Because I have it soft copy and because I feel it summarizes a lot of relevant information that should be easily accessible for readers of this blog, this is the text of the declaration filed in the Monique Rathbun case in Texas today. For some reason loading this into wordpress keeps messing up the numbering. It doesnt change any of the text.
DECLARATION OF MICHAEL RINDER
My name is Michael Rinder, I am over the age of 21, and I have personal knowledge of the facts stated herein, which I declare are true and correct subject to the penalty for perjury.
- I was raised in a Scientology family from the age of six. I joined church staff in April 1973 at the age of eighteen and remained a full time employee until June 2007.
- For most of the time between 1982 and 2007 I was a senior official in the Church of Scientology International (CSI), the so-called mother church of Scientology. I was on the Board of Directors of CSI from its inception in 1982 until I left in 2007.
- During the majority of the time between 1982 and 2007 I was the most senior official within CSI responsible for “external affairs”, meaning government and media relations, investigations and intelligence operations, as well as all litigation and contract matters. This function is performed by the Office of Special Affairs (“OSA”) and I was the head of OSA for most of this time.
- I have read Defendant Church of Scientology International’s “Anti-SLAPP Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s First Amended Petition” and attached affidavits of Allan Cartwright, David Lubow, John Allender, Richard Hirst, Monty Drake and Steven Sloat and I have also read Defendants Miscavige and RTC Special Appearances and requests for dismissal alleging this court does not have jurisdiction. I have relevant information concerning both of these efforts to dismiss this case.
Miscavige and Me
- Though a CSI employee, I answered directly to David Miscavige (the self-titled Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center or “COB RTC” or nowadays simply “COB”) and Religious Technology Center, either directly to Miscavige or through his representatives, primarily Mark (“Marty”) Rathbun and to a lesser extent Warren McShane and Mike Sutter. Even when there was someone who was administratively senior to me in CSI, they were senior in title only. RTC still directed my activities and I reported to one of the four named individuals above.
- I have more than two decades of personal experience working for David Miscavige dealing with the most pressing “external affairs” matters – from negotiations with the IRS to dealing with “attackers” and responding to media and numerous lawsuits. Miscavige has always maintained personal and direct control over situations he felt threatened his position of authority and power within the church or would harm his image. To facilitate this without subjecting himself to liability, an elaborate corporate structure was put in place to shield his involvement in direct actions, particularly those that are unsavory or could generate damaging PR or could drag him into litigation.
- I was selected by David Miscavige and brought to Los Angeles from Florida in April 1981 to participate in the purge of the “Guardian’s Office” which had been the arm of the church that had been responsible for “external affairs” but had been caught and prosecuted by the US Government for illegal acts. This in turn had engendered civil litigation which at the time was moving towards judgments against the church and threatened to drag Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard into civil and potentially criminal liability. Marty Rathbun was also part of this small group of people hand selected by Miscavige. OSA is heir to the role of the Guardian’s Office.
- At Miscavige’s direction, extensive and elaborate methods were employed to shield Hubbard from liability. After Hubbard died in 1986 and Miscavige took over, similar methods were employed by Miscavige to shield himself from liability.
- Miscavige is acutely aware of personal liability and carefully uses subterfuge to make it appear he has no connection to unsavory or potentially tortious or criminal activities. He talks on the phone or in person with no record to his trusted “lieutenants” about “sensitive matters” (such as anything relating to the “handling” of “attackers”, defined as anyone who threatens his position or the church through exposure in the media, on the internet or in the legal arena). If written communication is required it is not signed by him and gives no indication who it was written by. At times Miscavige even writes about himself in the third person (e.g. “this would impact COB” rather than “this would impact me.”) This is a pattern developed by Hubbard. Other times Miscavige instructs his lieutenants to issue orders in their name. This happened hundreds if not thousands of times where I would relay Miscavige orders to underlings in various Churches of Scientology around the world in my name.
- Miscavige compartmentalizes information – those who did not “need to know” were excluded from conversations or written orders. The majority of the time I worked under Miscavige, “sensitive” subjects, which included matters related to litigation, ongoing investigations or high level defectors were discussed ONLY with his most trusted juniors. On numerous occasions that meant only Marty Rathbun and me. He would tell others to leave the room, or he would step outside with us before discussing these matters. This was particularly the case when he wanted to discuss ongoing “investigations.”
- The “Case Officers” (usually Neal O’Riley, Ben Shaw and Linda Hamel, all former Guardian Office members) who directed PI’s and other operatives reported only to me, and I forwarded it to Miscavige, Rathbun, McShane and Sutter. The information they collected and activities they directed were kept segregated from even others in OSA. This is pursuant to the written policy of the church on how to conduct covert investigations and operations. (Some operations were so sensitive that Rathbun or McShane went directly to the Case Officers and I was not informed about what they were doing)
- Miscavige received a daily report concerning every legal case, every media action and every investigation ongoing in the world. I prepared this briefing each day, entitled the “OSA DR” (Office of Special Affairs Daily Report) and it was sent to Marty Rathbun and David Miscavige via an encrypted email program. The report had no indication on it who it was written by or who it was addressed to. There was a separate “Investigations Report” that I compiled with very limited distribution including David Miscavige and Marty Rathbun. The “Invest Report” contained specifics of all ongoing activities of Private Investigators and intelligence operations working for the church against “attackers”. This was delivered in an unmarked, sealed envelope with no indication who it was from or who it was to and is labeled “Secret — Eyes Only.” On hundreds of occasions David Miscavige specifically commented upon, issued orders concerning, and even micro-managed the format of the OSA Daily Reports. When I was in a different location from Miscavige, he would call me on the phone every single day first thing to direct what was to be done about matters raised in the OSA Daily Report (it was the first thing he looked at before even getting dressed when he woke up in the morning) and he would call me again at the end of the day to ask if there was any other “significant news”. Some days, if there was an investigation or legal case or media matter that he was especially interested in, he would call me several times during the day. All staff in OSA knew that phone calls “from COB” were highest priority and any meetings or other matters were to be interrupted to take a “call from COB.” Staff in OSA Int saw me receive literally thousands of phone calls from “COB.” When we were in the same location, I would be summoned to his office several times each day.
- Each and every OSA Daily Report and Intel or Invest Daily Report that was produced daily from 1981 to the present is filed both in electronic and hard copy form at OSA. It is long-standing, firm, unalterable Scientology policy that every report generated by OSA is faithfully and securely kept on file for eternity. The files are considered to be the mind of the organization.
Corporate Lines of Control – The Sea Organization
- In addition to the compartmented information and sensitive matters not being put in writing, an elaborate corporate structure is in place on paper intended to insulate Miscavige and RTC from any civil or criminal liability. I helped establish this structure starting in 1981, creating the different corporations of Scientology including CSI and RTC. This structure served three purposes: making a legally defensible structure that the IRS could ultimately grant tax exempt status to, creating an impenetrable corporate shield to limit liability to Hubbard (and subsequently Miscavige) and protecting assets from judgments by litigants by locating them in different corporate entities than those that were in direct contact with the public.
- In fact, there is no corporate separation in the Scientology hierarchy because the entire structure of Scientology corporations is completely subservient to the Sea Organization (“Sea Org” or “SO”). And that is under the unquestioned authority of its supreme commander, Captain David Miscavige.
- The Sea Org is a fraternity of the most dedicated members of Scientology. They pledge themselves to eternal service, signing a billion year “contract.” Sea Org members live in church facilities and have no life outside the church. The name derives from the late 1960’s when L. Ron Hubbard took his most dedicated and trusted followers to sea on a fleet of ships. Hubbard assumed the naval rank of Commodore and the naval traditions of rank and command structures became part and parcel of the leadership of Scientology.
- Everyone in CSI and RTC and all other senior organizations of Scientology are members of the Sea Organization. I was a member of the Sea Organization from 1973 until 2007 and as all Sea Org members are required to do, I signed a billion year “contract”, committing myself to an eternity in service of Scientology and dedicating myself without question to the Sea Org strict and unquestioned code of conduct.
- The real control of Scientology lays within the Sea Organization hierarachy. Every person in any position of authority in the international structure of Scientology is a Sea Org member. Every one of them is answerable to Miscavige. He uses a contrived title that makes him sound like a Board Chairman of a normal corporation. This is a deliberate ruse. He is really the most senior official of the Sea Org and as such has complete and unquestioned authority over every Sea Org member regardless of their “corporate position.”
