Scientology Under FBI Investigation For Work Done For Tom Cruise: Report

According to a report in The New Yorker, the Church of Scientology is under investigation for human trafficking and using free labor -- in part, to service the demands of its celebrity icon, Tom Cruise.

After 34 years as a Scientologist, Hollywood screenwriter and director Paul Haggis opened up to The New Yorker in a super-sized feature, revealing secrets of the Church.

The allegations splashed against Scientology in the article involve David Miscavige, the head of the Church and close friend of Tom Cruise. Allegedly, he ordered workers to do tiresome, dirty work to customize a building, rebuild motorcycles, spend over a year fixing a boat and much more for Cruise and the Church.

Their compensation? Fifty dollars a week.

The financial impropriety allegations don't stop there, though. While federal law forbids the heads of tax-exempt organizations from receiving excess financial or material benefit, many ex-members say that Miscavige lived a very lavish lifestyle. He reportedly flew on chartered jets, wore custom-made shoes, had an impressive collection of expensive cars and motorcycles, and even had two chefs.

The investigation apparently centers on accusations of human trafficking and unpaid labor and the article explores the "reeducation" camps to which Scientologists that fail to live up to their religious duties are sent.

One former member, Bruce Hines, said that he was at one camp for six years.

"In 1995, when I was put in [a camp], there were twelve of us," Hines said. "At the high point, in 2000, there were about a hundred and twenty of us."

The Church, in a statement, denied the allegations, said that they knew nothing of the investigation and that it was completed without tangible evidence. Yet the reporter of the story says that two FBI investigators insist that it's still very much open. An AOL News report also says that the case has been closed.

The Church's press release reads in part:

The New Yorker press release and Lawrence Wright's profile on Paul Haggis, "Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology," released Monday, reported on an alleged federal investigation. The New Yorker was well aware the Church knew nothing of the investigation but had refuted the same claims based on a case already thrown out by a Federal Court Judge.

Nonetheless, The New Yorker irresponsibly used the same sources who were discredited in the dismissed case to claim an "investigation" so as to garner headlines for an otherwise stale article containing nothing but rehashed unfounded allegations.

For the entire article, click over to The New Yorker.

Comments

[Smitty8888]

09:35 AM on 03/07/2011

This is just another money making scam, like all organized religion.

[Nagarjuna]

04:33 PM on 03/20/2011

Scam, yes; Like others, no. In a class by itself.

[Jerry Staton]

05:02 AM on 02/24/2011

I wrote about this in my book "Hollywood, Satanism, Scientology, and Suicide," which was published in February of 2009. The fact that money from various non-profit Scientology organizations and labor provided by various non-profit Scientology organizations are used for the personal benefit of David Miscavige, Tom Cruise, other Scientology senior executives, and other Scientology celebrities (such as John Travolta, Chick Corea, and Priscilla Presley) was first revealed in an affidavit to Los Angeles lawyers by Andre Tabayoyon, a Scientologist for 21 years.

[Pippen]

12:44 PM on 02/22/2011

Everyone likes to "be popular" by bashing Scientology and whoever has anything to do with it. It's more disappointing to read the bashing than it is to consider a religious belief may be cult driven.

This is America.

You do remember why most of the passengers came to America yes ? Religious Freedom, some autonomy of life without persecution and oppression.

I tend to think you readers spend in ordinate amount of time focused on celebrity news and that's what draws you in closer and deeper. Sound familiar ? yeah I thought so.

You choose celebrities causes and people like they are your favorite football team or something, as though you know them. You don't know them.

Feel free to critique their entertainment contribution, their performances, their artistic expressions but additional comments about their religious choices just make you sound ignorant and foolish.

[Nagarjuna]

04:34 PM on 03/20/2011

Scientology is not a religion. It is a huge predatory business.

[billyen]

02:22 PM on 02/19/2011

The New Yorker profile highlights a type of social pathology that, far from being confined to Scientologists, is a ubiquitous feature of many contemporary so-called “religious” or “spiritual” organizations. Yet public discourse about the relative merits of any particular such group usually seems oblivious to this pathology. Why?

Though this is a phenomenon endemic to groups that use mystical traditions and founding myths to justify their authority over individual members, each time they produce results consistent with their authoritarian blueprints there is public outrage—AFTER a lot of people have gotten hurt and their bizarre ordeals have become the object of gawking and controversy.

American Guru, my book about the organization EnlightenNext and its founder Andrew Cohen, tracks the history and development of this phenomenon in yet another such “idealistic” group. To demonstrate how much EnlightenNext has in common with the Church of Scientology, I've written an article showing parallels which these two groups have in common, and which in fact a great number of authoritarian spiritual groups share.

