Church of Scientology 'misused donations to fund David Miscavige's lavish lifestyle'
The Church of Scientology is facing a multimillion-dollar wave of lawsuits from defectors who claim that the controversial group misused donations to fund its leader's lavish lifestyle.
David Miscavige, the leader of the Church of Scientology and best man to Tom Cruise Photo: REX
7:09PM GMT 24 Jan 2013
A couple from California, who allege they were defrauded of $420,000 (£266,000), this week filed what their lawyer says will be the first of up to 20 cases being readied against the Church, which fiercely denies any wrongdoing.
Luis and Maria Garcia, of Irvine, who fled the Church in 2010, claim they gave it money for building projects that were never completed and humanitarian initiatives that were never carried out.
In a 35-page lawsuit filed in Florida, they blamed David Miscavige, the Church's charismatic leader for the past 25 years and best man at the last wedding of Tom Cruise, its most famous member.
"The Church, under the leadership of David Miscavige, has strayed from its founding principles and morphed into a secular enterprise whose primary purpose is taking people's money," it said.
The couple claims that funds are instead used "to finance the lavish lifestyle of Miscavige", to "stifle inquiries" into the Church's activities and to "intimidate members and ex-members".
They allege that less than half the $200 million raised by the Church to build its so-called Super Power Building in Clearwater, Florida, was spent on construction, and that the facility remains empty 14 years after being unveiled.
Meanwhile contributions intended for grand international schemes, such as eradicating child pornography, were "never utilised, vastly underutilised or misappropriated," the Garcias allege.
Theodore Babbitt, their lawyer, said that their case would be "the first in a wave" of lawsuits from disgruntled ex-members around the US who had contacted him and allied lawyers.
"I have been contacted by 20 defectors who basically have the same story," Mr Babbitt told The Daily Telegraph. "They are unhappy people. They want their money back, but they also want injunctions to stop the Church doing this in the future".
Mr Babbitt, a veteran lawyer in Palm Beach working alongside another in Miami, said that the ex-members preparing to take action had claims ranging from "$30,000 to millions of dollars".
The Church vehemently denies the Garcias' allegations. A spokesman described the lawsuit as the "frivolous" and "blatantly false" work of a repeatedly untruthful "group of apostates".
It also insisted that the Super Power Building was nearing completion and denied that any funds had been misdirected.
The dispute comes amid heightened scrutiny of Scientology following the recent publication of two books about its activities. The Church of Fear, by the BBC reporter John Sweeney, alleges among other things that its "dictatorial" leadership physically and verbally abused members.
Going Clear, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright, alleges that members judged to have wronged the Church were sent to a base in rural California to carry out hard labour in searing heat while wearing all black, in order to "confront their treasonous actions".
The Church aggressively denies such abuse by its leadership. It describes the so-called "rehabilitation programme" as a "completely voluntary" scheme encouraging "intensive spiritual introspection".
"The purpose," the Church stated in a legal letter earlier this year, "is to provide a 'second chance' to those who have failed to fulfil their ecclesiastical responsibilities".
Meanwhile contributions intended for grand international schemes, such as eradicating child pornography, were "never utilised, vastly underutilised or misappropriated," the Garcias allege.
Theodore Babbitt, their lawyer, said that their case would be "the first in a wave" of lawsuits from disgruntled ex-members around the US who had contacted him and allied lawyers.
"I have been contacted by 20 defectors who basically have the same story," Mr Babbitt told The Daily Telegraph. "They are unhappy people. They want their money back, but they also want injunctions to stop the Church doing this in the future".
Mr Babbitt, a veteran lawyer in Palm Beach working alongside another in Miami, said that the ex-members preparing to take action had claims ranging from "$30,000 to millions of dollars".
The Church vehemently denies the Garcias' allegations. A spokesman described the lawsuit as the "frivolous" and "blatantly false" work of a repeatedly untruthful "group of apostates".
It also insisted that the Super Power Building was nearing completion and denied that any funds had been misdirected.
The dispute comes amid heightened scrutiny of Scientology following the recent publication of two books about its activities. The Church of Fear, by the BBC reporter John Sweeney, alleges among other things that its "dictatorial" leadership physically and verbally abused members.
Going Clear, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright, alleges that members judged to have wronged the Church were sent to a base in rural California to carry out hard labour in searing heat while wearing all black, in order to "confront their treasonous actions".
The Church aggressively denies such abuse by its leadership. It describes the so-called "rehabilitation programme" as a "completely voluntary" scheme encouraging "intensive spiritual introspection".
"The purpose," the Church stated in a legal letter earlier this year, "is to provide a 'second chance' to those who have failed to fulfil their ecclesiastical responsibilities".
Important Person Since L. Ron Hubbard,' Says New Book
Posted: 01/24/2013 10:03 am EST | Updated: 01/24/2013 11:26 am EST
Tom Cruise is not just the face of Scientology. He is the church's most important member.
In discussing his book "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief,"author Lawrence Wright told E! News that "There's nobody more important in Scientology since L. Ron Hubbard. [Cruise is] the front of Scientology."
Furthermore, Wright says, "the whole goal [of the Church of Scientology] was to take over the entertainment industry and use celebrities as kind of a product endorsement for their brand." Indeed, some of its most notable members are household Hollywood names, including John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Juliette Lewis and Jenna Elfman.
In a previously published excerpt from his book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author mentioned that Cruise was considered the unofficial Ethics Officer of Hollywood since the mid-2000s. Wright also noted that Cruise told actress Nazanin Boniadi, who allegedly auditioned to be his girlfriend, that he is No. 3 in the church. The latest statement, however, seems to rank him even higher.
Yesterday, The Daily Beast took on the challenge of fact-checking parts of Wright's book, which the Church of Scientology claims are incorrect. Wright interviewed 200 Scientologists for his tell-all, though Karin Pouw, Scientology’s director of public affairs, claims only 12 of those interviewees are actual members.
The New York Post recapped some of the book's most intriguing content as well, detailing that "the ultimate aim of the religion is to reclaim the Earth and rescue humankind [from aliens]."