- When Hubbard died in 1986 and Miscavige took over to “follow in his footsteps” – Hubbard’s rank of Commodore was retired. Miscavige assumed the most senior rank of “Captain.” This bestows upon him ultimate “seniority of command” and authority over everyone else in the Sea Org (meaning every person in any position of authority in Scientology no matter their corporate position). Internally in Scientology, even members who are not in the Sea Org refer to him as “Captain Miscavige” and he is identified in church publications accordingly.
- When this true “line of command and control” was brought up in litigation in the 1990’s by former Sea Org members, Miscavige went to extraordinary lengths to camouflage his control by appointing a number of other people to the rank of “Captain (brevet).” “Brevet” means “temporary.” In that way he was able to submit a declaration to the court claiming that because there were “other Captains” he was not in fact able to exercise sole control of the Sea Organization. That conclusion was false, though his assertion that there were “other Captains” was literally true but the other “Captains” were temporary and each understood Miscavige could take away their “rank” as quickly as he had bestowed it. And he did so. After that declaration was filed he subsequently demoted every person he mentioned, not a single one of them retained the rank of Captain (brevet).
- In Scientology, Corporate Boards are window-dressing. The members of the Board of CSI had no idea what their duties and responsibilities were. As the head of OSA and thus responsible for maintaining “corporate regularity” I would direct board minutes be put together and sent to the various board members of CSI and many different corporations for the “Directors” to sign. Many did not even read them. They understood they were merely a formality required for maintaining “corporate regularity” but it had nothing to do with their actual operations. Every member of every corporate board and all officers (including CSI and RTC) had signed undated resignations that could be activated by Miscavige at any time. So too have many of the corporate directors (myself included) signed false declarations asserting these corporations are real because as dedicated Sea Org members it is considered far more important to protect L. Ron Hubbard or David Miscavige than comply with “wog” (the Scientology term for non-Scientologists) laws which are considered worthy only of contempt.
- I was directed by Miscavige personally on many, many different situations from lawsuits that he felt were important, to meeting with key media, to visiting with government officials, to directly running private investigators and intelligence operations. In each instance the level of micro-managing Miscavige engaged in is hard to believe.
Miscavige Connection to Texas
- Out of literally dozens, if not hundreds of examples, I recount what happened with the Aznarans in 1994, primarily because they were Texas residents and the events took place in Dallas. Vicki Aznaran, like Mark Rathbun, was previously the “Inspector General” of Religious Technology Center. She was ousted by Miscavige and left the church and she and her husband filed suit against a number of church entities in 1988. Miscavige considered her a threat due to her knowledge of the power struggle he had been engaged in after the death of L. Ron Hubbard in 1986. Aznaran had taken sides against Miscavige and therefore she and her husband had become “enemies.”
- In 1994 the Aznaran’s called the church and said they wanted to engage in settlement discussions to resolve their lawsuit.
- Miscavige called me, told me in detail what he wanted done and sent me to meet with Richard Aznaran at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. I was instructed by Miscavige to secretly record the entire meeting so Miscavige could hear every word that was said. I covertly recorded my meeting with Mr. Aznaran as Miscavige had ordered.
- When I returned to Los Angeles, Miscavige listened to the recording and then directed that I set up a settlement meeting with the Aznarans in Dallas. He gave me very explicit instructions. I was sent back to Dallas with Miscavige lieutenant, and RTC staff member, Mike Sutter and met with Richard and Vicki Aznaran in a suite in the Adolphus hotel in Dallas. Richard and Vicki were “represented” by Vicki’s sister as they were dissatisfied with the lawyer who had been representing them (Barry Van Sickle) and they wanted to be paid directly without Van Sickle getting anything.
- I negotiated a settlement with the Aznaran’s over two days in Dallas. I was called by Miscavige at least every hour and had to give detailed descriptions of everything that had transpired and then received more detailed direction from him on what was to be done. As has now become standard practice in all Scientology settlements, we were required to get the Aznarans to sign declarations that could be used to counter statements they had earlier made in the course of their lawsuit.
- Sutter and I returned to Los Angeles. We worked in Miscavige’s office on the 11th floor of the Hollywood Guarantee Building (HGB) 1710 Ivar Ave. (which also carries the CSI address of 6331 Hollywood Blvd) in Hollywood putting declarations – favorable to Miscavige himself that Miscavige had dictated – into final form. We typed them up and submitted them to Miscavige for his approval. Miscavige then despatched me and Sutter back to Dallas to get these signed and to tell the Aznarans that if they wouldn’t sign them there was no deal and they would get no money. The Aznaran’s balked at signing the documents. Some modifications were made to things the Aznarans considered were too blatantly and provably false. Every change required approval from Miscavige via telephone. If he disagreed with the wording they wanted Miscavige dictated a different version to go back to them.
- Miscavige was also directly and personally involved in other matters I am aware of related to Texas. Private Investigator Monty Drake was used to gather information on Dell Liebriech in Dallas Texas. Dell Liebriech was the plaintiff in a civil lawsuit filed in Florida on behalf of Lisa McPherson who had died under church care. Miscavige had been personally involved in the administration of Scientology counseling (auditing) to Ms. McPherson and was extremely concerned that he would be implicated in the case. He, Marty Rathbun and I essentially relocated to Florida from 1998 through 2002 to work almost exclusively on the case. Miscavige controlled every single aspect of it, primarily through Rathbun and me – from meeting with lawyers and experts to responding to protestors and making statements to the press. Not a single thing relating to the McPherson case was done that was not ordered by him. Not a single thing happened relating to that case that he was not immediately apprised of. Not a single utterance was made to the hundreds of media who repeatedly inquired of the church about the case without Miscavige either dictating the words to be spoken or authorizing them. All intelligence operations against the McPherson family and their lawyers were conducted only at the direction of or with prior approval of Miscavige.
“The Hole”
- From January 2004 off and on through 2007, I was incarcerated by direct order of David Miscavige in what he called “The Hole.” This was formerly the building on the church “international headquarters” property in Hemet known as the “Int Trailer” as it consisted of two double-wide trailers connected by a conference room. Myself and in excess of one hundred other Sea Org members were confined to this building for months on end by order of Miscavige. This included all the other former “Captains” of the Sea Org, including those from CST and IAS, entities the church alleges are NOT under the control of Miscavige and RTC but ARE manned by Sea Org members and thus do in fact answer to his ultimate authority.
- We slept on the floor and ate all our meals within that building. It was literally turned into a prison, with bars on the doors and windows and a 24 hour-a-day security officer guarding the only entrance. Warren McShane was assigned by Miscavige as the “Warden” of the “The Hole” and he reported directly to Miscavige about the personnel and activities in The Hole. The only person anyone incarcerated in the Hole could communicate with outside the Hole was “Mr. McShane.”
- Virtually the only thing that happened in The Hole was efforts to extract “confessions” from people about their misdeeds and “evil intentions” towards Miscavige. This was done by “group pressure” – dozens of people screaming at you for hours on end, sometimes physical assaults, even torture, lack of sleep and food. I think everyone who was in the Hole eventually wrote self-incriminating “confessions” in an effort to prove to Miscavige that they no longer needed to be held prisoner. If the “confession” was not sufficiently contrite or dramatic, it would be rejected and the mental and physical torture would resume.
- During some periods between 2004 and early 2006 The Hole and its occupants were temporarily reprieved for no apparent reason. But after a while, Miscavige changed his mind again and The Hole would be put back into operation. In early 2006 it became a permanent operation until I left it in March 2007.
- Select people that Miscavige needed would be allowed OUT of The Hole to conduct specific activities for Captain Miscavige. On a number of occasions I was released from The Hole to deal with the media. Angie Blankenship and Laurance Stumbke were allowed out of The Hole to work on specific building purchase and design matters for Miscavige. Once several people in The Hole were despatched to retrieve (a virtual kidnapping) Clark Morton who had escaped and fled to Las Vegas. Another time I and several others were temporarily reprieved by Miscavige and sent by him personally to “pick up” the IAS (International Association of Scientologists) executives including “Captain” Janet McLaughlin, and bring them to “The Hole.” Though Miscavige and the church claim the IAS is a completely separate and independent organization, it is manned exclusively by Sea Org members, all of whom must answer to Miscavige.
