Inside Scientology Part 21

[>] "For months, my anxiety": Byline, June 2007, reprinted on Cooper's website: www.paulettecooper.com/scandal.htm.

[>] tasked with the theft: Testimony of Robert Dardano, City of Clearwater Commission hearings re the Church of Scientology, Tuesday, May 6, 1982.

7. DM.

David Miscavige is in some ways as enigmatic a figure as L. Ron Hubbard was: very little can be conclusively proven about the man, as he rarely, if ever, grants interviews and reportedly exerts tremendous control over all who know and work with him. As has been true for every journalist since 1998, Mr. Miscavige refused my requests to interview him and thus did not contribute to the information presented in this book nor in the original Rolling Stone magazine article. Piecing together his story, then, poses a significant challenge. For a broad view of "DM," his basic history, and rise to power, I relied heavily on the few stories that have appeared about Miscavige in theSt. Petersburg Times and the Los Angeles Times, notably Joel Sappell and Robert W. Welkos, "The Man in Control" (Los Angeles Times, June 24, 1990), Thomas Tobin, "The Man Behind Scientology" (St. Petersburg Times, October 25, 1998), and three stories by Thomas Tobin and Joe Childs: "Change of Plans" (St. Petersburg Times, November 15, 2009), "What Happened in Vegas" (St. Petersburg Times, November 2, 2009), and "The Truth Rundown" (St. Petersburg Times, June 21, 2009) . But my primary, and best, sources were Gale Irwin, DeDe Reisdorf, Julie Holloway, Mark Fisher, Larry Brennan, Dan Koon, Sinar Parman, Marty Rathbun, and several others who, in a series of interviews and many exhaustive e-mail exchanges, helped me piece together and confirm the narrative of Miscavige's rise and ultimate takeover of the church.

For background on the purges of the early 1980s, I relied upon these sources as well as on Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky and transcripts from the 1984 Gerry Armstrong case, as well as declarations and affidavits used in the 1984 case Tonja C. Burden v. Church of Scientology of California, et al. Alan Walter and Melanie Stokes gave me insight into the mission holders conference and the dismantling of the mission network. Larry Brennan provided an excellent, and overwhelmingly thorough, explanation of the corporate restructuring of the Church of Scientology, which I address in both the text of the chapter and in the notes.

To tell the story of the last years of L. Ron Hubbard's life, and the days immediately following his death, I relied on interviews with Julie Holloway, Sinar Parman, and Steve "Sarge" Pfauth, as well as on accounts from Barefaced Messiah and A Piece of Blue Sky, from Robert Vaughn Young's extensive write-up "RVY Update by RVY" (September 2, 1998, published on the alt.clearing.technology message board: groups.google.com/group/alt.clear ing.technology/msg/ac775c2dc5a0646c), and a comprehensive report of Hubbard's final years: Colin Rigley, "L. Ron Hubbard's Last Refuge" (New Times, May 29, 2009). The event announcing Hubbard's death was videotaped and has been made available on YouTube; I was also given a DVD of this event, and provided a description of it, by Jeff Hawkins and Mark Fisher.

[>] "a trusted a.s.sociate": "Declaration of L. Ron Hubbard," probate doc.u.ment of May 15, 1983.

[>] "It was the reactive mind": Thomas Tobin, "The Man Behind Scientology," St. Petersburg Times, October 25, 1998.

[>] "Don't ever feel weaker": Hubbard, HCO Policy Letter, February 12, 1967.

[>] This reorganization seemed like: Even though Scientology had a labyrinth of separate ent.i.ties, Brennan explained, the church had nonetheless been controlled "as if it were one big, international unincorporated a.s.sociation." The t.i.thes by lower organizations were sent to Scientology management in a fairly transparent manner that left little doubt as to where the money went. Because of this, "there was always a danger that management would be pulled into legal suits and other actions because of their obvious unbridled control of not only the lower organizations but of the money they took weekly at will," he said. The new corporate structure would, crucially, separate Scientology management from the organizations that were drawing most of the income, making it harder to pierce the myriad veils separating the smaller organizations and even the larger Mother Church from L. Ron Hubbard, who still controlled Scientology in absentia.

