In case you haven't heard, The NY Daily News reported today that on July 15th Peter Letterese filed a $250M suit against Tom Cruise and Scientology using the RICO statute which is what the government used to decimate the mafia.
Look, I think my opinion on Tom Cruise and Scientology is pretty clear. I think Peter's argument is unique and I think the amount of the suit would get the attention of anyone. I also think that any publicity about lawsuits, especially in the gossip section of the Daily News is a good thing. You will notice that it took more than two weeks after filing for anyone to notice though.
See, that's the problem here. Peter Letterese and the Scientologists have been battling for a long time, but the essence of their battles is about money he feels he is owed through his business dealings with the church. Plus, he generally gets his ass kicked by them because he does most of it on his own.
With a lawsuit this big, there should have been press at the courthouse when he filed it, and a news conference. You could have brought out a bunch of people who had gripes, valid or not against the church and given the news people sound bytes. He didn't though. So, in the intervening two weeks, the COS already has everything in place and the guy looks like an idiot.
So, although I am thrilled the COS is going to have to spend some dough defending against this and will face some negative publicity, in the long run it is the wrong guy and won't do any good. I think the strategy is good, but need a different person leading the point. I actually think the way to go is through the California Department Of Labor, and then file a suit after you have exhausted your remedies through them. If all the stories reported on all the forums are true, to me that is the most effective way to make a claim and also the most financially devastating in the near and long term because it would eliminate any unpaid labor in the future and thus raise the overhead of the church to astronomical levels.
"I think the strategy is good, but need a different person leading the point."
ReplyDeleteAre you volunteering? ;)
Does it make me a bad person that I read the title of this thread as, "Tom Cruise sued by the wrong gay?"
ReplyDelete:)
Plus a great deal would or should be available through doing FOIA's. I think that is a brilliant idea, all the SEAORG people, all the employees at that freaky Hemet facility where Katie goes to get purple hands. The Celebrity center, I imagine you are looking at thousands of underpaid, no over time getting, holiday off taking workers.
ReplyDeletePlus fines and interest, wooo! Someone do this. Please.
Oh, and there is another leaked tape of a conf given by Miscaivage, where he discusses how they are bringing down Psychiatry, very detailed and their push for black minorities, his words not mine - naming Kimora Lee Simmons and the many ways she was bringing in the brothers.
Seriously get your creepy fug hands off Djimon Hounsou you crazy bitch.He named her for recruiting efforts. So I guess that Will and Jada are in CO$ without a doubt. Don't forget JLO, who looks awful. You can not go to their movies to show your feelings about the cult of scientology. Vote with your dollars.
And to me the funniest thing is that it's all just fancy version of a basic, cheesy pyramid scheme!
ReplyDelete