Scientology's Love-Hate Relationship
with the "SPOTLIGHT," Willis Carto & the "Institute for Historical Review"

Since all this discussion is basically about "The SPOTLIGHT," some of the most critical evidence in the matter needs to be presented. What sort of articles could a newspaper like "The SPOTLIGHT" have written that would be big enough to raise the eyebrows of the Church of Scientology International's massive Public Relations machine?


  1. **** 1994 ***
  2. .
  3. .
  4. 26- SPOTLIGHT October 3, 1994, Hate Germany Ad Campaign
    What follows is the exact wording of a press release issued on September 14 by the office of public affairs of the Church of Scientology International. The press release announces a new propaganda campaign by the church against reunited Germany. This is a continuation of a similar well-funded media blitz by the Scientologists in recent months in which they have repeatedly echoed myths about World War II history that have been thoroughly debunked by noted revisionist historians such as David Irving, Ernst Zundel, Robert Faurrison, Arthur Butz, Bradley Smith and others. [More]
  5. SPOTLIGHT October 3,1994. Facts on Usurpers at IHR
    The more information about the IHR controversy that emerges, the more convoluted the affair becomes. EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY JOHN HENRY
    An insider with the gang of conspirators who seized more than $1 million in books and equipment from the Institute for Historical Review (IHR) last year has revealed startling information. According to the informant, all of the legal bills the embattled group have incurred since their "terribly disloyal ... coup d'etat" (to quote their lawyer, William S. Hulsy) have been paid for by Andrew E. Allen. Allen, a wealthy investor and real estate speculator in upscale Marin County, California, has been identified as a deep cover agent for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in The SPOTLIGHT (Nov. 8, 1993). The ADL, in turn, is an unregistered agent for a foreign nation and operates illegally in direct defiance of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. [More]
  6. Church of Scientology International Office of Public Affairs October 5, 1994
    Willis A. Carto, Treasurer, The Spotlight
    Dear Willis,
    Please see the attached article that ran in the September 30th issue of The New York Jewish Week. Note, in particular, the nasty comments from ADL National Director Abraham Foxman, regarding the Church of Scientology.
    I repeat, there has been no Scientology/ADL deal. [More]

  7. *** 1995 ****

  8. 2- SPOTLIGHT October 2,1995 SCIENTOLOGY LOSES.
    In Denver, federal district court Judge John Kane has ordered the immediate return of computer equipment and other material seized by federal marshals on August 22 from the home of Lawrence Wollersheim, a leading critic of the Church of Scientology. The Scientologists had fled a suit against Wollersheim claiming that he was violating their copyrighted teachings by posting them on the Internet, but the judge disagreed. [More]
  9. 2- SPOTLIGHT December 18, 1995 BAD CHOICE.
    When the Church of Scientology decided to start picking on computer users who were posting Scientology materials on the Internet and on other computer bulletin boards, the Scientologists made a big mistake. Now "computer nerds" all over the country -no, make that around the world- are starting to hit hard at the Scientologists. According to Martin Poulter, a student at the University of Bristol in England, "The Internet is a haven for freedom of thought like no other. Scientology is the opposite." [More]

  10. *** 1996 ***

    2-SPOTLIGHT May 13, 1996 SCIENTOLOGY UNPOPULAR.
    The federal minister of the family in Germany has presented a paper on The Church of Scientology, saying the time has come to root out the controversial organization. "Hiding under the cover of a religious association, Scientology is in fact an organization with totalitarian tendencies that pursues dubious goals ... [More]

  11. 12-SPOTLIGHT July 8, 1996 What went on Behind Closed Doors When Scientologists and IRS Met?America is supposed to be an open society, but the IRS is keeping secret the details of its decision to exempt the profitable Church of Scientology from paying taxes. EXCLUSIVE To THE SPOTLIGHT BY DANIEL J. PILLA
    The need to defeat a greater cornmon enemy causes two mortal enemies to come together in a sudden and unpredictable truce. Almost certainly, such a union is struck behind closed doors and its terms never fully disclosed. This appears to be the case between the Internal Revenue Service and the Church of Scientology. For decades, the two were at odds, largely over the question of the church's tax exempt status. Suddenly, in 1993, there was a legal cease-fire. It is unclear why the two have come to terms. To be sure, the peace accord was forged in private and the IRS is determined to keep it a secret. Shortly after its founding in 1950 by L. Ron Hubbard, the church claimed tax-exempt status under tax code section 501(c)(3). In 1967, the IRS revoked the exempt status and began what turned into a 10-year investigation of the Scientology "mother church" and its related entities. The purpose was to determine its tax liability in light of the revocation of exempt status. After a final decision was made in 1977 the matter worked its way through the courts. It was found that the church indeed failed to qualify under the law for exempt status. In, the eyes of the law, the church failed the test for exempt status on several grounds. [More]
  12. SPOTLIGHT August 28, 1996-15 By THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF Federal Marshals Raid Critic of Scientology
    A populist activist also involved in active criticism of the Church of Scientology has been raided by federal marshals and had all his electronic equipment confiscated.
    Arnaldo Lerma, longtime populist activist and prominent critic of the Church of Scientology, had his computer, 400 computer disks, four hard drives, keyboard, mouse and scanner confiscated from his home in Arlington, Virginia by federal marshals accompanied by lawyers for Scientology. Lerma has been posting factual information on the church, of which he is a former member, on the Internet for over a year. [More]
  13. SPOTLIGHT December 2, 1996 -.9 Was Church Tax Exemption on Level?
    The day the federal government gave the Church of Scientology a tax exemption, some church members seized the Institute for Historical Review. Was it a coincidence? EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY JAMES P. TUCKER JR.
    A federal judge is examining some fascinating but secret papers, which may shed light upon events that led to the takeover of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR). [More]
  14. 10-SPOTLIGHT December 2; 1996 Scientologists Keep Pressure on Populist
    When this newspaper made a mis-statement about the Church of Scientology, a few letter writers demanded blood. EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    The Church of Scientology has placed The SPOTLIGHT in its gun-sight. The newspaper has received three letters from admitted Scientologists who claim this America first weekly is "continuing to labor on behalf of subversive foreign interests."[More]
  15. THE SPOTLIGHT, December 9, 1996 COURT SENTENCES SCIENTOLOGISTS.
    'Cult' Leader Tied to Death of Frenchman
    When powerful, secretive groups start forging high-level, behind-the-scenes alliances with the plutocratic elite, don't count on the controlled media to bring you all of the news you need to know.     EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT - BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    lf you were reading one of the nation's daily newspapers on November 23, you quite possibly could have missed a story that received major play in Europe. Yet, although the primary events of the story took place in Europe, it's a story that affects Americans in a number of ways. [More]
  16. SPOTLIGHT December 16, 1996 -3 'Church' Members Buy Foe's Identity.
    Can freedom of speech coexist with wealthy and powerful litigants? Groups targeted by the well-connected Church o f Scientology can expect the worst. BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) is out of business. It was driven into bankruptcy by the Church of Scientology. Beginning in 1991, Scientologists began filing lawsuits against CAN in what was obviously a harassment tactic in retaliation for CAN's evaluation of Scientology as a "cult." Now bear in mind, The SPOTLIGHT has absolutely no brief for CAN whatsoever. We know o£ the role that CAN played in stirring up the holocaust that engulfed the Branch Davidian church at Waco. [More]

