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology.

But today, []