- My last reprieve from The Hole was in late 2006 when I was personally ordered by Miscavige to assist Tommy Davis. Davis had been taken out of Celebrity Centre International (a church in Los Angeles) to work directly and only for Miscavige. He had become one of the “Miscavige henchmen” he always maintained to carry out his express wishes. No mind was paid to their corporate positions or functions, they all knew they were answerable to Miscavige and did his bidding. For many years, I had been in that position. Because Miscavige had put me and the President of CSI, Heber Jentzsch in The Hole, he had turned to Tommy Davis to deal with inquiries by BBC Panorama in pursuit of a story. But Tommy Davis was inexperienced with the media. Miscavige told me I was to work for Tommy as his “servant” and that I was to “lick his asshole.” But soon Miscavige was calling and texting me to report on what Tommy was doing. It was a standard pattern of Miscavige: for every “go-to guy” he had as part of his personal team of henchmen there was someone else who would report on the person directly to Miscavige. In earlier times I had done this with Mark Rathbun and he had done so with me.
- Davis reported to Miscavige hourly, and sometimes more often, concerning the BBC. If it was not a phone call it was Blackberry text messages. Many times the messages from Miscavige were in the name of his “Communicator” (Laurisse “Lou” Stuckenbrock nee Henley-Smith his personal secretary who was with him every waking minute) – she would even speak to Davis and me on the phone saying the words that Miscavige was telling her to say (he could be heard saying it to her and then she would relay it).
My Escape and Subsequent Harrassment
- After finally having enough of Miscavige’s physical and mental abuse, and participating in the lies he was perpetrating on the world, I escaped in June 2007. As a result of this all my family was ordered to disown me and “disconnect” from me. My wife divorced me, my children, brother, sister and mother (my father is deceased) all shunned me and do so to this day.
- After I spoke to the media in 2009 to confirm information they had been told by Marty Rathbun, I was stalked and surveiled by private investigators and representatives sent to my then-home town of Denver, Colorado. Miscavige’s personal attorney Monique Yingling and another attorney (Bill Walsh) from Washington DC, along with Tommy Davis and Jessica Feshbach were sent by Miscavige to attempt to ‘settle’ with me so that I would withdraw the corroboration I had provided for Mr. Rathbun’s interview with the St Petersburg Times. They attempted to use the threat of me never seeing or hearing again from my mother, wife, siblings, and children to force me to cooperate with their demands not to talk to the media. When I refused to be intimidated or paid for silence about crimes I had myself witnessed, I became a public enemy of Miscavige and the church of Scientology in the same fashion as Marty Rathbun. I have been mentioned by defendants in this case on a number of occasions, usually characterized as Mark Rathbun’s associate or co-conspirator. My wife (Christie Collbran) and I have been subjected to a similar campaign of harassment to the Rathbuns as detailed below. Neither me nor my wife have ever sought to counsel anyone since leaving the church.
- What I have done is respond to requests for information from the media, starting with speaking to reporters from the St Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times). I felt it was my obligation to make the truth about what goes on inside the church known. I have also been a witness for the FBI and other law enforcement officers who reached out to me and asked for my assistance in their investigations. As a result, the church has conducted a campaign of intimidation, spying, stalking and harassment against me and my wife and those I have worked with very similar to that conducted against the Rathbuns. Clearly its purpose has only been to attempt to intimidate me into silence as David Miscavige and his church did not like what I disclosed about their methods and activities. Unlike Mr. Rathbun, I never attempted to nor purported to counsel former members or apply Scientology to them in any fashion since my departure. What Mr. Rathbun and I hold in common is that we spoke out about what we witnessed. As a result, the same tactics applied against Mr. Rathbun have been applied against me and my wife by RTC and CSI following their longstanding practice of attempting to silence and destroy “critics.”
- Since 2009 me (and my wife) have been:
- Repeatedly followed and filmed by Private Investigators (including David Lubow),
- Harassed by “Squirrelbusters” (including Ed Bryan who was arrested while engaged in one of his efforts to harass me on a business trip to Miami),
- Had my garbage taken by church PI’s,
- Had surveillance cameras trained on my house from neighboring homes and from a specially constructed “bird house” in a neighboring property,
- Had friends, people I have worked with and for and neighbors “noisily investigated,” by Private Investigators working for the church,
- Spies have been sent to try and inveigle themselves into our lives,
- A house within sight of our home became the headquarters for Private Investigators watching us 24 hours a day
- I have been “tailed” by up to 6 vehicles at a time driven by Private Investigators wearing masks when I was in Los Angeles to see the FBI,
- I was followed by at least 2 cars the entire trip when I drove from Tampa Florida to Houston Texas,
- We have been met and hassled at airports after the church illegally accessed my travel plans,
- I have been followed to other cities by PI’s filming me including to Australia, England and Ireland as well as across the United States,
- My phone records have been illegally accessed resulting a letter from T-Mobile that they were conducting an internal investigation,
- Had phony postings about “Estate Sales” at my home put on Craigslist resulting in dozens of people knocking on my door starting at 6am on Saturday,
- My car was “keyed,”
- My wife and children have been followed to the supermarket, to the doctor and to the park,
- Numerous websites and publications containing false and defamatory statements about me and my wife have been distributed by the church.
- This is all in accordance with the pattern and practice of the Church of Scientology. Attached hereto are two of the key issues that are the “operations manual” of the church and David Miscavige in dealing with anyone perceived as an “attacker.” The most important sections are excerpted from each but the complete writings are revelatory and are ironbound and unbending policy of the church. The first details the operating principle of finding out what the person is seeking to protect and threatening that in order to “restrain” the “attacker.” This is often, as noted, the person’s job, but also includes family, particularly immediate family that the person feels a need to protect. The second gives some examples about how one can create scenarios that will cost someone their job by manufacturing false evidence against them.
1. These persons can always lose their jobs. These jobs, permitting them power to destroy, are valuable to them. This is A POINT OF VULNERABILITY.
2. If the person’s job is also not valuable to him or if he cannot be made to cost his job, something can be found which he is seeking to protect and it can be threatened.
A. COUNTER ATTACK TO OBTAIN THE REMOVAL OF THE PERSON with a product of DISMISSED ATTACKER.
B. If on test, A is not feasible, SURVEY TO FIND WHAT THE PERSON CONSIDERS VALUABLE AND USE IT FOR RESTRAINT.
Exhibit A 28 March 1972 COUNTER ATTACK TACTICS
Example: Gosh Porge is located as an antagonistic source in the Bureau of Mines. Study Bu of Mines. They frown on corrupt and bankrupt employees, it is carefully worked out by survey. Gosh Porge receives a check for 250 pounds from the Aluminium Company of America at his office for “tip off and patents sent” and “his wife” runs up fur coat bills at Harrods who sue and “a man in Soho” wants his 1800 pounds gambling debt and “a mistress” calls his boss and demands the return of her diamonds “Gosh borrowed” and as it keeps up, even Gosh Porge’s best denials won’t prevent his being sacked.
And “Legal areas” like lawyers are a point of hit also.
Without consulting Legal Bu Bish Smish is suing C of S for truckloads. Survey his attorneys covertly. One finds they detest “people from the City”, very prejudiced against money clauses. So City blokes start appearing on their lines for Bish Smish – will he win the suit? Broker wants to know can Bish Smish cover his margins?
City bowler hat beats up lawyer with an umbrella because Bish Smish said he was going to get the lawyer to sue him over the “blocks of stock” Bish Smish swindled. Keep it up. Soon he won’t have any lawyer!
Exhibit B 28 March 1972 INTELLIGENCE PRINCIPLES
Miscavige “Enemy” Handlings
- Anything that happens relating to “major attacks” on Scientology is micro-managed by Miscavige. Nobody else has the authority to call any shots on anything that could threaten his position. Thus, for example, in 2005 when the Los Angeles Times planned to do a story on Scientology, Miscavige directed every action, cleared all written correspondence (and wrote much of it even though it was sent out in my name), listened to recordings of the meetings I conducted with the reporters and spoke to me on the phone immediately before any meeting I had with them, during the meeting and immediately after. I would routinely excuse myself from meetings with the media to debrief to Miscavige. Between 1997 and 2004 often if I was recording a media interview Marty Rathbun would be sent along so he could be on the phone reporting in to Miscavige while I was being interviewed. This happened dozens of times. The last thing I did in the church in 2007 was deal with BBC Panorama and Miscavige literally micro-managed minute-by-minute with text messages, phone calls and numerous encrypted emails.
- The same pattern occurred with investigations into what were labeled “anti-Scientologists” like Bob Minton – who for a time was the single biggest thorn in Miscavige’s side. Minton is perhaps the closest recent example of someone Miscavige considered a similar sort of threat to his position and reputation as Marty Rathbun, though Minton was not of the same stature as he had never been an “insider” who worked directly with Miscavige for years. In fact, he had never met Miscavige.