  17. *** 1997 ***
    2-SPOTLIGHT January 6, 1997, YET ANOTHER HOLOCAUST?
    Germany has created a government office to coordinate its fight against the expansion of the Church of Scientology. Bonn contends Scientology is largely a money-making organization that seeks world domination. The International Association of Scientologists has funded a massive international public relations campaign against the German government ... [More]

  18. 2-SPOTLIGHT February 24, 1997, NOT BANNED, BUT...
    The Washington Times (which is owned by the Unification Church, a rival to the Church of Scientology) reported on February 9 that "a court in Athens recently ordered a Scientology center to close for offering 'dangerous and harmful' instruction to its members" and that "Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands are investigating the group." In Germany more than 30 German court rulings have held that Scientology is entitled to the same constitutional protections as any other religion, although the Scientologists still say they are being victimized by the German government. [More]
  19. 12- SPOTLIGHT March 3, 1997, Foreign Governments, U.S. Media.
    The mainstream media and Congress are looking at the Church of Scientology. EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    The mainstream media has begun exposing what some call "the dark side" of the Church of Scientology. This development could lead to an investigation of the sealed IRS agreement with Scientology which granted tax-exempt status to the organization, a decision thought to be potentially worth billions of dollars to Scientology's coffers. [More]
  20. SPOTLIGHT March 31, 1997 -13, Confusion at State Department Over 'Religious Persecution'
    It's too bad that Bible-believing Christians don't have the clout with the State Department that the Scientologists have. BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    According to United States law, America doesn't do business with countries that use slave labor to produce goods for export, nor do we grant Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to countries that persecute persons for their religious beliefs. Yet, of course, Red China has MFN, with the blessing of the White House and a majority in the Congress. It is no secret that in Red China, it is very dangerous to be a professing Christian.
    Germany identifies Scientology as "A greedy, cult-like organization, built on pseudo-science," in which "membership can lead to psychological and physical dependence, to financial ruin and even to suicide."
    Consequently, Germany has been warned by the State Department that it is persecuting a religion for its treatment of Scientologists. [More]
  21. SPOTLIGHT April 7, 1997 -31, SCIENTOLOGY BETRAYAL.
    Until October 1, 1993, the date the IRS mysteriously granted Scientology its tax exemption, David Miscavige, top boss of Scientology had all his lemmings out there fighting, the IRS tooth and toenail. Some of the faithful, such as Armen Condo, even went to jail for their zeal. Since Scientology got the tax exemption, however, the policy of the "church" has changed and they no longer fight the IRS. [More]
  22. 4- SPOTLIGHT April 7, 1997
    Impeach Clinton? This is the question that members of the Board of Policy of Liberty Lobby are now pondering. [ . . .]
    There was a time in the not too distant past that the media cringed and feared for its life when it came to reporting on the Church of Scientology They feared libel suits and other harassment from the church and from its membership, as laid down by procedures mandated by founder L. Ron Hubbard. In a word, the free press was terrified
    Today, however, the tables have been turned. Big media has lost its fear to report on Scientology. Suddenly the issue of the church's tax exemption granted by the IRS on October 1, 1993 is of major concern. [More]
  23. SPOTLIGHT April 14, 1997 -31 NEXT QUESTION
    In answer to the question: "Why the special treatment for the Church of Scientology?" I'll bet money its because the business is operated by the same people who took over the government of Russia, conducted the real holocaust in Ukraine in 1931-32, murdering about 6 million Kulaks, because they owned two cows, then ... [More]
  24. SPOTLIGHT April 14, 1997 -15, Avoid False Gods
    What do Liberty Lobby and the Heaven's Gate cult have in common? Both want a better world. And that's where both part company. Heaven's Gate cult members sought their better world somewhere in the sky -on a spaceship which they would board after committing suicide. Their trip was one of irrationality, pie-in-the-sky, if you will. They followed a leader who claimed to be Jesus and whatever he suggested they did, right down to the kind of clothes they wore, the food they ate, the beverage they drank and the work they did for a living.
    By following this leader they claimed they had found joy that was to last them for an eternity. They had no worries. [More]
  25. SPOTLIGHT May 5, 1997 -13, Former Member Blows Whistle on Cult
    A former Scientologist gives outsiders an insider look at a cult attempting "to save the planet." FIRST OF THREE INSTALLMENTS By REINHOLD SOMMERSTEDT
    Scientologists believe that the technical procedures they call 'The Bridge" lead to spiritual freedom. Scientology defines spiritual freedom as "the state of being a healthy, high IQ, self-determined individual." After spending up to hundreds of thousands of dollars and several futile years, many leave in despair. Anyone who disagrees with or even questions the Church of Scientology (COs) is declared a suppressive person. All Scientologists are required to disconnect from, that is have no communication with such a person. [More]
  26. 18- SPOTLIGHT May 12, 1997, Internal Power Struggle, `Mysterious'
    In his book Hymn of Asia, L. Ron Hubbard declared himself to be the successor to Buddha. Next, the COS launched a planetary public relations effort. If Buddha is God, than L. Ron Hubbard is God.
    SECOND OF THREE INSTALLMENTS BY REINHOLD SOMMERSTEDT From the beginning, L. Ron Hub bard set up his Sea Organization aboard a ship in order to be ready to leave port at a moment's notice to avoid the police. By the mid-70s the Church of Scientology (COS) had begun to realize a certain success. It then established Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida. From there a powerful elite controlled the Scientology organizations found in each major city. [More]
  27. 1O- SPOTLIGHT July 14, 1997, Fans, Associates of Rock & Roll's King Fear Cult Will Grab His Gold
    Elvis isn't alive -but he is speaking from the grave. One of the nation's most popular supermarket tabloids has taken off after the Church of Scientology.
    EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT. BY AARON LEIDER
    On June 24 the Church of Scientology took a public relations hit right between the eyes. The Star tabloid magazine, which reaches some 2.2 million weekly readers, published a sensational front-page feature story slamming Scientology. The story alleges the controversial church is responsible for the health and emotional problems of one of its church members, Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of the late singing star Elvis Presley, an American music icon. [More]
  28. SPOTLIGHT December 8, 1997 -13, Court Protects Secret Scientologist Deal
    Did a third party go to bat to, pressure the IRS into granting a cult a blanket exemption for profits from its far-flung business enterprises? EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY JAMES E TUCKER JR.
    A federal judge is sitting on information about a secret deal the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made with the Church of Scientology granting the global political body tax exemption as a "church."
    More than a year ago, Washington lawyer William ... [More]