[>] "It lasted from about ten": Church of Scientology v. Gerald Armstrong, testimony given on Tuesday, June 5, 1984, case no. C420153, Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles.

[>] He liked to shoot: "Scientology: The Road to Total Freedom?" BBC Panorama, April 27, 1987.

[>] "I am not a missing person": Declaration of L. Ron Hubbard, May 15, 1983, Case No. 47150, re: the Estate of L. Ron Hubbard, Superior Court for the County of Riverside.

[>] "a small hardcore group": Atack, A Piece of Blue Sky, pp. 31718.

[>] "weren't white enough": Joel Sappell and Robert W. Welkos, "The Scientology Story: The Making of L. Ron Hubbard," Los Angeles Times, June 24, 1990.

[>] A few days later, Hubbard: Ibid.

8. Power Is a.s.sumed David Miscavige's ouster of Pat Broeker as anointed successor to L. Ron Hubbard has been one of the most contentious issues in Scientology history. For help in putting together a coherent narrative of this takeover, I relied on interviews with Dan Koon, Amy Scobee, Mark Fisher, and Julie Holloway, and the tremendous amount of information provided by Marty Rathbun on his blog and in several interviews conducted by Joe Childs and Tom Tobin of theSt. Petersburg Times.

A number of articles were crucial to my understanding of where Scientology found itself just after L. Ron Hubbard's death: Richard Behar, "The Prophet and Profits of Scientology" (Forbes, October 27, 1986); Richard Behar, "Scientology: The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power" (Time, May 6, 1991); and Joel Sappell and Robert W. Welkos, "The Scientology Story" (Los Angeles Times, six-part series, June 2429, 1990). For help in understanding Scientology's Religious Freedom Crusade and the Christofferson t.i.tchbourne and Wollersheim cases, I found numerous stories to be enlightening, notably Peter H. King, "Rally Against Huge Damage Award; Scientologists Cast Protest as Defense of All Religion" (Los Angeles Times, May 25, 1985); Mark O'Keefe, "The Church of Scientology Is No Stranger to Criticism" (Oregonian, September 26, 1996); Jan Klunder, "Scientologists Converge on Portland for Protest; Thousands to a.s.sail Award of $39 Million to Ex-Member in Suit" (Los Angeles Times, May 18, 1985); Bill Driver, "Scientology on Trial" (Willamette Week, May 30June 5, 1985); Alan Prendergast, "Hush-Hush Money; An Anti-Scientology Activist Said the Church Made Him an Offer He Had to Refuse: $12 Million" (Denver Westworld, August 14, 1997); Marita Hernandez, "Scientologists Vow to Demonstrate Until Damage Award Is Overturned" (Los Angeles Times, September 10, 1986); and Jay Mathews, "Scientology Winning in Court: Mainstream Groups Help Support Church's Fight for Legitimacy" (Washington Post, December 1, 1985).

For the story of Scientology's long road to tax exemption, there was no greater source than Douglas Frantz's Pulitzer Prizewinning article "Taxes and Tactics: Behind an IRS Reversal-a Special Report; Scientology's Puzzling Journal from Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt" (New York Times, March 9, 1997). For details of Scientology's controversial settlement with the IRS, my primary source was Elizabeth McDonald's article "Scientologists and IRS Settled for $12.5 Million" (Wall Street Journal, December 30, 1997), as well as the text of the IRS-Scientology closing agreement, "Closing Agreement on Final Determination Covering Specific Matters" (Wall Street Journal, March 25, 1997).

[>] "Power in my estimation": Thomas C. Tobin, "The Man Behind Scientology,"St. Petersburg Times, October 25, 1998.

[>] Miscavige made a side agreement: Declaration of Jesse Prince in Support of Mr. Erlich's Motion for Reconsideration of September 30, 1998 Summary Judgment Order, Case No. C-95-20091 (EAI), U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division. According to the former Scientology official Jesse Prince, who accompanied Miscavige to this meeting, Mary Sue signed this agreement under significant duress. As well as browbeating her, Miscavige also informed Mary Sue that L. Ron Hubbard hadn't mentioned her in his final months, leading her to believe that he didn't care about her at all.

[>] "I was kind of afraid": St. Petersburg Times video interviews with Marty Rathbun. The full interview can be seen online at www.tam pabay.com/specials/2009/reports/project/rathbun.shtml.