- Nevertheless, because Minton publicly asserted Miscavige was involved in Lisa McPherson’s death and that he had physically abused his underlings, Miscavige micro-managed the activities of the church to put an end to Minton’s efforts. At various times Miscavige called me numerous times a day for updates on Minton. Otherwise it was daily for several years. For someone like Minton, or now Rathbun, Miscavige required detailed proposals from his underlings (myself, Rathbun, McShane or Sutter back then — whoever is filling our roles today) on the handlings to be taken. He in turn issued detailed orders and responses. All of this correspondence is maintained in a special department that maintains a complete, exact record, both electronically and hard copy of everything that is sent to or emanated from “COB.” These are considered to be the most important documents in the church and they are painstakingly filed and maintained. When I last saw them in 2007 there were literally hundreds or perhaps thousands of 3” ring binders filled with “COB (written) Orders” and transcripts of his verbal orders, briefings, conferences, discussions and phone calls.
- In 1999, Miscavige dispatched Marty Rathbun and me to both Boston and Los Angeles to meet with Minton. On both occasions he gave us special surreptitious recording devices so we could record the entire meeting and forward it to him.
- When Minton began picketing the church in Clearwater over the death of Lisa McPherson, Miscavige ordered pickets to be sent to his home in New Hampshire and also outside businesses he was engaged in. He also ordered pickets outside of Minton’s “Lisa McPherson Trust” office in Clearwater and at the homes of Minton associates including Mark Bunker. In my experience, the exclusive source of this sort of confrontation has been Miscavige. He ordered me personally to arrange a picket and march around the Clearwater Police Department and the St Petersburg Times in 1997 and was on the phone with me the entire two hours of the picket.
- The “Squirrelbusters” attack that has been used to harass the Rathbuns in Texas was conceived and instituted by Miscavige in 1984 when he ordered “confrontations” by the original “Squirrelbusters” at David Mayo’s facility in Santa Barbara. This was the beginning of the hostile “confrontations” that continue to this day.
- I was charged with the responsibility of locating people who would be willing to carry out such confrontations and harassment and brought in a man named Dennis Clark from Hawaii and a local Scientologist Jim Jackson. They in turn recruited others to join them. I reported on their activities daily, in person, to Vicki Aznaran in RTC who relayed the information to Miscavige. Clark and Jackson were instructed that if they were approached and questioned by anyone concerning their activities, including media or law enforcement officials, they were to claim that they were merely “parishioners” of Scientology who had “decided on their own initiative” to protest Mr. Mayo’s activities.
- In addition to the “confrontations” Miscavige personally ordered a full time investigation of Minton that would “find his buttons” and get him to stop complaining about Miscavige’s abuses and “stirring up trouble.” The investigator I assigned to this was David Lubow. I met with Lubow in Clearwater and briefed him (relaying specifically what Miscavige told me the investigator was to do). This included extensive surveillance of Minton and his family, investigating all neighbors and business contacts and being “in his face” at all times. Lubow’s reports were relayed by me to Miscavige as “Eyes Only” reports or when I was in the same location as him I verbally relayed them to his face.
2010 Texas Experience
- In April 2010 I flew to Corpus Christi, Texas where I was met inside the terminal by 5 individuals dispatched by Captain Miscavige to attempt to intimidate me and prevent me from meeting an old friend, John Brousseau (“JB”). JB had recently escaped Miscavige’s guarded compound near Hemet, California and made his way to Mark and Monique Rathbun’s home near Corpus Christi. Like Rathbun, JB was an extremely high priority problem for Miscavige as he had worked closely with Miscavige and Tom Cruise. Miscavige spared no expense to try to prevent JB from connecting with Rathbun and me.
- I had traveled to Corpus Christi with the express approval of the FBI (who paid my airfare) to determine whether JB was legitimate and to ask him to speak with the FBI.
- I soon learned that there were many more than those 5 people despatched by private jet to Corpus Christi that day. In addition to those 5 – Church spokesman Tommy Davis and three other church executives who at the time worked exclusively for Miscavige (Angie Blankenship, Laurance Stumbke and Bob Wright), Tom Cruise’s former assistant Michael Doven, Scientology actors Michael Roberts and Michael Duff, as well as several others from Miscavige’s personal entourage at the Hemet church high security base where he lives.
- Nobody other than Miscavige has authority to order staff from different churches as well as public Scientologists, to get on a private plane and fly to Corpus Christi to try and prevent JB from meeting with Marty Rathbun and me. The Corpus Christi Airport Police and local FBI agents ultimately arrived on the scene to ensure I had safe passage to leave to meet with Marty Rathbun and JB and subsequently accompany JB to meet with the FBI in San Antonio 3 days later.
- Over the course of more than 20 years I knew the level of situation that Miscavige insisted he call the shots on: Any international media. Any legal case that might directly implicate or involve him. Any significant negotiations with major governments (US, UK, Spain) concerning tax exemption. Potential criminal prosecution in the United States. Anyone exposing his dirty laundry and threatening his PR or position. Marty Rathbun fits into virtually all of these categories. He has been interviewed by major international media. He has been a witness for legal cases and provided declarations. He was one of the key witnesses/informants for the FBI investigation. And he has more direct, personal knowledge of the activities of David Miscavige than perhaps anyone else on earth. Thus, there is not a chance that any action would be taken concerning Marty Rathbun (or his wife) that was not either ordered by David Miscavige or sanctioned by him in response to a detailed proposal of action requested by him. Of that there is no doubt.
My name is Michael John Rinder. My date of birth is April 10th, 1955. My address is 808 Bentwood Ct, Palm Harbor, Florida.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed in Pinellas County, State of Florida, on the 3rd day of December 2013.
______________________________
Michael Rinder
MIke – THANK YOU again for speaking the truth about The Church of Scientology and David Miscavige. I do believe David Miscavige’s goose is cooked with these affidavit’s! I hope and pray Monique can persist all the way to the end…exposing the truth and saving lives! She could possibly be the one person (who was never a Scientologist) whose name goes down in History as the ONE that dismantled the cult and smashed its destruction into the History books!!
Mike,
Though many details have been mentioned before, reading this whole deposition of yours in the framework of Monique’s court case is so damn heart warming I can’t even find any other words for it. It has become a long term goal to see the little dictator wriggling in the claws of a good prosecutor, trying to save his blackened soul.
It appears this is a giant step towards some REAL THIRD DYNAMIC DE-ABERRATION (Org Series 18) with all of the ‘counter-policies and counter-Tech DM set.
I can’t help but see some hope and justice, after all, for the McPhearson family as well as for other families where death occurred prematurely or other sufferings due to injustice.
Thank you so very much for all of the work you have put into this.
Greta
Mike, you really are fearless.
My family completely supports all your efforts to clean up D. Mismanage’s crimes and diabolical actions. Your declaration, your blog, your helicopter showing how few people were at the Grand Opening of the SP Building,etc.. your willingness to confront all this evil crap head on is AMAZING and AWESOME. Thank you, thank you, thank you……
Thetapotata on 12/5 @ 4:47PM states that DM is a bully and a coward. I’ve personally witnessed that FLAG’s dept 3 and OSA terminals do the same. They act as bullies when surrounded by their cohorts but when alone they are absolute wimps and cowards….Kathy True of OSA, Alfonso Barcenas the Dir I&R, and OSA Int plant Terra Atkinson Baker to name just a few. The whole criminal cover up arm of DM comes right down from OSA and Dept 3 and plagues all of Scientology like a deadly cancer. They lead absolutely miserable lives destroying people, friendships, partnerships and families and if they continue with their ways are almost guaranteed to have long miserable debilitating diseases in later life.
Here’s an interesting observation. As a pretty well known chiropractor in downtown CLW for almost a quarter century prior to being driven out of town by OSA in the summer of 2012, I knew more people than almost anyone. One of the common denominators was that almost everyone, whether in or out of SCN or the SO has a HORROR STORY to tell. It’s almost one for one. Go figure!!!
I sure as hell was never going to give up my Grandson and my 3 Children. Family is everything and they will never take that from my wife, Dr France Carpentier and me.
I too believe that 2014 is going to be a GREAT YEAR for TRUTH and FREEDOM.
Once again, thank you for who you are and what you and Christie are doing.
Delete my prior comment–some extra stuff got on there–use this instead.