  29. *** 1998 ***
    14- SPOTLIGHT January 19, 1998, Series of Deaths, Civil Trial Puts Scientologists in the Spotlight
    People die every day, but Florida authorities may take a closer look the next time a Scientologist is found dead. By THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    As the death toll of former Church of Scientology members grows, Florida officials are searching for a link between eight deaths spanning 17 years.
    By themselves, officials thought nothing of a handful of people dying. After Lisa McPherson's death put the spotlight on the Church of Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida, probers have began looking for a connection previously overlooked. [More]

  30. 16- SPOTLIGHT February 8, 1998, Scientologists Accused of Animal Abuse
    Would church members resort to killing pets to intimidate opponents? EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    Critics of the Church of Scientology are beginning to believe that the cult is now adopting animal abuse as one way of harassing its critics. Former Scientologist Arnie Lerma, now one of Scientology's most prominent critics, recently cited several instances which he and others believe can be traced to Scientology. [More]
  31. 12- SPOTLIGHT March 16, 1998, The Secrets of the Universe, Reprinted with permission of The Wall Street Journal Copyright 1998. Dow Jones Company, Inc. All rights reserved
    There's no particular reason for the world to worry about a smallish cult that believes invisible 75 million-year-old thetans are floating around our skulls. The search for the meaning of life in the vastness of the universe preoccupies most people at some time or another, though they usually find their way into houses of worship, therapeutic counseling or the local liquor store. [More]
  32. 22- SPOTLIGHT March 23, 1998, Scientology Skids on World Stage,
    Woes continue to mount for a controversial church. EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY JAMES P.TUCKER JR.
    The Church of Scientology is fighting for its life. Not only are law enforcement agencies around the world investigating suspicious deaths of church members, but the mainstream media has been probing Scientology's inner workings.
    Last month, George, the "in" magazine published by John F. Kennedy Jr., charged that in return for President Clinton using his clout to pressure the German government to curtail its campaign against Scientology... [More]
  33. 6- SPOTLIGHT June 1, 1998, LL 'Bankrupt' But Still Fighting,
    Here's the inside story on the recent decision by Liberty Lobby to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy laws. On May 13, 1998; Liberty Lobby, the publisher of The SPOTLIGHT, filed a petition in Washington, D.C. for protection under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy statutes. SPOTLIGHT readers can rest assured, however, all operations of Liberty Lobby will continue, including regular publication of The SPOTLIGHT. The circumstances that led up to the bankruptcy are quite unusual indeed.
    The bankruptcy filing was necessitated by unlawful efforts to seize control of Liberty lobby and liquidate it in an attempt to collect a large judgment rendered by a state judge in California even before the appeal can be heard. [More]
  34. SPOTLIGHT June 1, 1998 -7, Scientology, Liberty Lobby Discussed,
    Arnie Lerma, a former Scientologist was the first hour guest of Tom Valentine on Radio Free America (RFA) on Sunday, May 17. Lerma is now battling the cult via the Internet in an effort to show they are a "scam." Lerma told his personal story and added other facts from court records to make his case. He said he is trying to prevent other people from being caught up in the appeal and false promises so they don't lose everything to the organization that is bent on utter control over its members. [More]
  35. 2- SPOTLIGHT June 16, 1998, Cult Hazardous to Health,
    (A digest of significant news items that failed to appear in most of the nation's press.)
    ANOTHER VICTIM. Philip C. Gale at 19 had had a life of outstanding accomplishment. He entered MIT at 15 and at 19, when he killed himself, knew 20 computer languages fluently and was also outstanding in every field he entered.m [More]
  36. 24-SPOTLIGHT July 6, 1998, What's Scientology-IRS `Mystery'?,
    Will "reinvention" of the IRS include a probe of the Scientology tax deal? By ROBERT S. MINTON
    The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is undergoing major changes, according to Vice President Al Gore's new plan for the agency, "Reinventing Service at the IRS." After a 10-month IRS study and the Senate Finance Committee hearings last fall that revealed IRS abuses of taxpayers' rights, the Clinton administration seems committed to effect change in the agency Charles Rossotti is already in place as the agency's new commissioner, and new changes are on the way to improve customer service. [More]
  37. 14- SPOTLIGHT July 13, 1998, Former Member of Scientology Says He Was Deceived by Organisation.
    Few Americans are aware of it, but one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes pressure groups influencing the Clinton administration today is the Church of Scientology Under the Clinton regime, the Internal Revenue Service granted a highly controversial tax break to Scientology, first exposed by The SPOTLIGHT and now widely written about in -among other places- the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. [More]
  38. SPOTLIGHT August 17, 1998 -19, Cult Defector Sues
    , A disillusioned Scientologist is in court making charges and looking for restitution. By THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    Former Scientology "celebrity" member Michael P. Pattinson has filed a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles federal court. The suit is Pattinson v. Church of Scientology International, Case No. 9&3985. After spending more than $500,000 to improve himself and discover the secrets of the universe since 1973, after 25 years and after reaching the cult's highest level, OT VIII, he realized that he had been defrauded.
    In addition to being a paying customer, Pattinson was also a staff member and worked hard to draw others into the cult. [More]
  39. 2- SPOTLIGHT .: September 28; 1998, NO DEAL.
    The city commissioners of Clearwater, Florida, have rejected a settlement that would have ended a four-year legal battle with the Church of Scientology. The deal concerned a federal lawsuit between the city and the group over the future of 40 boxes of intelligence files on Scientology gathered by Clearwater police for 13 years in the 1980s and 1990s. The deal fell apart over an unusual provision that would have required the police to notify the group's lawyers immediately by phone or fax when anyone requested the records. [More
  40. 18 - SPOTLIGHT October 26, 1998, Secret Coup Inside Scientology
    Number 36 October 15, 1998 IHR UPDATE is a temporary and irregular feature for SPOTLIGHT readers interested in facts surrounding the ongoing controversy resulting from the bizarre takeover of the Institute for Historical Review. The story of the takeover of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR) has been bizarre from the start. Now, eye-opening new evidence has emerged pointing further toward a secret alliance between the Anti­Defamation League (ADL) and the Church of Scientology that led to the evisceration of the IHR and the ongoing campaign to destroy Liberty Lobby that evolved from the coup that wrecked the IHR. [More]
  41. 20- SPOTLIGHT, November 30, 1998, Scientology Charged in Suspicious Death.
    There's both good news and bad news for the Church of Scientology in a criminal case arising from the strange death of a dissident church member. EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY H. B. CODIER
    CLEARWATER, Florida- On Nov. 13, Bernie McCabe, the state attorney for Pasco and Pinellas counties, Florida, filed felony criminal charges against the Flag Service Organization -the so-called "elite corps" of the Church of Scientology.
    The organization has been charged with abuse or neglect of a disabled adult and with the unauthorized practice of medicine in a case stemming from the Dec. 5, 1995, death of long-time Scientologist Lisa McPherson. [More]
  42. SPOTLIGHT December 2, 1998 -11, Institution, Slander Germans
    According to The SPOTLIGHT subscription department, only one of the writers had a subscription, and it had expired months earlier. The Church of Scientology has a long history of attacking those willing to print the truth about it.
    For example, Time was sued for libel, claiming $187 million in damages, after it called the church a dangerous cult of greed and power. David Miscavige, the top boss of; Scientology, ordered church members to buy up or destroy all copies of that May 6, 1991 issue.
    The magazine won the case earlier this year, but had to spend five years worth of lawyers' fees to claim victory. Germany has been the butt of a Scientologist smear [More]
  43. SPOTLIGHT December 30, 1998-3, Florida Cultist Found Dead
    It's happened before: members of the Church of Scientology who have conflicts with the church often meet strange and tragic ends. BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    A murder investigation has been launched into the mysterious death of a Florida-based Church of Scientology member who -according to family and close friends- was desperate to leave the cult.
    "The Clearwater Police Department doesn't think she died of natural causes," said police spokesman Wayne Shelor of Lisa McPherson who had spent half of her life as a Scientologist. [More]

