opinion
Last year, Scientology made headlines after one of its celebrity followers was convicted of raping women in the early 2000s. That '70s Show Religious Scientologist star Danny Masterson has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping two women.
Allegations mounted that more women were falling victim to Mr. Masterson and, worse still, that the Church of Scientology knew of and facilitated his ability to get away with these heinous crimes. Now, the defendants in this case have filed an amended lawsuit exploiting speech that was generally reserved for the mob.
Scientologists face a new battle, proving that they have neither benefited financially from the illegal activities of their organization and the rich and famous who fill their ranks. Let's take a look at the latest accusations against the well-known underground religion.
Forget about him
Lawyers representing the women who testified against Danny Masterson in the rape trial claim that Scientology, and specifically their current leader David Miscavige, should be indicted on mafia-inspired RICO charges. RICO stands for Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations and was designed in the 1970s to go after the mob.
RICO charges are imposed on organizations that engage in illegal activities such as bribery, fraud, arson, kidnapping, extortion, and witness tampering, to name a few.
According to the amended lawsuit, Scientology:
“…routinely and systematically engages in fraud, human trafficking, identity theft, and money laundering to fill its coffers and enrich its leadership.”
The lawsuit goes on to explain how these activities relate specifically to the rapes committed by Danny Masterson:
“Corporate Defendants and Defendant Miscavige closely monitor and protect their Celebrity Members.”
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In addition to the surveillance, the lawsuit alleges that Mr. Miscavige and the organization as a whole:
“…worked with Defendant Masterson to prevent sexual assault victims from reporting their abuse and mount an aggressive campaign of harassment against the victims once the sexual assaults were disclosed.”
The original plaintiffs in the case against Danny Masterson allege that the church surveilled them, harassed them and even killed some of their pets in an attempt to intimidate and manipulate them as witnesses against one of their celebrity followers.
Take him to the mattresses
The lawyers who filed the RICO charges against Scientology claim that:
“Many of the money-making schemes carried out by the Scientology Criminal Enterprise are criminal in nature.”
While evidence of the above has not yet been revealed, the lawsuit continues to highlight the appearance of witness tampering:
“While outwardly presenting itself as a respectable organization, the Scientology Criminal Enterprise has implemented a policy of intimidation of victims (and witnesses) to its crimes—whether or not those victims (or witnesses) are Scientologists—to keep Scientology’s crimes secret.”
There are even claims that Scientology has a policy for this very activity called the Suppressive Persons and Fair Game Rule. Regarding what is alleged, this rule states that if a church member or outsider attacks Scientology or attempts to destroy its reputation in some way, the protection the member had previously enjoyed no longer exists, and retaliation is permitted.
Actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini claims she was affected by the policy, due to her documentary on Scientology and efforts to uncover the truth behind the organization.
Her lawyers issued the following statement:
“Scientology’s policies regarding oppressive people and fair game are not religious doctrine, but rather old-school, mob-style tactics that have been modernized, amplified, and weaponized by Scientology’s far-reaching network.”
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Proving these claims can be difficult given the shroud of secrecy and devotion among the church's followers. However, the curtain has been lifted a bit on Scientology.
There is no doubt that the church has a tendency to recruit celebrities, which comes with a level of influence. Celebrity followers of the Church of Scientology include Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Elisabeth Moss, Kirstie Alley, Giovanni Risby, and Jenna Elfman.
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