Mike, don’t worry about the “Miscavige was in Texas” issue. This is from their own website:
http://www.scientology.org/david-miscavige/churchopenings/scientology-dallas-a-new-church-of-scientology-in-the-lone-star-state.html?video=org-dallas_tour
Davey appears at the end of the video, and in slide 4; yes, Irving is in Texas, and that’s the Texas lone star flag you see there.
This was noted by his lawyers as being his only connection to Texas. A one day ceremonial appearance.
Thanks so much Mike for sharing this. I’ve often wondered how the judges who get thrown into the Scientology arena without knowing much or anything about it get up to speed. The church “policies” and shenanigans must leave their heads spinning.
Your affidavit was easy to understand and I learned a few things I never knew about the corporate structure of the ‘church’ (been following from the wog-world for decades).
The one thing that leaves me furious always comes down to WHY, Oh WHY, has our Federal Govt. not put a stop to it? IT being everything from infiltrating govt. offices (I’m sure that continues to this day), human rights abuses of every kind, fair-game, holding people prisoner, and on it goes.
If they could get Warren Jeffs and the FLDS, why not Scientology? I know they were damn close, but backed off.
PLEASE, let the hammer fall, sooner than later.
Thank you for your contributions. I hope that soon you and your family and the Rathbuns can live in peace.
Mike,
Thank you for posting your declaration here, as it was difficult to read on Tony’s blog.
There is so much one can respond to here. You have experienced much in your life. I respect your time and energy so I’ll keep it short.
In the RCS,(and out really) there is no “Bridge to Total Freedom”. Least of all, for Sea Org members. There is no sense of true self-determinism or personal integrity either. When a whole group has to unquestionably serve a moral degenerate, cult leader, what could be the result?
I’m so happy that you stepped away from that life and no longer empower a man who sees fit to torture his fellow human beings. The evidence of your defection is clear. The CoS is crumbling and will fail.
I’m also very happy that you made this blog for the public. It is a great service to people in so many ways but mainly, just helping them to get out of the cult is a wonderful thing. The fact that you are sticking your neck out to do this and take part in justice actions against the CoS says a lot about you. Not to mention all the grief you’ve had to endure in the process.
I wish you and your family many years of health, happiness and success. Peace.
Thank you for posting this. I think what you are doing is amazing. The fact that you are helping the FBI and Marty is also helping just pushes you both way up in my esteem .
Wow, Mike. What a great and complete statement. I read the facsimile copies in the earlier post and this was a lot easier to read for me.
This is a VERY clearly written BROADSIDE of Truth that I think will communicate clearly to the judges and be a big factor in sinking Mi$cavige’s ship of lies.
I liked reading this. As you said, you had covered much of this in the past, but here you put a lot of things together in a way that gives the reader a very clear perspective on the mindset of DM.
You have also given me a greater perspective of what you have had to deal with and how you ultimately dealt with it. I can barely imagine what it must have felt like after all those years of trust and loyalty to gradually understand that you were up to your neck in some evil shit …..and yet you somehow found the courage to extricate yourself from Mi$cavige’s cess pool with your integrity intact. Wow. And unfortunately at the price of being shunned by your own family. I hope that they someday will see the light and understand the love with which you took the actions you did.
Thank you for what you have done and what you are doing, for your honesty, and your humanity. You are a great person.
Mike Rinder – THANK YOU!! I must say I cried after reading the declarations from all of you! To now know the truth about what is happening inside Scientology whilst being a member and not understanding why my life kept blowing up (connected to a very evil and suppressive group) is truly appreciated! Your declaration was very well written and gut wrenching to know what you and Marty endured during your involvement with David Miscavige and Scientology!! I am sorry that you went through that but am grateful you are out and speaking up – so many people’s lives may be saved because YOU DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! I will use these declarations to disseminate the truth about Scientology and David Miscavige! Please
write a book after Miscavige is locked up – call it ‘Inside the Razor Wire of Scientology’!
Just have to comment, best to all. I have no crystal ball on how’s this is all going to come out, but maybe one more punch and the Black Pope goes down down for the count, he who cannot be named.
God, it’s interesting that I was trying to just comfortably go up the Bridge and all this rassamatas was going on behind the scenes.
Thanks Mike for a “clear” explanation of what was really going on at the time. I’m surprised there is not a hit squad out on you.
I read all the declarations on Ortega’s site. It’s unbelievable that this can go on in America. Hopefully this will lead to anti-cult laws.
For everyone who wrote one, that you escaped, survived and got your life going is a testament to the human spirit.
Mike,
Read your affidavit with great interest.
Yet as I wrote in an earlier post even though I’d been bonded for access to GO Dirs I’d never come across either of these two directives both dated 28 Mar 72 you’ve cited in your declaration.
To confirm this I went over to Mark Bunker’s site where he’s posted the whole Intel Course Checksheet and it is not there either.
See link:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/go/ic_conts.htm
Please if you would be so kind as to send me a copy to my email address so I can read them for myself. It would assist in my own personal research.
Thank you.
In defense of the Ol’man his usual directive was to uncover *actual crimes* of the attacker and then turn this information over to the police as per Project Squirrel.
Not make shit up!
To me the issues that you’ve submitted seems to me to be something that Jane or Mo would write.
Fact is that there have been forged issues and directives that the Ol’man never actually wrote or even approved. One perfect example is much of the Auditor Admin Series which were mostly BTBs that were released as “HCOBs” in the newer Tech Volumes.
Frankly I much preferred the days when there were separate issues i.e. those written by Ron and those that were written by others which were approved by the Board of the CSC as BTBs or PLs so I knew what issues to disregard if there was a conflict.
That said.
Very enlightening what you say about the Sea Org. In the beginning I objected to all control being taken over by such a paramilitary organization which allowed no civilian oversight whatsoever like for example WW.
If this was truly the Ol’man’s design then this was a gross error of magnitude on his part since the Sea Org operated on a complete bypass when Orgs seemed to be or were in fact actually being threatened.
One can see where this “top down management style” would eventually lead.
Aside from the fact that they operated with “Absolute Ethics Power” and we both know what Lord Acton said about absolute power.
Who knows maybe Ron had it in his silly head that such a “clean team”( as he calls them in RJ 38) was in no way corruptible.
Big mistake!
Ron admits to making the same mistake when he developed the Chart of Human Evaluation by going by his instincts instead of the chart.
Like as in the case of the great franchise debacle and creating that corrupt and contemptible step child of the Organization WISE. He sometimes didn’t follow his own damn advice.
Especially the ones about Horizontal Fast Flow.
Another point is that I don’t think the Ol’man was being disingenuous in any way when he established the original Scientology organizations.
He actually was trying to create a religious image of some kind which was considered acceptable by the powers that be who didn’t seem to want to accept the fact that Scientology was indeed a religion merely by its tenants.
I mean if this is so false then any guy or girl dressing up for a date is being just is false.
Ron by all means wasn’t perfect and I never thought he was but he did develop an incredibly workable technology even though organizing it lagged somewhat behind.
Thats my think.
Now I’ll put any disagreements I have aside to validate you for all your good work on this case.
I believe what you’ve written here pretty much guarantees that Miscavige will be compelled to make a court appearance in the near future.
Can we say subpoena?
I’m putting my natural cynicism aside here. Even though I have my own thoughts on dear Dave being a cats paw. It still makes me smile when I think about what he’ll be subjected to when he enters that court room.
That alone makes me smile 🙂
Yes although I don’t agree with much of what those Fucking Bunch of Idiots does I’m glad that they gave you and JB protection so that you could get him away from the clutches of that psychotic moron.
Again thanks for posting this and for all your hard work.
LR
Nelson Mandela’s inaugural address
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grh03-NjHzc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3NJwyzFlTE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HSahOZqYpQ#t=188
Mike,
I’ve watched Marty’s interview with the Tampa Bay Times where he describes a real turning point in Miscavige in 1999 because he was named in the amended civil complaint regarding the death of Lisa McPherson. This resulted in great acceleration of his mental instability. Above all things, he values his involvement from the shadows and not being in the line of fire. He is a Coward and a bully. It is very rewarding to see you take on the bully. The Helicopter, the plane and now the Declaration. He’s now living in his own personal hell (that he created.) The words “It sucks to be Miscavige!” have NEVER been truer.
PS: Mike, after ALL of that being said, I want you to know that right now I actually WANT to stand up, face a picture of you, applaud and shout, “Hip Hip, Hooray!”
What can I tellya 🙂
TEAM MONIQUE! HIP HIP HOORAY!
