I, Vicki Aznaran, make the following declarations on personal knowledge in support of Bent Corydon's Motion for Service by Publication of his Fourth Amended Complaint upon David Miscavige.
1. I was involved with Scientology for approximately 15 years. For most of that time I was a member of the Sea Organization, an elite group within Scientology. From 1983 through early 1987, I was also President of the Religious Technology Center ("RTC"). At that time, RTC claimed to own the various Scientology trademarks and functioned as an enforcer of the "purity" of Scientology as interpreted by its power hierarchy. This enforcement power extended, in diverse ways, over the functioning of supposedly independent Scientology corporations. As RTC president and Sea Organization member, I had the option of attending meetings called to review Scientology's litigation status and the strategies in the many lawsuits involving Scientology. I also had access to many of the business and litigation secrets of Scientology, including its many dirty tricks projects.
2. In 1985, I attended a meeting called by David Miscavige, top aide to L. Ron Hubbard and the Chairman of the Board of Author Services, Inc. ("ASI"). Also present were Norman Starkey
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(President of ASI) and Lyman Spurlock. These three, together with Hubbard and Pat and Ann Broeker, were the managing agents of Scientology at that time. Also present was Marc Yaeger Commanding Officer of the Commodore's Messenger Organization International, Jesse Prince and Warren McShane. The meeting was called to discuss legal matters of all the Scientology entities. Most of the important decisions for Scientology corporations (ASI, SMI (Scientology Missions International), RTC, Bridge, CSI (Church of Scientology International), etc.) were handled at meetings like this without the presence or input from the officers of the separate corporations because the control of all Scientology was principally in the hands of Hubbard, Miscavige, Starkey, Spurlock.
3. Miscavige told the meeting that Scientology organizations had not been aggressive enough in combatting squirrels (individuals who had broken with the Church of Scientology but were still using ideas similar to Scientology). These individuals and groups are on Scientology's list of enemies and subject to Scientology's "fair game" policy. "Fair game" is a policy (actually it is part of Hubbard's "scriptural" writings) which mandates that enemies of Scientology may be "deprived of property or injured by any means by any of Scientologist without any discipline of the
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Scientologist. May be tricked, sued, lied to or destroyed." HCO Policy Letter October 18, 167. In order to get an attack program activated, Miscavige told those at the meeting that they should take the lead from Hubbard's suggestions of violence and personal attacks against squirrels both as written in the fair game policy and in Professional Auditor's Bulletin No. 53 in which Hubbard said the way to treat a squirrel is to hurt him so hard that he "would have thought he had been hit by a Mack truck" and, Hubbard continued, "I don't mean thought-wise." That same Bulletin also encouraged destroying squirrels financially and personally, noting that:
"Each and every one of the squirrels of yesteryear have met disaster. The biggest squirrel in Great Britain, Derricke Ridgeway was recently to be found in bankruptcy court. I wonder how he got there? We wouldn't know anything about that, of course!" (Emphasis in original.)
4. Miscavige's order to the assembled group was accepted and immediately put into action under the direction of McShane on behalf of RTC who directed Mike Rinder at the Office of Special Affairs U.S. under one of the Scientology organizations but I am
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not sure which at this time. Rinder did, in fact, immediately begin several actions against squirrel groups and I received reports of such completed actions. These actions included, but were not limited to burglaries, stealing records, and sending provocateurs to infiltrate squirrel events and to provoke fights. These activities were also directed against Bent Corydon, including break-ins at his office, physical attacks upon him, and the use of spies to infiltrate his group.
5. It was a matter of policy that whenever Scientology discovers that a book critical of Hubbard or Scientology is being published that a three pronged attack is set into motion. Scientology's intelligence arm (now the Office of Special Affairs and previously the Guardians Office) commences data gathering including covert operations to obtain data on the author and get a copy of the manuscript, etc. Scientology's legal staff is activated to determine how to prevent publication by legal means or threats of suit. The public relations staff are also activated to do much the same as legal, but also to design plans to attack the author's credibility and undermine him/her in any way possible.
6. In approximately late 1985, Scientology became aware that Bent Corydon was writing a book critical of Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard. Therefore, the attacks on him became more
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important and plans were designed to meet the three objectives: legal, intelligence and public relations. This type of plan involved decision making, people and money from several of the "separate" Scientology organizations under the direction of Miscavige.
7. When Scientology organizations undertake illegal operations, little in the way of written records are kept. However, as President of RTC I would regularly receive envelopes with unsigned papers detailing the specifics of operations targeted against enemies and announcing successful actions. I
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specifically recall seeing one such report outlining the attacks against Corydon on account of his book.
Sworn to under penalty of perjury this 8th day of February, 1989.
[signed Vicki Aznaran]
VICKI AZNARAN
Declarant
Dallas County |
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On this 8th day of Feb., 1989, before me, ____, a notary public in and for the County and State, duly commissioned and sworn, personally appeared Vicki Aznaran, known to me or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person whose name is subscribed to the instrument above, and executed the same.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year first written above.
[signed Laurie Francis]
Notary Public
In And For Said State
3-24-91
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