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 Our old friend Nathan Baca sent us a hot tip last night: He pointed out that Brent Jones had defeated incumbent Democrat James Healey in Nevada’s 35th Assembly district in Tuesday’s election, and no one had really noticed that it meant a Scientologist had managed to get himself elected to public office.
There’s precedence for Scientologists to get elected. Sonny Bono, who served as a US Representative from 1994 until his death in a skiing accident in 1998, took Scientology courses, though he was careful to put “Roman Catholic” on official documents. Brent Jones was also cautious. He makes no mention of Scientology in his official campaign bio. But there’s no hiding his extensive involvement with the organization. Continue reading Scientologist (and Tea Partier) Brent Jones is elected to Nevada’s legislature
 Jeffrey Riffer Scientology leader David Miscavige has filed a motion to get himself dismissed from the massive lawsuit filed by the National Association of Forensic Counselors against Scientology and its drug rehab network, Narconon. But unlike the many other similar motions filed in the case, this is far from a routine legal document, and it includes a short declaration by the reclusive church leader himself. We told you recently about the NAFC’s interesting adventures trying to serve Miscavige, who was one of 82 defendants named in the lawsuit along with many people who work at Narconon centers and related entities. The NAFC’s lawsuit alleges that Miscavige and the other defendants were involved in a years-long conspiracy to misuse the logos and trademarks of the NAFC in order to make the Narconon centers seem more legitimate than they really are — and all in an attempt to sucker new people ultimately into Scientology itself. Continue reading RIFFER MADNESS: Scientology leader David Miscavige goes smeary in new court filing
 Let’s keep one thing in mind as we review, once again, why Tampa attorney Ken Dandar is facing ruination.
The only reason his bizarre legal situation exists is because two people died on Scientology’s watch. One was a young church member named Lisa McPherson, who died in 1995 of severe dehydration, several experts say who examined her autopsy records, though the church managed to wriggle out of a criminal conviction when it put so much pressure on the local medical examiner she caved and changed the cause of death. Continue reading Ken Dandar files another court appeal to get out of Scientology’s million-dollar noose
 We told you previously that one of the announcements Scientology leader David Miscavige made at an October 17 gala in front of a few thousand people under a giant tent in England was that he had plans for a new “Advanced Org” in Australia.
It’s a fascinating study in Scientology hubris. At a time when the church is shrinking, unable to attract people to the “Ideal Orgs” it already has, and with its drug rehab program Narconon increasingly under fire, Scientology doubles down by announcing plans for “Ideal Narconons” and new Advanced Orgs. Continue reading Scientology’s own plans show it paid $37 million for a building to serve only 87 people
We just spoke with Dani Lemberger, who let us know that he’s filed suit against the Church of Scientology in Tel Aviv.
“We’ve been working hard at it the last two years,” Dani told us by telephone from Haifa. “It wasn’t easy. It took time to find the right lawyer.” Dani and his wife Tami are suing Scientology for 3 million shekels, about $820,000. Continue reading Dani Lemberger, who led a breakaway Israel mission, sues Scientology for libel and fraud
 Just Saturday, Jon Atack was complaining about social scientists and their inability to understand how Scientology works. But there are academics who know their stuff, and at the top of that list is University of Alberta professor Stephen Kent.
Not only has Kent spent decades exposing Scientology’s abuses, he has one of the best collections of Scientology material in the world — and he uses it to educate the next generation of scholars. Among them is Susan Raine, who studied under Kent and has done significant work of her own. Continue reading Scientology and space opera: A new scholarly approach by Susan Raine
 Hey, it’s another Sunday and we have another set of Scientology fundraising fliers that our great tipsters have forwarded to us. We just love to share these items with our readers, who do such a great job of pulling out details and clues to what the church is really up to.
Over time, these fliers have given us a great chance to watch Scientology sink into its mad obsession with its “Ideal” projects as its membership dwindles. And this week is no different! Continue reading Sunday Funnies: Scientology is finger lickin’ good!
 Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He has a new edition of the book for sale, and for more than a year on Saturdays he helped us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts about Scientology that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet. He was kind enough to send us a new post.
We really have a treat for our readers today. It’s a major new piece by Jon Atack that discusses undue influence in Scientology, a controversial topic in social science that, as Jon says, some scholars resist. With extremism on the rise around the planet, we think it’s time for this idea to get more currency. And we’re thrilled that Jon chose the Underground Bunker to reveal his hard work in this new article. Take it away, Jon… Continue reading Jon Atack: Are cult members — like those in Scientology — unduly influenced?
 We hope you enjoy this momentous date on the calendar with lots of parties and costumes and treats.
We wanted to take this time to remind you about a person we admire greatly. Her name is Kate Bornstein, and we wrote a cover story at the Village Voice about her in 2012 when she published her masterful memoir, A Queer and Pleasant Danger. If you aren’t familiar with Kate, you owe it to yourself to read her book, and to see the new movie about her by filmmaker Sam Feder. It’s playing the festival circuit right now, and we found it to be a compelling and accurate portrait. Continue reading A reminder, this Halloween, that Scientology’s tricks tear families apart
 Mark Bunker has sent us another interesting clip from the many interviews he’s conducted for his upcoming documentary, “Knowledge Report.”
One of the things Bunker is documenting is the exodus of people who have left the Church of Scientology in recent years, many of whom grew disillusioned with church leader David Miscavige, but not with the ideas of Scientology itself and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Continue reading Scientology outside the official church: ‘I’m quite happy with the world the way it is’
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Our old friend Nathan Baca sent us a hot tip last night: He pointed out that Brent Jones had defeated incumbent Democrat James Healey in Nevada’s 35th Assembly district in Tuesday’s election, and no one had really noticed that it meant a Scientologist had managed to get himself elected to public office.
