GRAHAM E. BERRY Letter covering Scientology's Fair Game racketeering
GRAHAM E. BERRY
3384 McLaughlin Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90066
Phone: (310) 745-3771
Fax: (310) 745-3772
grahameb@aol.com
February 3, 2002
Via Facsimile
Hon. Joseph Lieberman, Chairman
U. S. Senate Committee on Government Affairs
340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: (202) 224-9603
Hon. Fred Thompson, Ranking Minority Member
U. S. Senate Committee on Government Affairs
326 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: (202) 224-9682
Honorable Chairman and Senator Thompson:
This letter constitutes a formal request and petition for the convening
of a full inquiry, review, investigation and hearings into certain
matters pertaining to the 150 churches and corporations of Scientology
that currently benefit from I.R.S. Section 501(c)(3) full tax-exempt
status granted in 1993, and renewed in 1999.
The factual and evidential basis, as well as other material, supporting
this petition are set forth (and hyper-linked) in the following two
documents now available on the Internet:
- Letter dated January 21, 2002, from Graham E. Berry to Hon. John
Ashcroft ("The Ashcroft Letter"):
http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/docs/gb-ashcroft-complaint.htm
- Letter dated February 1, 2002, from Graham E. Berry to Hon. Andrew
H. Card, Jr., Hon. Colin Powell, Hon. Paul O'Neill, Hon. Charles O.
Rossotti, Hon. Mitchell E. Daniels, Hon. Robert S. Mueller III, Hon.
James Towney, Hon. David M. Walker and GAO FraudNet ("The Andrew
Card Letter"):
http://www.lermanet.com/reference/GrahamBerry/lettertoAndrewCard.htm
Specifically, and among other things, the Committee is requested to
investigate and to take appropriate action in connection with the
following matters:
- A. THE IRS' GRANTING OF PREFERENTIAL FULL TAX-EXEMPT STATUS
- 1. The IRS' 1993 granting of conditional full tax-exempt
status to 150 churches and corporations of Scientology and the 1999
confirmation of that status, including:
- 2. Whether the IRS may ignore decisions of the U.S. Supreme
Court holding that certain claimed tax deductions are unlawful and
unconstitutional (see generally: The Andrew Card Letter, pp. 5-7, The
Ashcroft Letter p. 35);
- 3. Whether the IRS may confer tax benefits upon Scientology
and Scientologists that are not available to any other religious
organization or citizen (see generally: The Andrew Card Letter, pp.
5-7, 15);
- 4. Whether the IRS may enter into secret tax agreements with
a religious corporation that provides tax benefits previously determined
by the U.S. Supreme Court to be unlawful and to contractually agree
that the IRS will not extend those same tax benefits to "a religious
corporation other than a Church of Scientology " emphasis added
(see generally: The Andrew Card Letter, pp. 6, 15);
- 5. Whether the IRS-Scientology tax agreement should be voided
on the grounds of material secular misrepresentations within the revised
1993 Scientology Form 1023 and/or material breaches of representations
made as to Scientology's post-1993 secular conduct including the
continuing use of the Scientology "Fair Game" Policies and
Practices (see generally, The Andrew Card Letter, pp. 3-4, 8, 15-21 and
The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 24-86, 90-95, 110, 112, 88, 116-130);
- 6. The circumstances surrounding the 1993 IRS reversal of its
twenty-year opposition to full tax-exempt status and whether those
circumstances included harassment, intimidation, extortion, blackmail,
other criminal conduct, fraud and other wrongful conduct (see generally,
The Andrew Card Letter, pp. 9-21 and The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 10, 15-20,
88, 90, 103, 128, 131);
- 7. The U.S. Federal Government's contractual agreement to
assist, and actual participation, in Scientology's expansion in foreign
countries (see generally, The Andrew Card Letter, page 10 and The
Ashcroft Letter, pp. 90, 102);
- 8. Scientology's written policies of "taking over the
control or allegiance of key political figures," "the
proprietors of all news media," "those who monitor
international finance" (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter pp.
26-27, 102-128);
- 9. Scientology's written policies and practices known as
"Fair Game" which mandate the abuse of litigation and the
use of other overt and covert means to "harass,"
"terrify" and/or "utterly destroy" those Scientology
perceives as its "enemies" (see generally, The Ashcroft
Letter, pp. 10, 11, 15-96, 100-102, 108-112, 116-128);
- 10. Whether a not-for-profit fully tax-exempt religious
organization in the United States may, and whether Scientology does,
derive income either directly or indirectly from a related corporation
(such as the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises
["WISE]"), which uses so-called "secular technology"
in the commercial marketplace (that under different names is also
considered to be "religious technology"). In the case of WISE,
businesses owned by Scientologists are licensed to use the "secular
technology" of Scientology's founder in exchange for license fees
often exceeding ten percent of gross revenues.