  44. *** 1999 ****

    SPOTLIGHT February 22, 1999 - 19, E-METER
    Could you do a more extensive article on Scientology's E-meter pictured on page 13 of the Jan. 25 SPOTLIGHT? How does it work electronically? And how does it affect the brain? Does it have to make contact with you, or can it send signals through the air, etc?
    JOE BAUMHAFT Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
    (The e-meter used by Scientology is nothing but a very simple polygraph, the "lie detector" used by law enforcement agencies everywhere. The e-meter measures only Galvanic skin changes. [More]
  45. SPOTLIGHT March 16, 1999 -13, EDITORIAL - VICTORY FOR TRUTH
    When this populist newspaper first started asking questions about a secret deal between the IRS and a cult known as the Church of Scientology, we knew we were in for the usual charges of "bigotry" and "extremism." What we didn't expect was the wholehearted support and agreement of one of the bastions of the mainstream media, the Wall Street Journal. [More]
  46. 22-SPOTLIGHT March 22, 1999. IHR Update Number 38 March 11, 1999
    IHR UPDATE is a temporary and irregular feature for SPOTLIGHT readers interested in facts surrounding the on-going controversy resulting from the bizarre takeover of the Institute for Historical Review. Only the politically naive reject the facts pointing toward behind-the-scenes conspiratorial involvement in the events that led to the destruction of the California-based Institute for Historical Review (IHR) and the subsequent effort to destroy The SPOTLIGHT. There is no question that Israel's intelligence agency, the Mossad, played the primary behind-the-scenes role in the IHR affair. IHR Update can now state conclusively that the primary Mossad operative behind the IHR upheaval was a high-priced Los Angeles attorney, Lawrence Heller. Until recently, Heller was best known as the attorney who, in 1991, unsuccessfully represented self-styled "Holocaust survivor" Mel Mermelstein in the final stages of Mermelstein's decade-long quest to eviscerate the IHR and Liberty Lobby. IHR Update has determined that Heller had other, more interesting behind-the-scenes connections. [More]
  47. 6- SPOTLIGHT March 29, 1999, Internet Is Loaded With CoS Info According to critics, the Church of Scientology (CoS) has destroyed numerous lives through corrupt and sinister practices involving brainwashing, pernicious lawsuits and harassment. These critics say the church should be made accountable for numerous suspicious deaths and strange occurrences that have accompanied it throughout its shaky history. SPOTLIGHT readers have regularly read about the concerted efforts of two CoS operatives to bring down this newspaper and its publisher Liberty Lobby. This scheme began in 1993, when David Miscavige, putative head of the CoS, made a corrupt deal with the Internal Revenue Service to get the tax exemption the cult had unsuccessfully sought for three decades. [More]
  48. 2- SPOTLIGHT April 19, 1999 SCIENTOLOGY CHICANERY.
    Police in Moscow, Russia, raided the Church of Scientology's (CoS center in downtown Moscow last month, seizing files, computers and documents including an interview with the center's leader. The police were reportedly investigating allegations of tax evasion and "financial irregularities" by church officials. [More]
  49. SPOTLIGHT April 26, 1999, IHR Update Number 39 April 15, 1999
    IHR UPDATE is a temporary and irregular feature for SPOTLIGHT readers interested in facts surrounding the on-going controversy resulting from the bizarre takeover of the Institute for Historical Review. On a lighter note -- or should we say a "biter" note: The Bergen (New Jersey) Record reported on Feb. 17 that one of the conspirators in the take-over of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR) has been arrested for biting a Fort Lee, New Jersey, police sergeant. The biter was Freiderich P. (Fritz) Berg. The "bitee was Sgt. Thomas Dalton. Berg bit Dalton after police officers took Berg into custody following a verbal altercation over the issue of whether Berg's dog should have been leashed. The free-running animal had nearly been run over by a car. When the police came to the animal's rescue and informed Berg that he should keep his animal on a leash, Berg responded with an obscenity. One thing led to another and Berg bit Dalton on the hand. [More]
  50. 12- SPOTLIGHT May 10, 1999 RICO Case Judge Played Key Role
    The behind-the-scenes coup d'etat that ousted the "first family" of the Church of Scientology laid the groundwork for yet another coup inside the fractured Institute for Historical Review (IHR).
    EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY CROWELL BERRY
    On March 4, 1996, The SPOTLIGHT published the details regarding the connection between the Church of Scientology and Lawrence Heller, the former attorney for IHR critic Mel Mermelstein (see below). At that time, IHR employee Tom Marcellus and Greg Raven (both Scientologists), Mark Weber and others "who had staged the coup at the IHR tried to ridicule the idea that this pointed to any involvement by Scientology in the IHR affair. [More]
  51. 12- SPOTLIGHT May 10, 1999 'Big Secret' of Mermelstein Case Exposed In Helping Mossad Seize Scientology
    The Church of Scientology's favorite "Holocaust survivor" is back in the news once again. Mel Mermelstein is now proudly displaying "German soap made from human fat" at his "Holocaust museum" in Huntington Beach, Cal.
    EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY A. T. HETAN
    When Mel Mermelstein needed a tough, hard-driving trial lawyer to help him crush both the Institute for Historical Review (IHR) and Liberty Lobby, the Church of Scientology sent in its biggest legal gun to help Mermelstein: Lawrence Heller. That's the "big secret" about the Mermelstein case that the conspirators who illicitly seized control of the IHR on Oct. 1, 1993, have had a tough time explaining away, once the secret came out into the open. Even many of those who had initially supported the conspirators actually began to have second thoughts at this point. They finally began realizing that there was indeed much going on behind-the-scenes. [More]
  52. SPOTLIGHT May 10, 1999 -13 Why Would the Mossad Want to Steal Hubbard's Church?
    Those who doubt The SPOTLIGHTs allegation that Israel's Mossad would have an interest in seizing control of L. Ron Hubbard's Church of Scientology are ignorant of published evidence which demonstrates conclusively that the Mossad has long been interested in mind control and so-called "psychic espionage" with which Scientology is associated. For example, in his authoritative 1977 book, The Israeli Secret Service, Richard Deacon devotes an entire chapter to the subject of "The Strange World of Psychic Espionage." fie points out that the Mossad, along with the Soviet KGB, has long been involved in this peculiar realm. [More]