Ahhh, 2014 – its gonna be a good year!
Its true that, barring Mike’s inclusion of Hubbard’s OSA advices, clearly showing that any and all persecution actions of Miscavige’s are firmly rooted in Church of Scientology policy set down by the Founder himself long before Miscavige came to power, there is no new information in Mike’s or anyone else’s declarations.
That said, in capsulized legal form, singly and together, they pack one hell of a punch.
As to the LRH advices, I’m fine with LRH having his dark, vicious side as I’ve never been someone with a tremendous need to have an infallible, all wise, all pure, all knowing 3rd dynamc leader on a pedestal, religious, or otherwise,
In my life, I have only had the extemely unwise habit of putting my serious 2Ds on pedestals 🙂 but on other dynamics I’ve never done this and I’ve resented it when it would be required of me, even when it was Jesus, Moses, Mary, the Prophets, or God.
For example, as much as I was helped in important, life-changing ways by LRH’s various tech, it always annoyed me that we had to stand and face LRH’s picture and clap for him at the end of every course period. Was this because I was not feeling grateful to him for the tech? No. Almost always, I was feeling varying degrees of gratitude, affinity and respect for LRH! Yet, at the same time, I wanted such feelings to be my own private flow, and not some continually enforced, outward display. The truth is that no matter what wins I had on course, and there were many, I never ONCE stood and and clapped like that without inwardly cringing a little, with the thought of how cult-like this appeared, and wishing it were not necessary, and that I could just thank and acknowledge LRH privately, in my own way and in my own time.
.
I love most all of your comments, Aquamarine. And I share your feelings of embarrassment when being forced to clap for LRH. In spite of my respect and gratitude towards him I never could shake the uneasy feeling that we were in 1984 or some slave-labor camp, applauding Chairman Mao or the like. I frequently wondered if this tradition was actually approved by him or some brown nosing minion.
Also, as with you, I never cared that LRH was a flawed individual. I look at his life’s work and products and that shows enough for me. Do any of us care, when we cross a beautiful bridge, that the architect or builder were imperfect or even corrupt? What matters is that the bridge works.
“Do any of us care, when we cross a beautiful bridge, that the architect or builder were imperfect or even corrupt? What matters is that the bridge works”.
Bingo!. Thanks, Lordburg 12 (Your handle is intriguing, btw.)
Interesting that you note that the control of Scientology is from the Sea Org. I know people who believe that the reason there is no expansion in their church is because they think that the non Sea Org guys in charge at the local level are not telling the visiting sea org guys to get out of their church and stop enturbulating their public with their regging etc. I suspect it’s unknown to a lot of public just how much control is being exerted from the top. Many are looking for “SP’s” amongst them to explain the lack of expansion with no idea that the scene they are observing was created with unseen Sea Org control and policies that they are not really even aware of.
I really admire your courage and poise standing up to all of this and for filling us in with crucial information.
Don – Exactly right. Many of the old-time missions succeeding in getting lots of people on and up the Bridge until the SO and/or GO started to interfere. For a while some mission holders resisted, and when they finally caved the scene started downhill. Then the finger pointing and SP finding started and everything really went downhill. Then Miscavige knocked out the missions pretty much altogether. Now things have deteriorated to the point that public can be denied service at ASHO, AOLA, and Flag and never even told why.
I’d call it a tragedy except that we can now help people without much interference (outside the C of S), finally. But what a high price was paid and is still being paid.
Mike, you have been fearless, and thank you for that. And you will go down in the history books for “helicopter tech”. Oh man, that was just the best ever.
I already had stayed up too late, so I saved this read for lunch at work. Yes, most is info that had been published already, but the details about the micromanaging and binders of paperwork really add A LOT legally! Cheers, Mike! I adore you now as much as I loathed and feared you/Marty/etc only a few years ago. Thank you! Thanks go to Christie, too! You’ve both been doing so much more for the good of the planet than you ever could in the CoS. <3
Excellent clear deposition Mike! This does a lot to substantiate dm’s activity in Texas, not to mention his mental illnesses.
ooops…….I meant declaration.
Yes, all has been stated before – as you well noted – but this is more to the point and has a definite purpose.
I expect the Judge will be able to fully understand and estimate the stated facts, very likely he will. Then, we all will find out what actions he will direct legal-wise.
But the facts have been succinctly exposed, so, thank you.
Once again I quote Frank Zappa in a message to David Miscavige: “there’s no way to delay that trouble comin’ every day.”
Interestingly, Miscavige says that he does not run CSI. Then who does? Here are 7 international spokepersons:
http://www.scientologynews.org/contact
And here are 5 pages on the man who has nothing to do with the squirrel busters:
http://www.scientology.org/david-miscavige.html
Tell me what you think.
I wonder what the Mainstream media may be waiting for before running with it.
Mike, I understand that most of this document is a recap of information available elsewhere. I’ve read the books, blogs, and articles, I’ve watched the videos, interviews and programs. But reading this document really makes it ‘hit home’. I’m having two very different, very visceral reactions:
1) The CoS/Cult of DM scares the shit out of me. From a PR prospective to us never-ins, this doc is a guillotine with DM’s neck locked in place. The blade will fall, it’s now just a matter of when, not if.
2) As written by a man who has lived by the Tech of Scientology for almost all his life, and been through what you have, this doc forces me to believe that the Tech works. You are a stunning and irrefutable example of that.
Thank you.
Thank you Grace. And all the others who have said nice things.
As I have said before, I try to abide by a principle in life these days of doing what I think is right. It’s as simple as that.
Great to have all this information summarized here. Thanks for what you do Mike.
I believe a great book resides within your life’s experiences here. One that would be valuable to future generations.
Wow, Mike! That’s an action packed statement there, that is. Thank you so much for doing that!
I echo the sentiments of everyone who has posted here when I say this:
WHO’S THE SER-FAC’Y MOTHERFUCKER NOW, DAVE YOU LITTLE BITCH?
Can’t wait till the judge reads this!
Way to go, Mike Rinder!
I recognize that when you left in 2007, you started out in an impossible position.
There were very few “wins” for you, as even though you had been to the FBI – exactly what you should have done – there was no way to convince anyone that you had done so. A few people knew you had done so, but many others simply could not risk being fooled once again by you.
(I realize how that last line sounds, but that was the way it was)
Then there was the unavoidable decompression period where the last 30 years of your whole life had to be re-examined from a new viewpoint outside the cult mindfuck. This alone has stopped many others. But still you kept moving forward – despite all the impossibilities all around you.
And now I see nothing but possibilities everywhere for you. The possibility of the trust of hundreds of people who could not possibly trust you before, the possibility of a full and happy new life outside the cult, and even the possibility of justice for yourself and for others who could not possibly have achieved it before.
This is all your own creation – despite MANY reasons for you not to.
I do recognize the hardships you have faced, and the direction you are now headed in. And I really really appreciate all you have done, and all that you continue to do, to bring justice to those who have been harmed by Scientology.
Keep going man.
You had me at “helicopter”, but this declaration shows you have not even gotten STARTED yet!
Way to fucking go.
GO! GO! GO!!!!
Alanzo
Thanks Alanzo. We have had our differences. And I appreciate your writing here. You did not have to do so and I thank you for it.
Alanzo, THANK YOU for publicly saying this. I have had personal hissy fits of angry frustration at those who have not been able to view Mike (and Marty and others) as human beings who are experiencing their own personal processes in their own time frame.
I dearly long for a reconciliation and understanding among the many who are outside of the cult for their own reasons. Clearly, the most effective “weapons” against the cult are those lodged by former higher-ups who have escaped.
Mike Rinder is a brave warrior. Thank you for recognizing his role and for supporting him.
Lovely reading.
TY for support you have given a friend. You have had time to decompress and heal from the abuse and mind fuck you were subjected to.
Let us hope this statement, along with the numerous other corroborating statements will do some good legally.
MIke, I loved and admired you before. But now after having read the details of your deposition, I see a man who has incredible courage and integrity. To break free of the psychotic sociopath and decide to put a stop to his suppression and abuse despite personal danger and all the counter tactics and fair gaming that has been heaped upon you and your family…. it just boggles the mind. I can only hope to be half the person you are. What a shining example you are. History will turn and change because of your actions. That is not hyperbole, but is truth.
Mike – thank you so much for doing all that you do. You are an excellent speaker and writer and I can only imagine how insanely miscavige must react to your exposed truths.
I’m definitely here to help you anyway I can.
