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David Miscavige

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David Miscavige
File:Miscavige.jpg
David Miscavige at Scientology Celebrity Centre
BornApril 30, 1960
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation(s)Chairman of the Board,
Religious Technology Center (RTC)
SpouseShelly (Michelle) Miscavige
ChildrenNone
WebsiteReligious Technology Center, Bio

David Miscavige (born April 30, 1960 in Philadelphia) is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology, and is "the ultimate ecclesiastical authority regarding the standard and pure application of L. Ron Hubbard’s religious technologies".[2] Although Religious Technology Center is a separate corporation from the Church of Scientology, Miscavige is officially described as "worldwide ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion".[3][4]

A second-generation Scientologist, Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard while still a teenager, and rose to a leadership position within the organization by the early 1980s. He was named Chairman of the Board RTC in 1986, some months after Hubbard's death. He reportedly lives at Scientology's Gold Base, which is also the main RTC headquarters, near Hemet, California.[5][6][7]

Biography

David Miscavige was born in Philadelphia to Loretta and Ron Miscavige Sr.[8] and he was the youngest of their four children. The Polish-Italian family was Roman Catholic, but not very observant.[8] One sister is Denise Licciardi who in 2002 was hired by Bryan Zwan as a top executive for the Clearwater, Florida-based company Digital Lightwave.[9] His older brother is Ronnie Miscavige, who for a time was also in the Sea Organization.[10]

Miscavige suffered from childhood ailments as well as allergies, which kept him from accomplishing athletic and academic goals. During this time his father, a trumpet player, became interested in Scientology. Ron Miscavige Sr.'s interest in Scientology led him to have the boy sent to a Scientologist. According to him and his son, the 45-minute Dianetics session cured his ailments. The family was impressed enough by Scientology to move to the world headquarters in Saint Hill Manor, England[11].

Scientology career

File:Dm0.jpg
ABC News, David Miscavige photographed by Tampa ABC News affiliate at a legal hearing

Miscavige left high school in 1976 and joined the Sea Organization and became a member of Commodore's Messenger Organization, where, while still a teenager, he became one of L. Ron Hubbard's assistants, first as the person in charge of video and then as Cameraman, in the production of Scientology training films. After this, he became "Action Chief" of the Commodore's Messenger Organization a position "responsible for missionaire activities of the Church". He was later appointed to disband the Guardian's Office and took part in reworking the corporate structure of the Scientology network. In the early 1980s, he became Chairman of the Board of Author Services, Incorporated (ASI). [12]

In 1981 Mary Sue Hubbard, at that time second only to L. Ron Hubbard himself in Scientology's hierarchy, was appealing her prison sentence (assigned her by the courts for her part in the Operation Snow White controversy) and she began to face criticism from within the Scientology organization. The St. Petersburg Times, in the 1998 article "The Man Behind Scientology", states: "During two heated encounters, Miscavige persuaded Mary Sue Hubbard to resign. Together they composed a letter to Scientologists confirming her decision -- all without ever talking to L. Ron Hubbard." According to Miscavige, he and Mary Sue Hubbard remained friends thereafter.[8], however, another source wrote Mary Sue later decided she had been tricked by Miscavige and wrote to her husband in complaint, getting no reply.[13]

In May of 1981, Miscavige demanded that those operating Scientology Missions (called Mission Holders) sign trademark usage contracts, which established new fees and included newer strict policies on the use of Scientology materials.[14]. These Scientology Mission Holders were threatened with the loss of their profits, and their franchises, if they failed to sign these trademark agreements. Miscavige sent teams of spies to each of the Scientology franchises, in order to make sure that the new guidelines were being followed. All Scientology teachers that were found guilty of violating a guideline were to be sent to a Scientology center to undergo a Security check[15][16]Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page)..

Tax Exemption

In 1993 after lengthy negotiations an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service was reached on its treatment of the Church of Scientology. In 1991 Miscavige had gone to IRS headquarters to meet with the Commissioner, which led to a two year review process (in which IRS tax analysts were ordered to ignore the substantive issues),[17] and ultimately, tax exemption for the Church of Scientology International and its organizations in the US and partially abroad[18].

Before and after the tax status was settled with the IRS Miscavige played an active role in expanding the organization's influence. He encouraged the rise of their Celebrity Centre International and other churches. He also increased the profile of the group by working with professionals in public relations, as well as increasing visibility of non-church organizations such as Narconon and Downtown Medical. [citation needed]

Miscavige was interviewed at length by Ted Koppel of ABC News in 1992 and attempted to dispel misconceptions about Scientology. Miscavige stated that extraterrestrial beliefs (see Space opera in Scientology doctrine) are not as important as people believe or not important at all.[19]

Aside from that interview, he has rarely spoken to the press. However, he often is a speaker at major Scientology openings, award ceremonies and related events.[20]

Among Scientologists, Miscavige is often referred to simply as "DM"[21] or "C.O.B." (Chairman of the Board).