  53. SPOTLIGHT May 24, 1999 -11, Critics Settle With Church of Scientology
    Scientology scored a major legal battle, silencing one of its largest critics, the on-line cult research organization, FACTNet.
    EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY CHRISTOPHER J. PETHERICK.
    A complicated, protracted legal battle between two Church of Scientology (CoS) front companies, Bridge Publications Inc. (BPI) and Religious Technology Center (RTC), against FACTNet, a nonprofit cult information clearinghouse, came to a screeching halt March 19. FACTNet co-founders Lawrence Wollersheim and Robert Penny agreed to cease reproducing, distributing and displaying any of Scientology's "trademarked" materials totaling more than 1,000 pages of documents -- or pay CoS $1 million in damages. Wollersheim predicted what would happen if FACTNet were to lose the case when he talked with a Dallas Observer reporter in 1997: "If they're allowed to win this by having more money than we have, it's going to bum the whole Internet." [More]
  54. 6- SPOTLIGHT June 7, 1999, Cult Now Owns Name, Telephone Number & Records of the Cult Awareness Network
    The strange story of the Church of Scientology's successful effort to bankrupt its critics at the equally controversial Cult Awareness Network (CAN) were discussed by Ed Lottick M.D., CAN'S outgoing acting chairman of the board. CAN is effectively defunct (in terms of its former activities), but the Church of Scientology owns the operating name. Lottick was a guest on the May 9 broadcast of The SPOTLIGHT'S weekly call-in talk forum, Radio Free America, with host Tom Valentine. Although Valentine invited Scientologists to call in to respond to Lottick's charges, no calls were received. What follows is an edited tran­script of the interview. Valentine's questions are in boldface. Lottick's responses are in regular text. The concept of defining what constitutes a "cult" is highly controversial and, as a consequence, CAN has been fiercely criticized by many groups and individuals over the years. Briefly, how would you define a "cult"?[More]
  55. SPOTLIGHT June 7, 1999-7, Beast Kicks the CAN in Supreme Court.
    Scientology's body count continues to grow as two major detractors were silenced in the past two months. The bigger question now appears to be. Who's next on the Church of Scientology hit list? EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY CHRISTOPHER J. PETHERICK.
    On March 22, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal that would have challenged a $1.08 million award brought against the former Cult Awareness Network (CAN) by a Seattle man who was abducted and "deprogrammed" in 1991. Eighteen-year-old Jason Scott's parents were unhappy with his involvement in the United Pentecostal Church, an organization that they believed was a cult. Scott's mother contacted Shirley Landa, who was at the time a mem­ber of CAN, for information on groups that specialized in a process known as "deprogramming." Deprogramming often involves the abduction of an individual, where he is held against his will for a period of time and eventually persuaded to leave the cult. Ms. Landa recommended Rick Ross for Scott's deprogramming. So the family contacted him and worked out an agreement. [More]
  56. 2- SPOTLIGHT June 21, 1999. SCIENTOLOGY HITS THE BIG SCREEN. John Travolta is using his influence in Hollywood to make a movie based on the writings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The movie, Battleship Earth, is reportedly set to begin filming soon. Travolta has been a Scientologist for 25 years. [no more]
  57. THE SPOTLIGHT. VOLUME XXV NUMBER 27 July 5, 1999 SINGLE COPY PRICE $ 1.50 LEECHES PLOT TO RUIN LIBERTY LOBBY
    Pseudo patriots want control of populist Institution, newspaper. EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY THE SPOTLIGHT STAFF
    Apparently under the sponsorship of the same Califor­nia-based clique that orchestrated a $6 million-plus court judgment against The SPOTLIGHT and its publisher, Liberty Lobby, a bizarre new plot has unfolded. Suspects for the anonymous group are the same-conspirators -- backed by the same big-money forces that financed the takeover of the once-mighty Institute for Historical Review (IHR)-have come up with a new letterhead group, "The Committee of Concerned Americans," dreamed up for the sole purpose of "saving" this newspaper from itself. In a circular being mailed widely, the conspirators begin with the following. [More]
  58. 4- SPOTLIGHT July 5, 1999. Katharine Dall Steps Up for Liberty Good news is always welcome and especially so during this time of need for Liberty Lobby and The SPOT­LIGHT Katharine Dall, widow of Col. Curtis B. Doll, who served as chairman of Liberty Lobby from 1960 until 1980, but continued to serve as chairman emeritus until his passing on June 28, 1991, has come forward. She could no longer watch the vicious smears and brazen attacks against the Institution which her husband so valiantly served and so dearly loved and helped to build. Since Col. Dall's death, she has resided in South Carolina in order to be close to her children and grandchildren. [More]
  59. 12- SPOTLIGHT July 8, 1999, What Went on Behind Closed Doors
    America is supposed to be an open society, but the IRS is keeping secret the details of its decision to exempt the profitable Church of Scientology from paying taxes. EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPOTLIGHT BY DANIEL J. PILLA
    The need to defeat a greater common enemy causes two mortal enemies to come together in a sudden and unpredictable truce. Almost certainly, such a union is struck behind closed doors and its terms never fully disclosed. This appears to be the case between the Internal Revenue Service and the Church of Scientology.[More]

  60. 18- SPOTLIGHT July 19; 1999, European Case Against 'Church' nearly derailed by lost legal files The disappearance of Scientology files from the French high court has caused a national uproar. EXCLUSIVE To THE SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL, MOTIER
    The worst case of ,justice tampering and obstruction in French history is creating a national uproar. For the first time in French history, an entire room filled with evidence and perhaps a ton of documentary files accumulated over years of police investigations and court proceedings has vanished from the vaults of the French high court. Since 1989, the Paris-based French attorney general has conducted a criminal investigation against persons allegedly connected to the Church of Scientology under pressure from the public and former sect members who had testified they had been swindled and persecuted by the sect's strong-arm forces. [More]