[>] "finally broke under the pressure": Ibid.

[>] "worked like a charm": Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin, "The Truth Rundown, Part I," St. Petersburg Times, June 21, 2009.

[>] "Of course, DM never provided": Robert Vaughn Young, "RVY Update by RVY," essay posted on the alt.clearing.technology message board, September 2, 1998 (groups.google.com/group/alt.clearing.technology/browse_thread/thread/973264cc2f3e7850/ac775c2dc5a0646c?#ac775c2dc5a0646c).

[>] "For the rest of my stay": Ibid.

[>] "n.o.body gives you power": Tobin, "The Man Behind Scientology," October 25, 1998.

[>] "continuously changed": Ron Curran with Jennifer Pratt, "The Other Side of the Looking Gla.s.s," LA Weekly, April 4, 1986. This article noted the presence of the wanted poster on the wall of the Los Angeles Org, offering $500 rewards for information on church "enemies."

[>] in the tens of millions: Scientology never paid its dissidents nearly the amount judges ordered. In virtually every case, Scientology followed up each judgment with an appeal, followed by an out-of-court settlement for much, much less than was originally ordered.

[>] "DM became infuriated": Jesse Prince, "No conscience, no church," post to alt.religion.scientology message board, September 29, 1998. Currently archived at www.lermanet.com/jesseprince.htm.

[>] denouncing Mayo as a squirrel: "The Story of a Squirrel," Sea Org Executive Directive #2344 INT, August 20, 1983. This directive was sent to the entire Scientology mailing list.

[>] the help of other ex-cops: Los Angeles Times, June 29, 1990.

[>] the defectors were "heretics": Though squirrel was the term most often used, officials referred to some defectors as heretics in the "Pledge to Mankind," the founding doc.u.ment of the International a.s.sociation of Scientologists, dated October 7, 1984.

[>] a "major religion": Curran with Pratt, "The Other Side of the Looking Gla.s.s," April 4, 1986.

[>] "He'll have a hard time": Joel Sappell and Robert W. Welkos, "The Scientology Story: Courting the Power Brokers," Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1990.

[>] "right to compete for converts": Jay Matthews, "Scientology Winning in Court: Mainstream Groups Help Support Church's Fight for Legitimacy," Washington Post, December 1, 1985.Jay Matthews, "Scientology Winning in Court: Mainstream Groups Help Support Church's Fight for Legitimacy," Washington Post, December 1, 1985.

[>] "Larry Wollersheim will never": Catherine Gewertz, "Scientologists Vow Never to Pay $30 Million Judgment," United Press International, July 24, 1986.

[>] "dissident group": Church of Scientology of California v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Docket No. 3352-78, United States Tax Court, filed on September 24, 1984. According to this decision, the "IRS established the Special Service Staff (SSS) to insure that dissident groups were not violating the tax laws." One of the ninety-nine groups the SSS monitored was Scientology.

[>] "selling religion": Ibid.

[>] "suck the blood": David Miscavige, "The War Is Over," speech announcing the victory over the IRS, delivered in Los Angeles on October 8, 1993, transcribed from DVD of the event.

[>] "But most importantly": Ibid.

[>] "cookie cutter suits": Childs and Tobin, "The Truth Rundown, Pt. 1," June 21, 2009.

[>] "the whole idea was to create": Douglas Frantz, "Scientology's Puzzling Journey from Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt," New York Times, March 9, 1997.

[>] "startling congressional hearings": Edward Mezvinsky and Bill Adler Jr., "Blackmail, Bribery, Corruption: The File on the IRS," New York Times, July 24, 1989.

[>] Miscavige wrote an editorial: David Miscavige, "Abolish Income Tax: We'd All Benefit," USA Today, April 16, 1990.

[>] the IRS definition of church: Church of Scientology International v. C. Philip Xanthos and 16 other agents, No. 91-4302 SVW, U.S. District Court in the Central District of California, August 12, 1991.

[>] Miscavige proposed meeting with: The story of DM's meeting with Goldberg, and all quotations allegedly reflecting his statements, come from Marty Rathbun's recollection of events, as told to the St. Petersburg Times for its Truth Rundown series, June 21, 2009.