Putting Scientology's data breach in perspective with a similar leak from the past
We’re still waiting to see just how big the repercussions are going to be over the recent data breach suffered by Scientology’s UK headquarters when it was hacked by a ransomware gang.
Former London staffer Alex Barnes-Ross has explained just what a big deal this is in the UK, where they take data privacy more seriously than they do here in the US.
So while we wait to see how that plays out, Patty Moher thought we’d like to see a similar leak of Scientology internal data from an earlier era.
She’s talking about some crucial 2004 data out of Scientology’s secret police, the Office of Special Affairs. As part of the massive data leak that occurred when Mike Rinder left OSA in 2007, there were detailed financial reports, and we have one of those for you today.
It’s a weekly roundup of what OSA was spending to accomplish its spying and other covert operations, and it’s pretty fascinating.
There are references to the Vince Offer/Vince Shlomi (the Slap-Chop guy) lawsuit, which the church was handling at the time, as well as to some of the characters we’ve been telling you about in the past, such as Scientology’s DC lobbyist, Greg Mitchell.
We think the most immediate thing to take away is just how busy OSA is on a given week. Imagine what this week’s report must look like.
OSA International External FP [Financial planning]
For week ending April 8, 2004
Dear Sir,
SITUATION:
Key production actions must be covered this week. The OSA Int FP for this week lays out the finances needed to execute these production actions.
DATA:
OSA Int’s production as laid out below for the past week should be supported.
LEGAL;
— DANISH OLD-AGE TAX FUND: This week an additional approximate $30,000 was received in refund by the Church in Denmark for past interest in connection with ATP payments (a retirement fund).
— AFRICA TAX REFUND: Confirmation was gotten this week that the amount that will be refunded to the South African Church of past taxes paid, based on a recalculation of assessments agreed to by the tax office, will be over $100,000.
— UK EXEMPTION AND CHARITABLE STATUS: Last year Celebrity Centre London received property tax exemption from the City of Westminster as an organization “beneficial to the community.” This week the notes were obtained of the official who granted the exemption covering his observations and conclusions when he visited the Church. These show that he considered and rejected the Charity Commission’s decision concerning Scientology, that he considered we did satisfy the definition of religion and that he could see from our many activities that we are operated for the public benefit.
— VERONA TAX CASES: Two more Italy tax cases, both for Verona were finally terminated this week reducing the total number of tax suits to 22.
— ROME TAX CASES: The self tutelage motion for the Rome VAT 1985 case was granted this week ending this tax suit. As this was granted by the Regional Directorate of the Tax Office, this also obligates the junior tax office to apply the same principles to the other Rome tax cases. This means that the assessments against the Rome Org for income taxes 83-86 are also nullified, taking over $800,000 off of the tax liabilities.
— AUSTRIA TAX EXEMPTION: Our tax professional in Austria, Josef Fishbacher, met this week with terminals in the federal finance office in a continuation of a dialogue about granting tax exemption to the Vienna and Celebrity Centre Vienna orgs. This went well and they are in basic agreement with granting the exemption and have worked a procedure on this which is targeted for completion by the end of May.
— CSI V ARMSTRONG: We are preparing for trial on April 9th. There are several papers being filed on April 2nd, as part of the court’s requirements for pre-trial filings. We also attended a settlement conference (of course Armstrong did not show), and this resulted in our ability to establish a good comm line with the judge and to brief her on what we will be doing at the trial.
— SHLOMI: Handlings were begun to get this case settled off Church lines, using the individuals who were involved in the underlying business dispute with Shlomi.
— IMMIGRATION: We took our LA immigration attorneys on a tour of the complex to increase their reality on the Sea Org and our religious workers. This went extremely well and we then worked out a plan to educate the Immigration Service so they will understand how our workers do qualify for permanent resident status.
DISSEM:
— The second booklet “Saving Lives from Drugs” was mailed.
