Going Clear, Part 7

Going Clear, Part 7 summary: Wright unwilling/unable to judge credibility

Lawrence Wright attempted to use media pressure in 2009 to have the FBI investigate Scientology for “human trafficking.”  Rathbun details how he informed both the FBI (as its most prominent witness) and Wright at the time that what they were calling “human trafficking” was anything but human trafficking and that the FBI would ultimately strike out.  In fact, the investigation went nowhere and no charges were ever brought. Yet Wright in his book argues for sixteen pages how Scientology practices can be characterized as “human trafficking.”  A case of actual malice as defined by the Supreme Court would be hard to imagine. That definition is “publishing slander when one knew or should have known it to be false.”  Wright admitted to Rathbun that he (Wright) was more than a reporter when it came to Scientology, and that at the time of the FBI investigation he was going to use a story on Scientology to nudge or kick the FBI into action by shaming them.  Wright then uses paid “fact” witnesses, whom Rathbun demonstrated to Wright ahead of publication were paid witnesses, to “corroborate” his libel.  Wright literally told Rathbun “I don’t know what you mean by ‘evaluate the credibility of sources’”.