Both WISE and the senior Church corporation, RTC, may regulate the
commercial use of the "secular technology" and may even enter
onto those businesses premises, close them down and seize their assets.
WISE is fully represented on the Church management board and is called
"The Watch Dog Committee." The 1993 IRS-Scientology tax
agreement required WISE to be disbanded no later than 1995. However,
this material contractual provision has been ignored by both Scientology
and the IRS (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 105-110, 120)
- B. THE USE OF TAX EXEMPT FUNDS FOR FORCED ABORTIONS AND OTHER
FAMILY AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
- 1. Whether a not-for-profit fully tax-exempt religious
organization in the United States may use, and whether Scientology does
use, tax exempt monies as part of the Scientology policy and practice
of requiring certain staffers (such as Scientology's Sea Organization
members) to have abortions (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp.
97-99);
- 2. Whether a not-for-profit fully tax-exempt religious
organization in the United States may use, and whether Scientology does
use, tax exempt monies as part of secular policies and practices that
include child labor law violations and other civil and human rights
violations (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 21, 23-25, 39, 82,
97-104, 110,);
- 3. Whether a not-for-profit fully tax-exempt religious
organization in the United States may use, and whether Scientology does
use, tax exempt and other monies as part of policies and practices
intended to "utterly destroy" those citizens and others (such
as the former IRS Section 501(c)(3) Cult Awareness Network) that the
religious corporation (Scientology) deems to impede its objectives (see
generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 10, 11, 15-96, 100-102, 110-112,
116-128).
- C. THE POST-1993 REFUSAL/FAILURE OF FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES TO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE COMPLAINTS,
CORRUPTION AND INCIDENTS INVOLVING SCIENTOLOGY
- 1. Scientology's R.I.C.O. enterprise, corruption and
obstruction of justice as exemplified by cases, incidents and
circumstances that include:
- (a) Berry v. Cipriano, Barton and Miscavige, Hurtado v. Berry,
Moxon v. Berry, Barton v. Berry, Church of Scientology v. Berry, People v.
Hurtado, State Bar of California v. Berry, Pattinson v. Church of
Scientology, Pattinson v. Miscavige and the retaliatory Reveillere v.
Pattinson (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 9-86, 93, 108, 110,
116-120, 130);
- (b) Church of Scientology International v. Fishman &
Geertz, Fishman & Geertz v. Scientology and the retaliatory
Abelson
v. Greene (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 22-25, 33-3, 83);
- (c) Religious Technology Center v. Netcom, Religious
Technology Center v. Erlich, Religious Technology Center v. Ward,
Religious Technology Center v. Lerma; Religious Technology Center v.
Factnet, In re The Estate of L. Ron Hubbard, Religious Technology Center
v. Henson and the related bankruptcy and other cases (see generally,
The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 23-24, 34, 36-40, 82);
- (d) Wollersheim v. Church of Scientology and the six
retaliatory law suits filed by Scientology against Wollersheim (see
generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 22-25, 40, 120)
- (e) The more than 40 law suits filed by Scientology
representatives against the old Cult Awareness Network ("CAN"),
Scott v. Ross and the related CAN Bankruptcy Proceedings (see generally,
The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 25, 37-38 and Hart v. Cult Awareness Network,
13 Cal. App.4th. 777 (1993);
- (f) Barton v. Henson, Hoden v. Henson, People [Barton] v.