Mike, I can see you put some work into your affidavit. Even if you have said many of these things before, today it is a broad public doc that is clear, concise and an easy to understand story. I believe it will sway future judges, juries and other authorities that have an interest in human rights and the right to freely practice one’s religion. Many thanks from myself and others in the future that will benefit from your hard work.
Go Mike !
“There is only one way, really, to get into a state of living, and that’s live! There is no substitute for an all-out, over-the-ramparts, howling charge against life. That’s living. Living does not consist of sitting in a temple in the shadows and getting rheumatism from the cold stones. Living is hot, it’s fast, it’s often brutal! It has a terrific gamut of emotional reactions. If you are really willing to live, you first have to be willing to do anything that consists of living. Weird. But it’s one of those awfully true things that you wonder why one has to say it. And yet it has to be said.”
-L. Ron Hubbard
I am pleased that the spoken words of DM are meticulously recorded. When this is all done they will make a fabulous record and study of the decent of one man into complete madness.
Many hours of shredding needed now or big trucks leaving Hemet to
undisclosed locations.
Thanks Mike and your family (for giving you time to write it all). Very
detailed and comprehensive. This should help.
You would probably need a snorkel just to wade through it (assuming that there isn’t a major fire in the mean time, accidental, of course).
Oh yes – I agree. It was also interesting to me that the FBI wanted to speak to John Brousseau. They must have a huge “ethics” file on Miscavige. His own words on paper might sink him! Uh oh….is that the shredding machine we hear? Too late….too many witnesses have heard the words. Steve Hall once posted a comment with an improvised version of his instructions – to great approval of those who have heard him for real.
Don’t hold your breath. German Chancellor Kohl’s party regrettably shredded/destroyed information that would have served as evidence against them in a finance scandal. We’re talking about DM here, unless someone walked out with a copy I doubt there will be much to find when the time comes.
That is an amazing document. Factual without whining or hype. In fact, its damn understated. An avalanch of facts. How can this not bury Miscaviage when it comes to his efforts to avoid being deposed and eventually called in open court to testify?
Thank you sir, that couldn’t have been easy. You are a man among men.
I read all of the depositions last nite. I am not well versed in law. Will these now be documents that can be read by anyone involved in litigation against the RCS? By judges and also by people building a case, or defending a case?
My MUs about law are showing in that I called what are declarations “depositions”.
Aqua — a lot of people have made the same mistake. A declaration is a written statement and a deposition is oral testimony.
Got it, thanks, Mike.
Mike,
Wow. Impressive.
Thank you very much for telling the truth.
Sheer meanness coupled with unrestrained rage and a huge dose of psycho, that’s how every single person has described Miscavige. Such people always micromanage their own downfall. His micromanaging the campaigns against you and the Rathbuns, which is well documented, appears to be the start of that downfall. How ironic that the man who models himself on the “tough guys” of organized crime should be using the same tactic mob bosses use when prosecuted- “I’m not in charge, I’m in a wheel chair, I’m a sick old man. Go find the real Don and leave me alone.” Except, in this case, Miscavige has re-designed that defense to “I’m in the pope mobile, I’m only a religious leader. Go find the other guy who runs that church.” By the way, every time I hear Miscavige called COB, I am reminded that Frank Sinatra was called the Chairman of the Board.
I stayed up way too late last night reading every one of the depositions. The combined, factual assault on david miscavige’s lies is overwhelming. That the source of the criminality is rooted in miscavige’s orders is virtually indisputable. I say virtually because there is no doubt in my mind that HE and many of his minions will twist, contort and outright lie even under the penalty of perjury. But there is just too much truth in all your depositions. Way too much truth.
The confront of evil is often very difficult. You all have faced it head on. I believe a sociopathic little tyrant just shattered.
“I stayed up way too late last night reading every one of the depositions.”
So did I. It was better than any crime novel I’ve read lately!
Dear Mike,
As so many others here have said – well done and thank you for what you have done and are doing. Your personal fight has been way beyond anything most of the rest of us “ex’s” have had to endure. I know I would never want to experience any of that but you have endured it and continue to endure it and for that, I thank you.
I wanted to say this to the ex’s, True Believers and lurkers out there:
One of the things that plagued me for months after I started realizing that there was corruption at the top of RCS was how blatantly the PR Series and PTS/SP refs were being violated, especially the points of telling blatant lies to the media and how “SPs” such as Mike Rinder and Marty Rathbun were being dealt with. It just made no sense at all. I thought that the Int Mgmt PR people (like Karen Pouw) must be off the rails or receiving crazy directions because they just kept lying and issuing foot bullet after foot bullet, destroying the credibility of RCS in the eyes of the public at large.
The attacks I saw on video on Marty were equally crazy. This wasn’t what I read in the PTS/SP pack! Again, none of it made sense. Until the day that I found links to the confidential OSA references that they actually operate on. Until I found out that there are TWO sets of PR references – one for the public and one for GO/OSA operations. Then things started falling into place for me.
And it is an undeniable fact that L. Ron Hubbard wrote those policies, many of them long before Miscavige was anywhere near management/power lines. Hubbard was a paranoid maniac when it came to handling Church attackers. I can say this quite factually because his policies (like the ones Mike cited here) are obivously the product of a deranged, paranoid individual. It is undeniable. No usual, public Scientologist that I know of would want to be any part of those crazy OSA operations. Which is the reason they have to operate under such a cloak of secrecy.
Probably 1% of the staff in RCS are even aware that these policies even exist. They are such a closely guarded secret within the organization – way more than even the OT levels. And I believe the reason why is because these blatantly suppressive, covert op policies are far more damaging to Hubbard’s image than the Xenu fantasies. And OSA knows this. The few OSA staff and DM who run these ops are the TRUE SUPPRESSIVES in RCS. The rest are just sheeple playing follow the leader, who believe (like Mike said) that Hubbard was all sweetness and light and would never, ever dream of harming a hair on anyone’s head.
It would be a very very good idea to get ALL of these confidential OSA references out into the light once and for all. I’d never seen the ones Mike sited above. I found links via Anonymous and ESMB to other confidential GO/OSA issues and they practically turned my hair white. When I saw what Mike cited above, I was further shocked and I didn’t think that was even possible anymore.
Thank you so much, Mike, for all you are doing.
Is there a possibility that DM’s deposition could leave him open to criminal charges?
Very unlikely
It is unlikely the David will be deposed. Appeals will be filed. Delays will take place. In the long run, Monique will be able to name her price, in my opinion
Keep ’em coming.
Mike,
Thank you for confronting evil.
Well done to Monique, Marty, yourself and the other guys for “putting ethics in.” Exposing the wound will eventually heal it.
The sooner we get rid of DM, the sooner we can get back to the business of doing Scientology.
We possibly need to forgive Ron for some errors he made, but we shall never forget the heinous crimes committed by DM.
Very well put, Dani. Maybe I’ll move to Haifa soon.
Thank you again, Mike, for the great things you are doing.
‘Ron’ wrote ‘I made mistake but that day I recognized them I handled immediately’, and also don’t forget ‘if you have incorrect date you’re making wrong decision’. Anyway I thing you’re right, we need to forgive many things to Ron and the biggest one is that he didn’t make before his ‘departure’ a ‘public declaration’ and send it to all the media, Org. Franchising (Mission) and so on. In the testament he wrote with those ‘Trust&Trustee’ how should be the CoST organized and directed but he give to wrong hands the ‘Pat-David’ associations.
Thank you, thank you, thank you very much Mike for this Declaration.
Moreno
Bravo Mike! I wondered when you would put this information out there for the world to see! GREAT job!
Have you read the Truth RD or any of the 50 susbsequent TBT pieces? Or watched the BBC or Australian TV or read Marty’s blog or watched any of the videos Marty and I have done? There is very little new in this declaration. It simply summarizes a lot of stuff.
And there is more than enough in there to make a fine book, Mike. We hope when things settle down you’ll consider a book or a memoirs book.
Mike,
Thank you for stating that data again and so very clearly. The truth remains appalling!
Mike,
I salute you for standing up and writing this masterpiece of cool, unvarnished truth. It is devastating. Together with the other depositions a powerful effect has been created.
I got into scientology because I believe that truth has power. And by golly, the truth does have power. Well done and thank you!
Thank you for this and all you do.
This, along with all the other testimony is a devastating view into the mind of a sociopath.
Dave you should make your way out of the United States-this is not going to end well for you.
