Category Archives: miscavige lawyers

Scientology Inc v. Debbie Cook Update

Miscavige had his attorneys in on Saturday churning out juvenile threats in emailed letter form to Debbie and her counsel.  One in particular is of interest to all who donated to the defense.  George Spencer Esq of San Antonio Texas has warned that Debbie must preserve documentation of the amounts donated to her defense fund along with the names of all donors.  He threatens that he is going to compel the production of such and that he intends to collect damages from the fund – of course leaving Debbie defenseless. Apparently Spencer’s boss Miscavige is apoplectic over the fact that Debbie has managed to be represented by competent counsel.  And since, as will be made clear below Spencer is now given to reading my blog, a word to you Mr. Spencer:

Your attempt to cut off Ray Jeffrey’s office from being paid the minimal amounts he has agreed to take on Ms. Cook’s defense for, while being paid sickening amounts of blood money yourself by the cult, can be characterized best by one word: UNETHICAL.

I wanted to let those who have donated through my blog know that your donations to date are safe from attachment since they have already been paid to counsel.  Future donations will be similarly rapidly forwarded to their ultimate destination. Also, your identities are safe with me.  I am committing right here and now to defy any order from any authority to produce the names of donors.  I won’t do it irrespective of the consequences to me personally.  That is worse case scenario as we can find absolutely zero legal basis for Miscavige/Spencer’s demand.  But, in the interest of full disclosure, you all ought to know what Miscavige is up to with respect to the case you have so generously supported.

Oh yeah, Miscavige also has his San Antonio messenger boy threatening to collect damages from “anyone who conspired with defendants, or aids and abets them” (implying yours truly) for Debbie having the temerity to post a “Thank You” on this blog to all who donated, An Open Letter to My Friends by Debbie Cook.  That is in addition to claiming damages for Debbie’s having given sworn testimony in court on 9 February 2012.  That is right, they are in effect accusing the Judge of abetting tortious conduct in her court on that fine Thursday afternoon.

Miscavige, like his idol  the Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini before him, apparently staunchly believes that his rule is Supreme to mere courts and distractions like the civil law and constitutional rights.  Even when he is attempting to use those same courts to harass, intimidate and destroy those who have exposed his FELONIES to the light of day.

What is remarkable is that he is so out of touch with the 21st Century that he commits such views to writing, and that leading members of the Texas bar are so hard up for money that they’d forward such bizarre pronunciamentos.

Taking Liberties with Religion

When Mike Rinder and I first read accounts of the absurd statement David Miscavige’s local San Antonio counsel George Spencer read to the court on Friday 10 February during Miscavige’s Santa Annaian surrender, we both independently noted tell-tale signs that it was authored by David Miscavige himself.

Now that the transcript from that day of proceedings is in, those suspicions are pretty much confirmed.

One of the indications that the words came right from the pen of Miscavige is the back handed slander and libel of L Ron Hubbard and Scientology it invokes.

More than two years ago I noted on this blog – perhaps in the comments section – that Miscavige’s defense to the statements of me, Amy, Tom, and Mike about the Hole at Miscavige’s Scientology Inc heaquarters was out and out blaming his crimes on L Ron Hubbard policy.  The following are the Miscavige orchastrated responses to the original Tampa Times Truth Rundown series testimony to Miscavige’s wholesale aggravated assault & battery, false imprisonment and the psychological torture on par with Abu Ghraib prison:

Church spokesmen confirm that managers are ordered into pools and assembled for group confessions. It’s part of the “ecclesiastical justice” system the church imposes on poor performers.

The Sea Org is a “crew of tough sons of bitches,” said church spokesman Tommy Davis, an 18-year veteran of the group.

“The Sea Org is not a democracy. The members of it agree with a man named L. Ron Hubbard. They abide by his policies . . . and we follow it to the T, to the letter, to the punctuation marks. And if you disagree with that and you don’t like it, you don’t belong. Then you leave.”

And please hear Tommy’s channeling of Miscavige here, Tommy Davis Audio, pull up “a disciplined religious order” segment.