You will find the article here: http://americanguru.net/news-and-reviews/cut-from-the-same-cloth/

[AtTheMoment]

09:17 PM on 02/16/2011

Jason Beghe calls Scientolgoy "destructive." Here's the video:
http://www.wikio.co.uk/video/jason-beghe---scientology-destructive-rip-5055273

[Tania Fernendez]

10:08 PM on 02/14/2011

Church of Scientology financed $30 million TV series "Kennedy"

Reason:

It believed that JFK has been reincarnated

Problem:

He is a South Asian Muslim in this life time

Source;

Post by Modern Shaman on Marty Rathburn blog:

http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/more-on-fed-probe-into-miscavige/#comments

About Marty Rathburn:

He is the second highest ranking person before quitting the Church of Scientology and its senior management cadre. He is widely seen on CNN- History of viollance; BBC- Secrets of Scientology; ABC Nightline with Martin Bashir; CBC Passionate Eye; Australian Boradcasting corporation - Four Corners and many more

[Robert Wiggins]

06:33 PM on 02/12/2011

I went into incredibly deep debt to "donate" to this organization. You are pressured and coerced into this by people who treat you like there is something wrong with you if you don't comply under the giuse of spiritual freedom. I "disconnected" from the "Church" some 25 years ago. Since then I have been continually harrased beyond belief. I have asked them not to call me, not to write me, take me off their mailing list All to no avail. They are sneaky and subversive in their efforts to trick you into conversation. Why can't they understand the term NO?

The "Church" is a sham. This organization is worth $millions while its members are coerced to work day and night for menial wages. Every penny an individual owns is expected to be "donated" to the "Church" for services. The small handful of wealthy members are treated like royalty because of the size of their "donations".

[Nagarjuna]

04:35 PM on 03/20/2011

I salute your courage.

[gfs5541]

05:42 PM on 02/12/2011

Hey! Tom Cruise says K.S.W. . . Abetly for the wage of $50.00 a week!

[roc-o-rama]

02:28 PM on 02/12/2011

If you want an eye opener on the COS just Google "Operation Clambake" it's a site where many former members post their life's experiences from with in. I was simply amazed!

[Fill F Fill]

12:26 PM on 02/12/2011

"The Church, [...] said that they knew nothing of the investigation and that it was completed without tangible evidence."

Is it me, or does this not make sense?

[aussiemum63]

03:53 AM on 02/12/2011

Why has it taken so long for the FBI to get their act together investigating 'The Church of Scientology' as so many people have been screaming for help for too many years?????

[ridehogz]

05:54 PM on 02/11/2011

I can only pray Tom goes down and stays away from making movies dumping more $$ to this crazed group of weirdo's. If you have ever paid to see one of his movies, your money is supporting this group.

[DanOLGB]

04:49 PM on 02/11/2011

"Miscavige lived a very lavish lifestyle. He reportedly flew on chartered jets, wore custom-made shoes, had an impressive collection of expensive cars and motorcycles, and even had two chefs"

How is any of this different from the Pope? It's just another typical pyramid scheme masquerading as a non-profit. Bring in members, take their money, have them recruit more members, take their money.. the only people that benefit are at the top of the pyramid.

[papau]

06:00 PM on 02/11/2011

The Pope lives a monastic life that is tied to his duties as administrative head of the church and interpreter of doctrine - travel is indeed by private jet and the clothes are those handed down by previous popes. No one - other than yourself - claims leaders - priests, bishops, deacons - live high on the hog.

The work of the church is to make the Gospel known to all, to help the believers as they try to do as Jesus asks ( not sure there is "what would Jesus do" equivalent question in Scientology), and to help the poor and disadvantage, as Jesus would,

Your comment does not make sense.

[Jo Haca]

08:02 PM on 02/11/2011

Not knocking the Pope or religion at all, but your comment is a little misleading. He's been seen in custom made shoes, Gucci sunglasses, and robes trimmed with ermine fur and gold buckles.

I don't think Dan's comment was all that far off.

[gwix]

07:49 PM on 02/11/2011

(1). That's not the way to defend Scientology, by pointing out flaws in another religion.

(2). The problems that Scientology has go way beyond a single individual's lavish lifestyle. The article has a great deal more in it than just that point.

[DanOLGB]

07:59 PM on 02/11/2011

Who said I was defending Scientology? I just don't see much difference in how most religions operate. The Mormon Church long laid off their janitorial staffs and expect the congregations to maintain their properties. Historically, that had been a job to help people who were otherwise unemployed.

As for papau, no, the priests, bishops and decons of the catholic church aren't living "high on the hog." That was my point. However, the Pope lives in a gilded palace surrounded by priceless works of art while sisters have to go on welfare when they retire because the church only takes care of them while they're in service. I doubt highly that clothes are handed down from previous Popes.

[ESullivan PolarisProject]

03:32 PM on 02/11/2011

Thank you for covering the important issue of human trafficking. Polaris Project is the leading organization fighting this issue in the United States. For more information, please visit www.polarisproject.org or call the National Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888.

[mininna33]

01:45 PM on 02/11/2011

Scientology now dominates the otherwise dormant downtown of Clearwater and seems to set much of the agenda, directly or indirectly. The streets of downtown Clearwater are filled with uniformed Sea Org members trooping from building to building, earning poverty wages while servicing Scientology’s wealthy public members who travel to Clearwater from around the world upper level courses unavailable anywhere else.Unfortunately, the city found themselves unable to fight Scientology’s mounting lawsuits and over the years have resigned themselves to the fact that Scientology is there to stay. How sad is this ?

[MikeLawson]

04:48 PM on 02/11/2011

Not just poverty wages, but less than 3rd world wages. Its abhorrent.