— Translations of the third booklet “Advancing Education and Literacy” are completed in all the major languages and all final sidechecks on the translations were completed. It will go to the printer this week.
— The design for the fourth booklet “Bringing Effective Help to the Community” was approved and the final fact checks and local side checks are very close to completion, so this can be produced and out over the next 2-3 weeks. The sixth booklet, re LRH, was designed and its final elements (i.e., captions, pull quotes, etc.) are being edited so design can be submitted and approved in time to get a cost-effective printing of at least two of the booklets at once (VM and LRH).
PUBLIC RELATIONS:
— WALSH: Walsh wrote a letter to the U.S. State Department alerting them about a proposed repressive “mental manipulation” law in Italy. He received a reply from the State Department Office of International Religious Freedom that they would take this up. He also coordinated and recommended a series of actions to undertake in relation to the handling of this proposed law. Bill coordinated and gave input on meetings taking place this week with the Deputy Chiefs of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and the U.S. Embassy to the EU in Brussels.
Bill also worked on UK matters. He wrote a memo on the best uses of a document we just received containing the notes of the official from the City of Westminster who reviewed CC London’s activities prior to granting of charity status. The notes are very positive and helpful for us in dealing with the Charity Commission denial. He wrote a further strategy memo on the annual report of the Home Office Strategy Unit (re Faith Communities) and how we can use this.
— MITCHELL: Greg had a meeting with Scott Keefer in Congressman Harold Ford’s office regarding getting funding for ABLE programs. Greg gave Scott a proposal for funding and Keefer said that this will be among the proposals submitted to Congress by Ford. Greg travelled to New York to attend a hearing by Congresswoman Maloney regarding programs to help 9/11 survivors. While there he met with state Congresswoman Margarita Lopez who is planning a hearing in mid-April to find out who received most money for 9/11 handlings and how they have spent it. Lopez knows that other programs have not gotten any results and agreed to have the Detox Center reps testify as to how they have obtained excellent results with no government funding, and that they should be funded. While in NY, Greg met with congressional staff from two other offices and briefed them on the detox program.
Greg is also liaising with Alfreddie Johnson who was approached by Congressman John Conyers for help in drafting a bill regarding youth crime prevention. Greg is going to help Alfreddie put this together and make sure it is written so that it can include ABLE program.
— GRIEBOSKI: Joe has been working this week on making appointments with key officials in the Vatican as he is travelling to Italy in two weeks to get them active against the proposed “mental manipulation” law in the Italian Senate. He now has visits lined up and sent seven letters out to Cardinals to line up more. He has very good access to Vatican officials and knows the Pope personally.
Joe also organized two press conferences in India to promote religious freedom in that country. This benefits us with our increasing operations in that country (in fact, we recently closed two scholars from India to visit our facilities in LA).
— MILLER: Miller continued in contact with Congressman Sherman’s office regarding a Congressional Resolution that criticizes the government of France for the recent enactment of a bill that prohibits the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools in France. Due to Miller, some of the language in the Resolution attacks About-Picard.
INVEST:
— A handling of an internet black PR source is being executed with results in getting his crimes exposed impinging on his area of operation. Actions are IP to get his crimes exposed.
— Investigation is being done into two persons who are involved in litigation against the Church. This week further information was obtained to show the past criminal activities.
— Two different security projects were successfully continued which are producing the prevention of potential litigation or PR situations for CSI. It would cost much more than that, if they were not handled through such projects.
— Invest lines were maintained into areas providing exchangeable information on enemy plans and intentions with enough lead time to handle.
— Other investigations and offensive handling actions are ongoing into several internet black PR sources.
— Long range actions are going on with regard to investigations into the sources of attack with a project activated for cutting enemy finances and exposing unethical activity.
...
TOTAL FOR FP: $90,000.00 to carry on needed operating costs and produce the VFPs of OSA Int.