  61. 2- SPOTLIGHT August 2, 1999. DON'T LEAVE SCIENTOLOGY
    Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.), who succeeded her late husband, former entertainer Sonny Bono, in Congress, following his strange death in a skiing accident has told George magazine that although her late husband studied Scientology he "did try to break away at one point, and they made it very difficult for him." Scientology officially denies that Sonny was estranged from Scientology. [More]
  62. 10- SPOTLIGHT October 4, 1999 Seven Members of CoS On Trial for Quackery.
    A church-cum-cult, protected in the United States, is in trouble in France. EXCLUSIVE To TIM SPOTLIGHT BY WILLIAM CARMICHAEL The Church of Scientology (CoS), a tax-free religious organization in the U.S. according to the IRS -- but officially a "cult" in France-is in trouble with the Gauls again. Seven Scientology officials accused of fraudulently obtaining money from converts and the illegal practice of medicine are on trial in Marseilles. Scientology is "a monster that devours" its followers' money and lives, and the main defendant is a "parasite," according to the prosecutor. [More]
  63. 2- SPOTLIGHT October 18, 1999, TRAVOLTA DODGES SCIENTOLOGY TRIAL. Actor/Scientologist John Travolta cut short a visit to Paris for several television and newspaper interviews to promote the French opening of his movie, The General's Daughter. [More]
  64. 8-SPOTLIGHT November 8, 1999, Congressmen Kowtow to Cultists
    FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS the federal government has claimed to practice a separation between church and state. That seemed to go by the wayside Oct. 21 when Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Reps. Tom Davis (R-Va.), Mark Foley (R-Fla.), Ben Gilman (R-N.Y), Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) and Jose Serrano (D-N.Y) announced they would introduce resolutions attacking Germany for religious discrimination. Liberty Lobby has always advocated freedom of religion in America. Religious freedom in Germany isn't what the resolution is about. The resolution is about Scientology and Scientologists using their pull in Washington to promote its "religion" in Germany. The Germans, like several other nations, including the United States prior to 1993, believe Scientology is a business or "psycho-group" -- not a religion. [More]
  65. 2- SPOTLIGHT November 22, 1999 -23. IHR PERPETRATORS
    I don't understand. If, as you say, the IHR was taken over primarily by the perpetrators sticking a gun in Mrs. Carto's ribs, how come said perpetrators were not arrested and put in prison? HENRY JENKINS Portales, New Mexico [More]
  66. SPOTLIGHT November 29, 1999, Scientology Gets Guilty Verdict in French Court.
    Members of an international cult -- which holds special status in the U.S. have been convicted in a French court. BY WILLIAM CARMICHAEL
    Scientology is protected by a secret agreement with the government in the United States. But the group has no such protection in Europe, where it is identified as a cult and its activities closely monitored. In its latest scrape with French authorities, for instance, former officials of the Church of Scientology (its official title) in southern France were convicted of fraud in mid-November. According to published reports, Xavier Delamare, who formerly headed the group in southeastern France, was sentenced to two years in jail with 18 months suspended and fined $16,000. Four other former members were given lesser suspended sentences. [More]

  67. *** 2000 ***

    12- SPOTLIGHT January 17, 2000. CoS Tries to Dodge Its Day in Court
    The long-delayed trial against Church" of Scientology officials for the strange death of Lisa McPherson may finally get underway this coming October. The suspicious death of Ms. McPherson has cost the group millions of dollars. David Miscavige, the mysterious recluse who fronts for the group that secretly runs the church from behind the scenes, has spent the money on lawyers and public relations specialists to delay the course of justice and put a benign "spin" on the death of Ms. McPherson. On Nov. 18, 1995, Ms. McPherson was involved in a minor car accident. She was apparently not hurt. And yet she got out of her car and took off all her clothes. Ms. McPherson was taken to a hospital where it was recommended that she be taken to a mental institution for evaluation. However, some Scientologists arrived and stated that Scientologists do not believe in psychiatry. She checked out after a short evaluation and left with the Scientologists. [More]
  68. 2- SPOTLIGHT January 17, 2000. Scientologists Doctor Photographs TRUTH BE TOLD. Church of Scientology officials claimed that more than 14,000 loyal followers packed the Los Angeles Sports Arena Dec. 31 to celebrate the church's first 50 years. An ex-Scientologist, however, disputes the claim after viewing the four panoramic color photos of the event posted on the Scientology web site. According to Arnaldo Lerma of Arlington, Va., who owns an audio-video and computer business, some geniuses at the church touched up the photos. Lerma spotted one attendee without a head and a bald man who magically grew hair. [More]
  69. SPOTLIGHT NEWSPAPER - THE VOICE OF THE AMERICAN MAJORITY FEBRUARY 21, 2000
    FRANCE GETS SMART.
    The cult of Scientology has been under attack for its activities in France, including stealing court records. French Minister of Justice Elizabeth Guigou would like to see the "church" banned entirely. The only country in the world that gives Scientology tax-exemption as a bona fide religious organization is the United States. Tax exemption of Scientology costs taxpayers millions of dollars every year [More]
  70. SPOTLIGHT page 10, June 8, 2000. An Interesting Exchange of Letters "The first [letter] is from Samuel D. Rosen, an attorney representing organizations associated with the Scientology religion. It is addressed to Liberty Lobby, Inc., the publisher of The SPOTLIGHT. The second letter is a reply to Rosen from Vince Ryan, chairman of Liberty Lobby. Should Rosen choose to reply, we will gladly run Rosen's reply in a future issue of The SPOTLIGHT." [More]

18 - SPOTLIGHT October 26, 1998

Secret Coup Inside Scientology

Number 36 October 15, 1998 IHR UPDATE is a temporary and irregular feature for SPOTLIGHT readers interested in facts surrounding the ongoing controversy resulting from the bizarre takeover of the Institute for Historical Review.

The story of the takeover of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR) has been bizarre from the start.

Now, eye-opening new evidence has emerged pointing further toward a secret alliance between the Anti­-Defamation League (ADL) and the Church of Scientology that led to the evisceration of the IHR and the ongoing campaign to destroy Liberty Lobby that evolved from the coup that wrecked the IHR.

It turns out that Los Angeles attorney, Lawrence Heller, who served as chief counsel for Holocaust survivor Mel Mermelstein's ADL-backed lawsuit against the IHR and Liberty Lobby in a Los Angeles courtroom is more than just another high-priced lawyer.

Heller is actually one of the secret behind-the-scenes controllers of the Church of Scientology for what can best be described as "forces unknown." Here's the story.

On September 19, 1991 Heller and his client, Mermelstein, suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Liberty Lobby's attorney, Mark Lane, who put Mermelstein's 10-year long legal assault on Liberty lobby to rest.

Mermelstein and Heller threw in the towel after Judge Stephen Lachs ruled against them on all of the key elements of their case. This happened just one day after Heller publicly threatened Lane with violence for having dismantled their client's case before Judge Lachs.

Although at that time Liberty Lobby knew that Mermelstein was being backed by the ADL, it wasn't until some years later, well after the 1993 coup e'tat that led to the destruction of the IHR, that Liberty Lobby learned of Heller's association with the Church of Scientology. Liberty Lobby discovered (in 1996) that just prior to taking on Mermelstein's case Heller had unsuccessfully represented the Church of Scientology in a high-profile case in which the church had been sued by a group of dissident former members who won a major judgment against Scientology.