Henson, People [Barton] v. Henson, People [Scientology Hemet] v. Henson,
Religious Technology Center v. Henson [Bankruptcy Adversary proceeding]
(see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 22, 39-40, 43, 73);
- (g) The six plus Scientology v. Armstrong cases (see
generally, The Ashcroft Letter, p. 22);
- (h) Hill v. Church of Scientology and Woods v. Church of
Scientology (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 93-95);
- (i) Estate of Lisa McPherson v. Church of Scientology, the
related pressures upon Clearwater Medical Examiner, Joan Woods, to
reverse her official findings as to the cause of death and the
retaliatory litigation against the Lisa McPherson Trust (see generally,
The Ashcroft Letter, p. 96);
- (j) Heller [Scientology] v. Caberta and other Scientology
retaliatory activities against German government official Ursula Caberta
(see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, p. 108);
- (k) Scientology litigation and Scientology instigated
litigation and other "Fair Game" activities against Robert
S. Minton, former Deputy Scientology leader Jesse Prince, former Hubbard
writing partner David Mayo, Werner Erhard, Mark Bunker, Ken Dandar, Esq.,
Ford Greene, Esq., Ida Camburn, Arel Lucas, Keith Henson, Robert Vaughan
Young, Stacy Brooks, William T. Jordan, Tory Christman, Tom Padgett,
Richard Behar, Gabe Cazares, Paulette Cooper and numerous others (see
generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 20, 22, 72-74, 92, 93, 110-111);
- (l) Demonstrable violations of federal and/or state penal
and other statutory provisions by Scientology retained lawyers and
investigators including: Kendrick L. Moxon; Helena Kobrin; Ava Paquette;
Elliot Abelson;
Gerald Feffer; Samuel D. Rosen; Barbara Reeves; Donald
Wager; Gerald Chaleff and Eugene Ingram (see generally, The Ashcroft
Letter, pp. 9-14, 18-86, 117-118, 120, 126, 128-132);
- (m) The apparent corruption of certain federal and state
judges presiding over Scientology related litigation and other matters
such as the "pressure" upon Judges Ideman and Swearinger and
the conflicts of interest of Judge Alexander Williams III (see generally,
The Ashcroft Letter pp. 23, 35, 40, 42-45, 48, 50, 56, 61-65, 73, 75-76,
81, 119, 132);
- (n) The apparent Scientology related corruption of certain
persons within the Los Angeles and Riverside District Attorney's Offices
in California and the Clearwater Police Department in Florida (see
generally, The Ashcroft Letter pp. 9-14, 32-33, 53-54, 56, 59, 66-68,
70-72, 75-86);
- (o) The F.B.I.'s post-1993 practice and pattern of refusing
and/or failing to properly investigate criminal complaints involving
Scientology's secular conduct (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp.
12-14, 16-17, 32-33, 53-54, 56, 59, 66-68, 70-73, 75-86, 106, 127-129)
- 2. Numerous unlawful confinements, kidnappings, deaths and
unexplained disappearances of people at or near Scientology facilities
such as the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida and the
Scientology high security compounds at Gilman Hot Springs and Happy
Valley near Hemet in California. Such deaths include Flo Barnett,
Roxanne Friend, Noah Lottick, Philip Gale, Lisa McPherson, Ashlee Shaner
and Stacy Moxon. See generally: the Wollersheim Declaration and the
approximately 40 other declarations filed in support of Dr. Geertz's
F. R. Civ. P. Rule 11 motion in Church of Scientology v. Fishman &
Geertz [temporarily sealed] and The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 10, 22-24, 34,
64-65, 96).
- 3. Various Scientology-related secular financial frauds
committed in the United States and various European nations. These
financial frauds include bankruptcy fraud, the largest "ponzi"
scheme in U.S. history (the pending Slatkin case), the recently settled
Lopez case, the Fishman case, the Hamburg (Germany) housing frauds and
internal Scientology credit card fraud such as "The Amex card
cycle" (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 10, 65, 100-105,
110, 117, 120).
- D. THE EUROPEAN REFUSAL TO GRANT SCIENTOLOGY RELIGIOUS AND/OR
TAX-EXEMPT STATUS AND ITS CLASSIFICATION IN EUROPE AS A
"PYSCHO-TERROR" ORGANIZATION
- 1. The British Government's refusal to grant tax-exempt status
to Scientology upon the grounds that it lacks any charitable and socially
redeeming qualities; the denial of religious/tax-exempt status in other
nations such as France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Israel, Greece and
Russia; the police raids of Scientology (and document seizures) in
Belgium, Russia, Spain, France and Greece (see generally, The Ashcroft
Letter, pp. 82, 93, 95, 120).
- 2. The German conclusion that Scientology is a seditious
totalitarian "psycho-terror" group intent upon global
domination and engaged in money-laundering and financial crimes (see
generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 23-24, 27-33, 121-125).
- 3. The testimony as to the Scientology compound near Hemet,
California being "armed and dangerous" (see generally, The
Ashcroft Letter, p. 105).
- 4. Whether there should be U.S. government surveillance of
Scientology as part of the United States' War Against Terrorism for the
same reasons as that similar surveillance has been conducted in Europe
for a number of years. Official electronic surveillance of Scientology
was recently upheld by the courts in Germany for reasons of internal
security, national security and the protection of the State and its
democratic processes (see generally, The Ashcroft Letter, pp. 9-22,
27-32, 35, 38-39, 77, 82-83, 86, 90-93, 96-98, 102-104, 107-119, 111,
116, 119, 121-132)
There is vast evidence to support this formal request and petition for
the convening of a full inquiry, review, investigation and hearings
into certain matters pertaining to Scientology. Some of this evidence
is in my personal possession. In addition, I am knowledgeable as to
where the rest of the supporting evidence can be obtained. I am available
at any time to provide the Committee's staff with whatever assistance it
may request.
Sincerely,
Graham E. Berry
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