Well, February 10 2012 demonstrated that Miscavige has not changed his spots, and has made no ethics change – nay, he’s getting worse.  Same old same, only more submerged and covert.  Please read the following segment from the 10 Feb David Miscavige Surrender Hearing:

We’re very concerned that the defendants have used the Court proceedings to entangle this Court in fundamental ecclesiastical matters that need to be avoided under the First Amendment. Over a century ago our United States Supreme Court made it clear that courts must abstain from examining matters which concern church discipline. In fact, just last month, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the prohibition of judicial interference with religious liberties and the power to determine matters of discipline, faith, and internal organization in the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School versus EEOC. That was January 12th of this year. And the proceedings of yesterday were in violation of that. 

That is how David Miscavige characterizes a day of Debbie Cook’s testimony in which she described false imprisonment, aggravated assault and battery, torture, and kidnapping all carried out at the direction of David Miscavige.

 “Fundamental ecclesiastical matters”, “Church discipline”, “discipline, faith, and internal organization”, and – sit down if you are not already sitting – “religious liberties.”   In order to invoke the law Miscavige’s counsel has cited, the church must claim the conduct Debbie has testified to is mandated by scriptures of Scientology (legally defined as the written and recorded-spoken words of L Ron Hubbard concerning Scientology).

Never mind that Miscavige, not Debbie Cook, dragged the dispute (and thus the conduct he says doesn’t belong in court) into court.  Never mind that his factual nexus between L Ron Hubbard scripture and his unconscionable conduct can’t be made. Never mind that even if he could, the supreme court case cited couldn’t possibly shield the activity Debbie has testified to.  Do mind, however, what this sociopath is doing.

David Miscavige is having to spend a bundle of parishioner donations to get a guy with the reputation of Spencer to tell a court with a straight face that TORTURE, KIDNAPPING, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, STALKING, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND BATTERY are STANDARD L RON HUBBARD SCIENTOLOGY RELIGIOUS PRACTICES and thus off limits for the court to even hear, let alone consider.

Miscavige wants to spend the religious recognition capital we struggled decades for to protect his heinous, serial felonies from scrutiny.  More fundamentally, Miscavige – once again – wants to heave L Ron Hubbard under the bus.

Line in the sand, indeed.

An Open Letter To My Friends by Debbie Cook

Dear Friends,

On 31 Dec 2011 I sent an email that I hoped would help Scientologists around the world to involve themselves in the direction of the Scientology Religion and also to remind them that LRH empowered all Scientologists to do all they can to keep things strictly to LRH tech and policy.

I never spoke to the press and asked that it be kept from them. I also made it clearly known to the Office of Special Affairs that I had no plans for any further action and asking that our family, friends and business associates not be pressured to “disconnect” from us.

In response I received no communication from the Church at all, but rather every one of my Scientology clients was instructed to disconnect from me and my company was tanked. Further, my Scientology friends and family were contacted and ordered to disconnect.

Further still the Church of Scientology filed suit against me, demanding a legal injunction requiring complete silence on the subject of Scientology and $300,000 in damages.

The first part of that legal action occurred on 9 Feb, where the Church’s legal counsel asked of the Texas courts to legally silence me. They withdrew that filing the very next day after the court heard a very small sample of the physical abuse committed behind the closed doors of the International Scientology Base. But that was thanks to the 100% support of Marty and Mike and a few others very dear friends who were there to help guide us through this. It was especially due to an attorney and his team who came from the very heavens.

I have since done some press interviews, only with the intention of making it clear that these issues of duress and confinement are not based on the scriptures of the Scientology religion or the works of L. Ron Hubbard. They are the doings of an individual or a few individuals. And that Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard are kind and caring and good.

Before me now is the damages case, where DM will demand millions of dollars in damages from me.

But for now, the first battle was won.

And for this, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart each and every one of you who supported me through this time, my true friends. From the well over one thousand people who sent emails and letters of support to the hundreds of people who donated to my legal defense, thank you!

In my moment of need, many stepped forward. People I knew and people I didn’t. Scientologists in “good standing” and those who aren’t. And Scientologists with some real heart-wrenching stories to tell. And not just Scientologists, but people from all faiths and all walks of life who saw that a great injustice was afoot and stepped forward to help prevent it. And together in this first round, we prevailed.