This was deemed significant since Liberty Lobby had already determined that there had been a secret pact between the ADL and the Church of Scientology to destroy the IHR from within: Specifically, the ADL used its considerable clout in official Washington to arrange for the IRS to grant a highly lucrative tax exemption to Scientology -- something that Scientology (under its founder L. Ron Hubbard) had been unsuccessfully seeking for years.

Thus, by no coincidence, on Oct. 1, 1993, the very day that the IRS granted the much-wanted tax exemption to Scientology, Scientologist Tom Marcellus (until then, the trusted longtime office manager of the IHR) sent a letter to Willis Carto advising the IHR founder that his (Carto's) relationship with the IHR had been "terminated" and demanding that Carto turn over all of the assets and records of the IHR's parent company to Marcellus and his co-conspirators, Mark Weber, Ted O'Keefe and secret Scientologist Greg Raven.

It just so happens that the initial arrangements between Scientology and the IRS were set in motion in 1991, less than one month after Scientology lawyer Lawrence Heller had been defeated by Liberty Lobby in the Mermelstein case.

The IRS Commissioner who laid the groundwork for the Scientology tax exemption was Fred Goldberg, a law partner of Kenneth Bialkin, long­time national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of B'nai B'rith, in the Wall Street firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, long known as the ADLs primary legal arm.

During the Mermelstein case neither of the two IHR staff members at the time who were open Scientologists (Tom Marcellus and Michelle Matteau) ever mentioned Heller's connection to their church, which of course, would have been an obvious red flag to Willis Carto and others that there was much more to the Mermelstein case than was apparent.

From the start, Marcellus, who maintained many Scientology connections in the Los Angeles area and who was especially active in the church, could not have failed to know precisely who Heller was, particularly because of the high-profile nature of the Scientology case in which Heller had been involved. (See side­bar on page 21.)

When The SPOTLIGHT first published the details regarding Heller's ties to Scientology on March 4, 1996, Marcellus, Mark Weber and others who had staged the coup at the IHR tried to ridicule the idea that this pointed to any involvement by Scientology in the IHR affair.

What Liberty Lobby has now learned is this: Not only had Heller been associated with the Church of Scientology since at least 1982 -- ­some nine years prior to his role in Mermelstein's ADL-backed assault on Liberty Lobby and the IHR -- but, in fact, the ubiquitous Mr. Heller is part of a small clique that secretly took control of the Church of Scientology upon the disappearance of L. Ron Hubbard and which now directs the church's affairs from behind the scenes.

What makes this all the more bizarre is that neither Heller, nor all but one of his associates in the ruling clique, are apparently even followers of the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard.

Based upon evidence that is now being circulated by Hubbard loyalists (who reject the "new" secret Scientology leadership), here's what happened.

In May of 1981, shortly after Hubbard disappeared from public view, Heller's then-law partner, Sherman Lenske, popped up and claimed to be Hubbard's personal attorney.

Less than two months later, Hubbard's wife, Mary Sue, was overthrown from her position as controller, where she held control over the corporate structure of Scientology, as well as over the copyrights of her husband's voluminous writings and various trademarks relating to the conduct of church affairs.

In the months that followed, the entire corporate empire governing Scientology was restructured.

The most significant of the changes took place on May 28, 1983, when Lenske and his inner circle (including Heller) set up the Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) which, ultimately came into control of all intellectual property that L. Ron Hubbard and Mary Sue Hubbard had ever owned or controlled.

(In a 1992 U.S. Court of Claims ruling, Sherman Lenske had been named as one of the "special directors" of the CST, along with his brother Stephen, who, along with Heller, had been his law partner, and Heller himself.)

One of Lenske's other partners in the founding of the CST was Meade Emory, who served as an attorney for the Joint Committee on Taxation for Congress from 1970 to 1972 and then, from 1975 to 1977, served as assistant to the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. It was during the period that Emory served at the IRS that an IRS employee named Gerald Wolfe was stealing IRS documents and passing them on to Scientology's Guardian Office that was under the control of Mrs. Mary Sue Hubbard.

Then, several years later, when the theft of the documents was unveiled, it played a major part in the overthrow of Mrs. Hubbard (who was prosecuted and held responsible) and led to the ultimate power grab by Emory, Lenske, Heller and the others in the CST inner circle. When the flamboyant and all-powerful Scientology leader L. Ron Hubbard disappeared, the Lenske-Heller group moved in and grabbed control of the foundation of the Scientology movement and now command the lucrative publishing rights to the prolific Hubbard's writings that are sold (at fantastically high prices) to devoted Scientology students worldwide.

Many Hubbard loyalists (who have since left Scientology) claim that the new controllers of the Hubbard literary legacy have actually altered Hubbard's writings, although for what end we can only speculate.

Ironically, it appears that upon Hubbard's disappearance (and reported death in 1986) coupled with Mrs. Hubbard's overthrow following a tenacious Justice Department prosecution, the Church of Scientology fell victim to a coup d'etat orchestrated by outside forces with an interest in gaining control of Scientology, its vast wealth and its wide-ranging global power network.

Then, as is now clear, Scientologists (including Tom Marcellus) were manipulated by their new controllers (including Heller) into playing a part in the subsequent coup at the IHR.

Former high-ranking American diplomat Stephen Koczak (who had been stationed in Israel) privately told The SPOTLIGHT in 1994 that, according to his sources, Scientology had been taken over by Israel's Mossad, in conjunction with elements of the CIA. So it does appear that Heller and his group were those involved in the takeover.

And bear in mind that Scientology (which is "mind control" in its classic form) would be of special interest to both the CIA and the Mossad.

Although the CIA's infamous mind control experiments have been widely publicized, what is largely suppressed is that they were conducted under the supervision of James J. Angleton, the Israeli loyalist who headed the Mossad liaison desk at the CIA. Several scientists linked to these mind control operations were associated with Scientology.

CULT MEMBERS

Through controlling cults, intelligence agencies such as the CIA and Mossad can utilize cult members to infiltrate a wide variety of political groups, research institutes, banks, etc. As a process of the so-called "brainwashing" they've undergone, cult members do the bidding of their controllers.

When the CIA and Mossad controllers decide to carry out some particular intelligence operation -- such as taking over a targeted organization -- they are then able to use their cult members who are in place within those groups.

This is what happened within the IHR. One secret and two open members of the Church of Scientology who were employed by the IHR were used in the conspiracy to take over the IHR. The plot not only thickens, but it comes full circle.

There is now absolutely no question not only that the Church of Scientology did play a role in the IHR affair but also that even the church itself has fallen into the hands of those who actually have others' not-so-noble interests at heart.

