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MIKE RINDER AND REPORTER: MAN CONVICTED OF HACKING WAS WORKING FOR SCIENTOLOGY

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Eric Saldarriaga faces sentencing Friday for the attempted hacking of the former church spokesman, who asks feds to look into Scientology’s alleged culpability

By Tony Ortega

Tomorrow in New York, Eric Saldarriaga, a 41-year-old Astoria, Queens private investigator, will be sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to hiring a hacker to access private email accounts on behalf of his clients.

Continue reading MIKE RINDER AND REPORTER: MAN CONVICTED OF HACKING WAS WORKING FOR SCIENTOLOGY

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Nora Crest in Toronto: Growing up in Scientology means indoctrination from birth

Nora_CrestWe had to leave the Toronto Scientology conference to deal with some changes back here in New York, but Jonny Jacobsen remained, and submitted this account of Nora Crest’s presentation on Wednesday.

Nora Crest gave a sharp, funny and at times moving account of what it is like to grow up inside Scientology. She was born in 1976, a few years after her mother had started in Scientology. Her mother was working with the Guardian’s Office in Sacramento – the old intelligence unit.

Continue reading Nora Crest in Toronto: Growing up in Scientology means indoctrination from birth

A rundown on the truth being delivered at the Toronto Scientology conference

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It was a real highlight for us to meet for the first time a frequent contributor to the Underground Bunker, former Sea Org worker Chris Shelton. We asked him to give us a report about his first day speaking at the Toronto conference yesterday. Here’s what he sent us.

Continue reading A rundown on the truth being delivered at the Toronto Scientology conference

Reed Slatkin dies of heart attack — Scientologist served time as major Ponzi schemer

Reed_SlatkinMary-Jo Alburger, former wife to convicted Ponzi schemer Reed Slatkin, confirmed to us this afternoon that her former husband died Saturday at about 3 pm of a massive heart attack. He was 66.

“He was alone and he made it to the hospital. He seemed to know he was having a heart attack and he collapsed and fell dead,” Alburger told us in a telephone call today.

Continue reading Reed Slatkin dies of heart attack — Scientologist served time as major Ponzi schemer

Jon Atack puts us on the spot at the Toronto Scientology conference

CFITorontoThis morning, Paulette Cooper and your proprietor will be on the hot seat at the Scientology conference in Toronto. Jon Atack has asked us to speak about Paulette’s legendary harassment by the Church of Scientology as a way to discuss the Guardian’s Office and the Office of Special Affairs — the spy wings of the only church that we know of that has a spy wing.

In advance of our talk, Atack sent us out a questionnaire. We did our best to provide some cogent answers. So here we go…

Continue reading Jon Atack puts us on the spot at the Toronto Scientology conference

LIVE-BLOGGING: The Toronto conference on Scientology kicks off and we’re on the scene

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It’s day one of the Scientology studies conference that’s been organized in Toronto by Jon Atack, and we’ve already had a blast. Yesterday, we arrived and began hanging out with a stellar list of people who appear regularly in stories here at the Underground Bunker.

When, for example, do you expect to find Gerry Armstrong sitting with Hana Whitfield? Come on, this is amazing.

Continue reading LIVE-BLOGGING: The Toronto conference on Scientology kicks off and we’re on the scene

‘Book ’em, Danno’: Just for fun, L. Ron Hubbard’s fingerprints, revealed!

HubbardLAPDThanks to researcher R.M. Seibert and the MuckRock website, we’ve been receiving some pretty great original documents about L. Ron Hubbard and his family lately, some of which have never been seen in public or put online before.

Much of it is also very serious, and is having us rethink some of the historical record about Hubbard and Scientology. But also, there’s some fun stuff. Like the new file that came through Friday.

Continue reading ‘Book ’em, Danno’: Just for fun, L. Ron Hubbard’s fingerprints, revealed!

RFK Jr’s anti-vax activism hits lowest spot ever — with Scientology and the Nation of Islam

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[RFK Jr. flanked Thursday night by Dr. Brian Hooker, left, and Rev. Tony Muhammad]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. insists that he’s “pro-vaccine,” but his actions and writings say otherwise. However, even we didn’t think the once respected public figure would sink this low — peddling his anti-vaccine message at a Scientology facility Thursday night in order to alarm the black community of Los Angeles.

Continue reading RFK Jr’s anti-vax activism hits lowest spot ever — with Scientology and the Nation of Islam

LEAK: ‘Crappy stories’ about Scientology are driving more people to the church than ever!

Andres_Rodriguez3Andres! It’s time to take your final bow! Today we have the last section of the lengthy, secretly-recorded briefing that Scientology Sea Org official Andres Rodriguez gave to a gathering of Scientologists at an org recently somewhere in the United States.

Continue reading LEAK: ‘Crappy stories’ about Scientology are driving more people to the church than ever!

Scientology’s slush fund: Jeffrey Augustine takes apart the fictions of the IAS

IASWe’re privileged again to have another contribution from Jeffrey Augustine, who continues his deep dive into the underlying legal structures of the Church of Scientology. Today he looks at the fundraising arm of the movement, the IAS, that takes in so much money for the use of David Miscavige. How, exactly, does the IAS work?

 
Continue reading Scientology’s slush fund: Jeffrey Augustine takes apart the fictions of the IAS