However, this fight is far from over and if truth is to prevail, your positive support and help will make all the difference.

Please know who I am. I support L Ron Hubbard. I have seen L Ron Hubbard’s technology create many miracles. There is no question in my mind that Scientology books and lectures as written by L Ron Hubbard hold tremendous benefit for anyone who just takes the writings as they are and applies them. I have seen the lame walk. I have seen emotionally broken people renewed. I have seen relationships healed. And I have seen these things over and over and over again. Nothing could ever shake my belief in the value of L Ron Hubbard’s philosophical writings.

I will do whatever is needed to ensure that the Scientology religion moves forward into the 21st Century in the spirit of love, compassion and kindness.

So that is who I am.

At this time, I have more friends than I had before I made this stand, far more. And we have our integrity. And it feels damn good.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Debbie Cook

Where’s the Love?

Tony Ortega’s Open Letter to Tom Cruise

San Antonio Current: Scn Inc v Cook

Village Voice: Shane Kelsey case

Miscavige Surrenders at the Alamo

Latest from Tampa Bay Times: Video of Miscavige Surrender, attorney Ray Jeffrey and Debbie Cook. 

More coverage:

Tampa Bay Times Article and Video of Debbie’s testimony yesterday

Village Voice updates from inside the courtroom

MikeBoard1200 Twitter feed from inside the courtroom

Scientology Inc.’s explains decision to withdraw injunction

Tampa Bay Times wrap up of events today

San Antonio Express wrap up of events today

Village Voice: Debbie and Wayne speak to the press

Telephone interview of Ray Jeffrey on WOAI

International Business Times article

I will be adding links to the post as they become available. -Mosey

Scientology Inc. v. Debbie Cook Updates

Village Voice live updates from San Antonio courthouse.

Tampa Bay Times

San Antonio Express

Twitter feed  

WOAI Blog

Village Voice day one summary

Scientology Inc Plague

Here is the latest justification for a multi-million dollar shakedown of Scientology Public called the Idle Morgue scam.

Twin Cities – Think Big

Tens of millions of dollars for two new people a day?   Making it a total of five people of day to be avoided like the plague, denied a live comm cycle, and made to look blankly at Miscavige’s gaudy videos, and finally be blown off with a creepy impression of Scientology?

And to think, David Miscavige is suing Debbie Cook for having the temerity to object to this sick travesty.  And he has spent at least another couple hundred grand in parishioner donations already in an attempt to silence, punish and annihilate her for doing so.  In my opinion Miscavige has degenerated into little more than a cluster of escalating spending to cover up and  distract attention from previous crimes, which escalated spending constitutes more crimes which require further escalated spending to cover up and distract, and so forth and so on and on and on.  The closest analogy I can think of is the plague.

“Only Scientology Law Applies” – Radical Corporate Position

UPDATE SATURDAY A.M.:  VILLAGE VOICE WEIGHS IN

By Mike Rinder

At the same time Miscavige’s minions rushed into court in Texas attempting to enforce their unconscionable “contract” with Debbie Cook, they sang a different tune in Pinellas County, pleading that courts have no jurisdiction in matters of religion.

See the article by Joe Childs and Tom Tobin reporting on today’s hearing (which occurred coincidentally with the hearing in Texas):  Lawyer tells judge: “Only Scientology law applies.”

The Tampa Bay Times report is accurate and objective.

There is no doubt a great deal of law indicates courts should not intrude in religious matters.  But here, where the church has long proclaimed how fair and generous it is in returning money to dissatisfied customers, the new “policy” of refusing to return funds is being challenged and scrutinized.  Until fairly recently, the church lived up to representations made to the Internal Revenue Service to gain tax exemption that it was “easy” to get your money back.  But it seems there are so many dissatisfied customers that they had a change of heart, and are now refusing to even return monies on account while stating “if they had just followed the procedures they would have had their money by now” with a straight face.  I wonder what would happen if a bunch of SPs showed up at the FSO to “do their CVB Routing Form” – imagine the panic that would spread.  And if each brought a witness…. I think the FSO should be careful about what they say.