Although many initially doubted that Scientology was linked to the seizure of the IHR, the remarkable facts that are now emerging shed a stark new light on what really happened to the revisionist movement and why.

Insider Played Key Role in IHR Debacle

Tom Marcellus, one of the employees who played a major role in the coup at the IHR, was so entrenched in Scientology that for some 10 consecutive years he spent his annual vacations at Scientology headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, taking Scientology courses for which he paid vast donations to the church.

He worked so diligently to advance himself in the church and endear himself to the church hierarchy that at one point his fellow Scientologist, Michelle Matteau, bragged that Marcellus was "way up" in the church.

And within one month prior to the coup at the IHR, Marcellus twice received personal visitors at his IHR office for the first time ever in the 14 years he worked there: they were two uniformed officials from Scientology's "elite" insider's clique known as the "Flagship" organization. Notably, both Willis and Elisabeth Carto were out of town at the time of the visit.

Marcellus is also known to have donated some $41,600 to the International Association of Scientologists, which was the primary sponsor of Scientology's anti-revisionist publicity campaign against Germany. Marcellus donated this money at the very time that he was proclaiming his devotion to revisionism, despite the fact that his church was engaged in a major effort to refute the basic conclusions of revisionist scholarship enunciated by David Irving, Arthur Butz, Robert Faurisson and others.

Why Destroy the IHR?

Why would Israel's Mossad and the ADL have an interest in destroying the IHR? The bottom line is that the Mossad had a very definitive reason for putting an end to the IHR's historical revisionist work into such "sensitive" areas as the Holocaust.

As IHR founder Willis Carto noted in his afterword to the book Best Witness: "Without 'The Holocaust' image there would be no state of Israel nor its burden on American taxpayers who would be some half a trillion dollars richer."* The Holocaust, in short, has been worth trillions to Israel since 1948 and if more and more people began having doubts about the "official" stories about the Holocaust, it could have a major impact on disrupting the flow of "sympathy money" to Israel.

*Best Witness, shown above, tells the story of Mel Mermelstein's at tack on the IHR. It is available at $10 per copy from Liberty Library, 300 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. 20003.

How did two groups whose purposes were as closely aligned as the SPOTLIGHT's and Scientology's square off with each other?

Willis Carto and the "Institute for Historical Review" (IHR) he founded in 1978 are no strangers to controversy. The Los Angeles Times (May 15, 1994) described the IHR as a "revisionist think tank that critics call the spine of the international Holocaust denial movement." Although the Institute does not deny the Holocaust, according to its web pages, its publications have devoted "considerable attention to this issue because it plays such an enormously significant role in the cultural and political life of America and much of the world."

About the time of the above-mentioned LA Times' article, representatives from the Church of Scientology were heavily involved in condemning Germany for recognizing Scientology as a commercial, as opposed to religious, corporation (a position the US itself held prior to late 1993.) In 1995, Scientology's Freedom magazine [1] targeted Germany's chief of the Hamburg Task Force on Scientology, Ursula Caberta, side by side with Willis Carto, complete with Nazi sub-text and photos so close-in and blotched that facial characteristics and the tops of the subjects' heads were only vaguely discernible:

"According to information obtained by Freedom, Caberta's latest source is a U.S.-based editor for offensive hard-core pornography and co-worker of Willis Carto, modern-day Nazi and publisher of The Spotlight, a small but venomous anti-Semitic tabloid with offices in Washington, D.C. Carto, whose Hitleresque bent spans decades, was noted in the 1950s and 1960s for his attacks on the civil rights movement in America. He founded the Institute for Historical Review, an organization which promotes that the Holocaust never happened. ..." [Freedom magazine, published by "The Church of Scientology", Jan/Feb 1995 issue, article "Hatred in Germany" ]

This quote from "Freedom" magazine is significant in that the Scientology publication threw German citizen Caberta, American Willis Carto and his co-workers at "The Spotlight" and the IHR all in the same Nazi, anti-Semitic, Hitleresque, Holocaust-denying boat, for no other reason than Caberta allegedly receiving information from a co-worker of Carto's. Not surprisingly for those familiar with the press and public relations of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, there was no mention of former IHR director and employee for 14 years -- Thomas J. Marcellus, Scientologist.

About Twenty Years Earlier

On August 25, 1976, the "National Commission on Law Enforcement and Social Justice" (NCLE), sponsored by the "Church of Scientology," addressed a letter [2] to Mr. Bernard R. DeRemer, editor of the "Spotlight.", the publication Scientology was to later disparage. This letter begins, "Your paper, THE SPOTLIGHT, has come to our attention as being closely aligned with our own purposes."

The NCLE was a special project that offered to collaborate with "The Spotlight" to spread Scientology-oriented views, which it deemed to be compatible with "The Spotlight's." This particular letter included a set of enclosures that targeted Interpol. "The Spotlight" regarded Scientology's offer of compatibility in a positive light, and its staff, Carto included, were to be on good terms with top Scientology representatives, as well as rank-and-file Scientologists, for a period spanning almost two decades.

This is substantiated by the letters, some of which were on a first-name basis, which "The Spotlight" editors exchanged with Scientology officials, as opposed to its lawyers, up to several years after 1993. The Scientologists included officials at the local level, like Sue Taylor, Greg Layton and Alexander Jones, as well as names known to a large segment of the general public, such as Heber Jentzsch and Brian Anderson. [3]

The good relationship Willis Carto and his associates enjoyed with Scientology was also manifested by the many Scientologists who subscribed to "The Spotlight." In addition to subscribers and personal contact with high-level managers, the director of the "Institute for Historical Review," who worked with IHR almost since it was founded, was a long-term adherent of Hubbard doctrine who, as of 1999, still appeared to be involved in the practices and administration of Scientology. In 1993, Carto was evidently broadsided by Mr. Marcellus, whom he referred to as a "sleeper" for the management of Scientology [4], in a corporate coup.

Prior to the coup, according to Carto, Scientology received advertising and recruitment benefits from the interviews with Scientologists published by "The Spotlight." What "The Spotlight" got in return, it appears from the numerous letters of Scientologists who cancelled their subscriptions after articles critical of Scientology appeared, was a certain increase in circulation.

Subscription cancellations [5] started arriving late in 1993, about the time Scientology received tax exemption. Scientology no longer needed Carto, "The Spotlight," or the "Institute for Historical Review" in its fight against the IRS. By 1995, Scientology stopped using their former allies of Carto & Co. against the IRS and used them instead against other obstacles to popular acceptance and higher revenue.

return

  1. Alex Jones letter to Mike Piper of 14 July 1995
  2. NCLE letter of 25 August 1976 to SPOTLIGHT, pages 1, 2 & 3 (text + enclosures)
  3. personal letters from Scientology officials
  4. Willis Carto form letter of December 11, 1993 notifying SPOTLIGHT subscribers "who have a unique knowledge of Scientology" of a turn in events. page 1, page 2
  5. 10 sample cancellation letters