WACKY: Scientology flack Ben Shaw’s unhinged letter denying ties to Clearwater developer

[Scientology’s Ben Shaw and developer Rodney Riley]

On March 17 we shared with you an over-the-top, ranting letter sent by Scientology’s spokesman in Clearwater, Ben Shaw. He had sent the letter to Tracey McManus of the Tampa Bay Times, accusing her of being unethical, and he copied it to the mayor of Clearwater, which made it a public document.

“You are a propagandist who spreads blatant lies solely to harass Scientologists who accurately report about Tracey McManus,” Shaw wrote in his letter to McManus. It was off the hook.

Anyway, Shaw sent another letter to the city about the questions that McManus was asking in an investigation that produced yesterday’s blockbuster report from the Tampa Bay Times: That wealthy Scientologists, cooperating with the Church of Scientology, had brought in an out-of-town ringer, a developer named Rodney Riley, to front a $350 million project in the North Marina district. McManus had obtained an email from OT 8 Scientologist Stephen Epstein that told Riley he was going to be their “white knight” that would make the project look “legit” to the unsuspecting people of Clearwater. And also that he would be coordinating with Shaw and the church to buy up even more parcels.

Riley, Epstein, and Shaw all denied the implications of the email and say the Tampa Bay Times is all wrong. Which is what they always say.

Anyway, when McManus was asking detailed questions about the email to Shaw and the church, he sent another unhinged letter and copied it to the city, and we knew you’d want to see it. Here it is in all its glory.

Our main question after reading this letter is, how much trouble is Ben Shaw in with David Miscavige that their little plan has been found out to use Riley as their shill?

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