This binder includes:
1. FP cover sheet for week ending April 8, 2004.
2. All POs and CSWs including folder with cut POs.
3. Bills summary, Dateline Report and Invest Bills Summary
4. Income Planning and Income Notes Collection Summary
5. Accounts Summaries
6. EPO Setaside Ledgers and Unused Red POs report
Solution:
Approval of $90,000 for OSA Int’s production for this coming week. The bean return value to be the very good production obtained with OSA Int FPs.
This is OK.
Approved ________ Disapproved _________
ML,
FP Committee OSA Int
Puerto Rico has a date!
Or at least a month: The Puerto Rico Ideal Org will be opening in February, according to a newsletter that was just mailed by its committee.
We had seen in streetview images that construction occurred on the San Juan building, so we knew that an opening might be coming soon.
Will Dave go to Puerto Rico? We’ll find out soon!
Later today, a bonus story gets the Substack treatment
Today at noon, we’re going to post a story here that we originally published as a series at the Underground Bunker in 2015.
It’s a stunning collection of previously unreleased full interviews that were used to create a landmark 1997 documentary about L. Ron Hubbard for the UK Channel 4 Secret Lives program.
As part of our Saturday bonus story program, we decided to bring this article over to our Substack so it has an easier-to-read, ad-free archival home. Whether it’s new to you or not, we look forward to your thoughts about it.
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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history
Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea
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Translations:
IP - In Progress
Terminal - person, especially one with a title in an organization
PO - Purchase Order, not the usual definition in business. In this case it is basically authorization to spend a specific amount for a specific purpose. In all Scientology organizations the actual cash income goes directly to special accounts administered by Sea Org members known as Flag Banking Officers. Possibly Missions are different, but in most this is true. Every week the Financial Planning or FP committee meets and reviews all the POs. Say for example you are running a course and need some plasticene clay. You figure out how much it costs, where to buy it and so on. This all goes on a PO with a CSW (completed staff work, a formal request). The PO goes to your Department Head and then to the Division head who takes it to the Financial Planning meeting.
Lots of calculators are clicking at the FP meeting because all the POs from all the divisions have to add up to exactly match the week's income. At the Int Base in the 80s there was exactly one Macintosh computer, belonging to Don Bateman, that had a Numbers spreadsheet for all this. Lots of POs get rejected, that's why a special folder is mentioned that contains all of them.
Side note, nobody in the Sea Org has insurance except maybe Workmen's Compensation. All the medical and dental expenses for everyone are also in the pile of POs. On short weeks, which is nearly always, these POs are less important than for example food. You might wait weeks or even years for your PO for a root canal or hernia operation to be approved.
Once the PO package is approved in the FP committee it goes to the Commanding Officer or Executive Director who may also change things around. Finally it goes to the FBO who can also cut and switch things. Then he actually disburses the funds, which go to the Department of Disbursements for the actual purchasing process.
EPO - Estimated Purchase Order. When you need something but know it is too much to get approved all at once, like a cancer treatment, you can submit smaller amounts for several weeks that eventually add up to the final amount needed. Too bad so sad that the cancer is spreading all that time, got to do things the way Hubbard said.
VFP - Valuable Final Product. A shorthand statement of the basic goals of a department or division.
Looks like this whole document is the cover CSW for a completed FP package. Inside the package would be all the actual POs with more detailed information. Important note, they can only make POs that add up to that week's income. They can't request funds from other organizations or ask for grants from the IAS etc.
Each organization sinks or swims on its own. Dave has mountains of cash in all kinds of accounts, but none of that goes to any organization unless he makes a grant that then counts as income. Looking from the outside we know that huge sums go to the IAS and building funds and so on, but this is not used to help local organizations. In this particular case, OSA, there is probably a weekly grant or some mechanism to transfer funds. OSA is the main point of the IAS after all. But notice that even they mention various forms of income, like forgiven debts. Perhaps they have some way to count that as income or merely wish to establish credit as earning money to justify their existence. Dog eats dog in the Scientology world.
He knows the Pope personally?!?