Wow! I’m sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks. Your courage, your integrity, your willingness to stand up for right and justice. I’m blown away.
Actually all of those making Declarations in this case. The story is now forever out there not just in books and blog entries, but in sworn court documents.
Mosey and Marty drew a line in the sand – it stops here – and the good guys stepped across and said “we stand by you”. Never been so proud to call a group friends.
Finally, I must say, Ray Jeffrey and his team are geniuses.
Big 1+
Wow! That was great. You are one kick-ass brave man with tons of integrity. Thank you for speaking out and standing up for the truth and what is right.
Your deposition and the others who were also deposed in Monique Rathbun’s court case is just remarkable. For years we have all been aware of David Miscavige’s evil underhanded actions and now we have the witnesses revealing the sordid details for all of us to see. Thank you for having done this.
Mike – awesome job.
Frontal attack…. right.
We instituted governments to prevent such abuses against it’s citizens. As I read your affidavit, I could clearly see COB and RCS R.I.P. grave stones… there is no place in our nation for a person or organization that is senior to our duly constituted government.
🙂
Desire Justice
In the vernacular, Mike, you’ve got a lot of chutzpah! Way to go, Mensch!!! It reads solid and true, especially with all the specific details.
Mike….integrity should be your middle name. 10+ write up.Hubbard talked about wearing big boots….you have them on my man.
Might I say, F*%$ YES! You have the back up and spiritual backing of thousands of folks out here. Keep fighting the good fight and exposing the truth. Thanks Mike for all you are doing. In my eyes you have more than made up the damage. We all understand that there is really only one way this is going to end. The truth will A-L-W-A-Y-S prevail. Keep going!
Sorry about the last post; the cat was walking over the keyboard.
Mike, I stand in awe of you; ou have incredible integrity. I really don’t see how the court will not allow a deposition of Miscavige. There are so many precise facts that Miscavige cannot deny without making himself an idiot. I may have glossed over it, but did you mention the wiener dog in uniform?
Reply
Mike you are one glorious bastard. I want to publicly apologize for any shit I posted about you in the past. I was wrong. Thank you so much for this wonderful entheta. I truly adore you.
Ditto, Patty………………DITTO.
Not to mention I will never be able to look at or hear another Helicopter in my life without chuckling about MikesForceOne.
Mike, a truly fine and professional work of communication, as well as an IMPORTANT and comprehensive statement of all these matters. My feeling is that anyone involved in this case or similar ones will be mightily educated about the facts by reading what you have created here.
Frontal attack indeed 🙂
Thank you so much for writing this. The new year looks brighter already.
Mike Rinder: The Antithesis of David Miscavige
http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/mike-rinder-the-antithesis-of-david-miscavige/
Reading these declarations really brings out the contrast with where you and Marty now find yourselves….normal marriages….brand new babies. You must really pinch yourself some days.
R.I.P — Lisa McPherson – February 10, 1959 – December 5, 1995
Thank you very, very much.
I’m sure Herr DwarfenFuhrer is right now needing His nappies changed on an hourly basis. 🙂
Very good statement!
As we say in our country: “it is solid as a rock”.
Thanks Mike for standing tall. This is what integrity looks like OSA – get used to it. Calm, honest factual truthful testimony vs obfuscation, lies, enforcement, enslavement. It really is straight good vs evil. Now let’s see if the American justice system is up to the challenge.
Thanks for helping to unwind the mess. Who knows, maybe this will be the pin prick that bursts the bubble.
Hats off. Well done.
Thank you Mike, this means a lot to alot of people.
Wow Mike,
What a write up. I really appreciate your integrity and all that you are doing!
Thanks Mike,
Great reading and very insightful. I feel this is the beginning of the end. Way to much damming information that cannot help but increase the bleeding.
As a former SO member its very much well known who’s in charge and if not him where does the buck stop? Your information shed some light on some things that happened to me a few years ago before my “declare” that never seemed to add up. My knowingness was that I was being set up for a massive fail and things that were going on in my business and personal life were very out of context to my normal routines and recent successes. I could of course never prove interference from the COS but after reading your deposition it reinforced that someone was out to ruin me. Having had many years of peace and calm and upstats (I even worked with some major celebs) I seemed to be meeting a lot of people all of a sudden counter intention to my future.
I can speculate that these things were going on and having not been of a high rank in the SO I doubted that I was a real target. I was on flag lines though and had started expressing some discontent. However after reading the LRH that was part of this deposition those were the exact tactics used against me. Today was a cognition day so thanks Mike. The onion slowly reveals its next layer.
Good Job Mike!
It was a great job Mike. But what would have made it more accurate is when you reveal the tactics of black ops for destroying enemies at the end- destroying peoples lives etc. It would have been more accurate if, instead of you saying it was church tactics, that it was Ron’s tactics. The word church is misleading. Churches don’t write policies of violent retribution. People do: Ron did.
And “Ron” isn’t a defendant in the lawsuit. Which is why it is “the church.”
Mike, never mind, you have done us proud! In fact SUPER proud! Your declaration, which has clearly been written with painstaking detail and meticulous care, will likely be felt with total dread, akin to the terror one might feel in a sudden, unexpected series of ground tremors, signalling the start of a massive landslide heading inexorably toward one, as it comes crashing down the nearby mountainside.
“No way to escape, no where to hide! It’s going to get meeeee!” ( The COB! )
Roll on, justice wheels, thy serving is at hand……
Thanks Mike for the clarification.
Brian, allow me to remind you that Ron Hubbard died in January, 1986. He certainly isn’t psychically controlling David “Darth Midget” Miscavige from beyond the grave – or is that what you believe ?
D.M. is no slave to Hubbard’s writings and the proof of that is on the Friends of LRH site page with the side-by-side comparison of Hubbard’s policies and technical bulletins with what D.M. has ordered and commands ( http://www.friendsoflrh.org/COBvsLRH/ ). D.M. does whatever he damned well pleases and Ron Hubbard’s wishes are not even remotely a consideration. Since he does whatever the hell he damned well pleases and routinely ignores Hubbard’s writings whenever it suits him, D.M. could just as easily ignore any of Hubbard’s more reprehensible policies at will.
The guy committing or ordering committed all this Evil right now, in present time, is David “Darth Midget” Miscavige and no other and by no other will than his own.
Michael A. Hobson
Independent Scientologist
Michael A. Hobson Independent Scientologist, I agree with you, sufficient for his day was the evil done by L Ron Hubbard. If everything done today by the Church of Scientology can be settled on Davey Miscavge’s narrow shoulders, it still won’t rehabilitate Ron Hubbard’s reputation. But really, what could?
Yes you are right Mike. DM is far more violent than Ron was. But the blue print for the violence is Ron’s. Bolivar, Paulette Cooper, Fair Game, ruin utterly.
Ron got DM to spit in someones face, had someone beat up.. DM was very very young man with violent latent tedencies. Ron nurtured that violence.
Ron is source of the philosophy of violence against enemies. He was a teacher. DM, GO were his students.
Manson never killed anybody. But he was the pied piper and inspiration of violence.
I know it is hard to accept. It is pure cognitive dissonance. But it is true.
One more thing Mike Indy Scio, through all of my time on these blogs over the last view years and restudying some of Ron’s writings I am convinced that Ron chose DM. Ron was not his victim. Ron was no victim. He was an orchestrating genius.
Bolivar reveals how power should be protected and how enemies shouls be delt with.
I paraphrase this line from Bolivar because I am still drinking coffee in bed: “It takes a frighteningly level of bravery to choosee vicious and incompetent underlings to protect power.”
What is DM? He is vicious. What else is DM? He is a truly incompetent leader.
If Ron is advising you to choose these qualities to protect power than it is obvious he would choose the same for himself..
He wrote Bolivar to protect himself.
If Ron’s philosophy was truly one of love, that philosophic environment could never have given rise to DM.
Ron passed his mantle to him because he was vicious.
If it isn’t in writing than it isn’t true. It is in writing. Ron tells us who he wanted to protect him in Bolivar. He got his wish.
Well done Mike. It must have been hard and yet one of the best things you’ve ever done. Thank you.
Thanks Mike for putting it into an easier reading format. Thanks again for writing this. The future sure look brighter with the new Declarations.
Thank you Michael. I’m glad you have given your declaration in Monique’s suit. I’m also very glad, as you note here, that you interviewed with the FBI and gave them the benefit of your personal experience and information.
As someone I knew said an FBI type told them: “The Red Headed Stepchild has given a 72 page deposition.”
Thanks.