It was rather humorous to watch the church try to claim a 7 page fine print contract is “Scientology law.” Clearly, it was drafted by lawyers, not religious scholars, to be used in court and it even says so in the enrollment agreement.

But the most amazing position for the church to take is “tough luck pal, it’s our rules and if you don’t like them you can’t sue us.  Not for anything, ever, because you signed away your rights in order to participate in church services.”  But here, they didn’t even participate. No services were provided.

There is little doubt this will be a long battle.  The stakes for the church losing are a catastrophic run on the bank.  But fighting this will focus more and more media attention on the vulture culture and how far removed it is from what the IRS was told that convinced them to grant the church tax exempt status.

Miscavige is walking a tightrope while juggling and doing backflips in a high wind:  trying not to let a dollar out of his grip while at the same time defying what he personally told the IRS about church policy on refunds and repayments, while trying to use the judicial system to enforce contracts to protect his ego and out of the other side of his mouth protesting that his contracts cannot be enforced by any court.  Good luck with that.

His contradictions are not lost on the world and as he proceeds down his arrogant path of self destruction, they will catch up to him. He is convinced he is the smartest man in the world and he can play anyone and everyone for his benefit. The truth ALWAYS prevails in the end.

A tip of the hat to Bert Schippers and Lynn Hoverson and Luis and Rocio Garcia for stepping up to the plate and paving the way for justice and equity for many who stand in the same place.

Motion to Dissolve Restraining Order

Here is an objective factual, albeit partial, account of today’s proceedings published in the San Antonio Express News.

And here is the rest of the story.

In San Antonio, each motion in a case gets assigned to a random judge.  The one assigned to Ray Jeffrey’s motion to dissolve the temporary injunction today was not too keen on listening to Ray’s constitutional arguments when the full hearing with evidence on the injunction is set to be tried next Thursday 9 Feb. The one issue that did catch Judge Littlejohn’s attention was the potential effect of the overbroad temporary injunction being used to prevent Debbie and Wayne from properly preparing their defense for 9 Feb.

Miscavige’s (FSO’s) counsel claimed not to have any intention of using the temporary injunction to hinder Debbie and Wayne’s defense.  Then Mr Jeffrey pulled out the letter Miscavige’s boys faxed to Jeffrey the day before last.  The letter threatened the Baumgartens with a motion to have the court hold them in contempt.  For what?  Allegedly conferring with her legal team consultants and witnesses, namely yours truly and Mike Rinder.

The judge denied the motion to dissolve only after being assured by Miscavige’s boys that they would drop their attempts to use the court’s order to obstruct Debbie and Wayne’s defense preparation.  Back to the salt mines in preparation for the main event – Feb 9.

“Beyond The Pale Of What A Human Being Should Endure”

That is how Debbie Cook and Wayne Baumgarten’s attorney characterizes what Debbie was put through by Scientology Inc.

Tony Ortega at the Village Voice published the first interview with the Baumgarten’s San Antonio litigation attorney Ray Jeffrey.   As I think you will see from the article, Ray has the right attitude going into what may be the biggest legal war of his long career.

Ray has bent over backward to stretch his firm’s pricing standards to make his quality, aggressive representation available to Debbie and Wayne.  And while their defense will likely continue to cost 1/2oth of what Miscavige’s Death Star is pouring into this unprecedented assault on constitutional and human rights, Debbie and Wayne are going to need a huge support base to wage this battle with the beast toe to toe.

Mike Rinder and I both attest that Ray Jeffrey is the best possible man to have in Debbie and Wayne’s corner.  In fact, I don’t think there is anyone in San Antonio, or anywhere else for that matter, who better fits the bill.

For those who have made contributions to Debbie and Wayne’s defense, your donations are well invested.  You are very much appreciated by all of us.  To those who haven’t and wish to contribute, you can do so at Debbie’s personal webpage (see donate to legal defense fund notice in upper right hand margin): Debbie’s legal defense fund.

This is not going to be easy, but the line in the sand had to be drawn in San Antonio.