Personal life

Miscavige's hobbies are riding motorcycles, snorkeling and underwater photography.

Miscavige has been married since 1981 to Shelly (Michelle) Miscavige, née Barnett, who also serves as his official assistant. They have no children.

Miscavige served as best man in his friend Tom Cruise's 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes.[22]


Criticism and controversies

During his rise in importance, Miscavige has faced several criticisms.

Revisions to Hubbard's works

Main articles: Altered texts in Scientology doctrine and Patter drills

Since Hubbard's death, there have been revisions in subsequent releases of his works (known as "tech" in the Church), including writings, films and recordings under the supervision of David Miscavige.

The Nightline interview

In Miscavige's 1992 Nightline interview, Miscavige made several strong and controversial claims, the truth of which were questioned. Perhaps the most controversial was the claim that in 1955, a bill had been presented in Congress to set aside "a million acres [4000 km²] in Alaska" to set up a "Siberia, USA" for the housing of mental patients. When host Ted Koppel asked for evidence of this, such as the sponsor of the bill, or the bill number, Miscavige said that he had already given all that information to Koppel's colleague Forrest Sawyer.[19] It is generally assumed that Miscavige was referring to the Alaska Mental Health Bill, (H.R. 6376, 84th Congress, 2nd Session) dated January 19, 1956. The purpose of the bill was to establish a land trust to allow the Alaska Territorial government to fund its own mental health facilities as opposed to its practice in that time of sending its patients for treatment in Oregon. L. Ron Hubbard also mentioned a "Siberia bill" in his tape Ron's Journal 67.

Miscavige also said that the "APA [presumably the American Psychological Association or American Psychiatric Association], AMA, Food and Drug Administration ... were all coordinated" in a five-year campaign against Scientology that included the murder of one of Scientology's executive directors (unnamed): "They literally murdered- the Food and Drug Administration hired an informant to go into our organization in Seattle, Washington, his wife was there [...] Several weeks later, murdered the head of our organization."[19] (Author Paulette Cooper mentions a murder in the Seattle Org committed by the jealous husband of a female Scientologist, who was enraged that the victim, a Scientology Reverend, was having an affair with his wife[23]).

Another of Miscavige's claims was: "Look at the studies that brought about the Holocaust of the Jews, that the Nazis justified killing the Jews, they were done at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Leipzig, Germany". However, the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry has only existed since 1966; it was the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Psychiatrie that joined the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Psychiatry in 1924,[24] that was later incorporated into the Max Planck Society in 1954.[25]

Miscavige made accusations against specific individuals as well, saying that Time magazine reporter Richard Behar (author of several articles highly critical of Scientology, such as "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power") had advocated the kidnapping and deprogramming of Scientologists, and that Vicki Aznaran (Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center, previous to Miscavige) had been "kicked out for trying to bring criminals into the church." [19]

Other matters

  • In 1982 in an attempted probate case, Ronald DeWolf, Hubbard's estranged son, accused Miscavige of embezzling from and manipulating his father. Hubbard denied this in a written statement, saying that his business affairs were being well managed by Author Services Inc., over which Miscavige was Chairman of the Board at that time. Judge J. David Hennigan found against DeWolf, dismissing the case on 27 June 1983.[26]
  • Starting in September of 2005 all mentions of Mark Rathbun and Warren McShane, two of Miscavige's close associates at the top of the Scientology hierarchy and the only publicly known members of the RTC board of directors, were removed from all Scientology web sites without explanation. As a result, Miscavige is now the only member of RTC Board listed on the RTC website.[27]

References

  1. ^ St. Petersburg Times, published October 25, 1998
  2. ^ Religious Technology Center David Miscavige Biography (accessed 2007-05-08)
  3. ^ Religious Technology Center David Miscavige Biography, page 2 (accessed 2007-05-08)
  4. ^ Behar, Richard The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power Time Magazine May 6, 1991 page 50
  5. ^ Reitman, Janet Inside Scientology Rolling Stone, Issue 995. March 9, 2006. Page 57.
  6. ^ Young, Robert Vaughn Scientology from inside out, Quill magazine, Volume 81, Number 9, Nov/Dec 1993.
  7. ^ Hoffman, Claire Tom Cruise and Scientology, Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2005
  8. ^ a b c Tobin, Thomas C. The Man Behind Scientology St. Petersburg Times October 25, 1998
  9. ^ O'Neil, Deborah (June 2, 2002). "The CEO and his church: Months of interviews and thousands of pages of court papers show the effect that influential church members had on a Clearwater company that was a darling of the dot-com boom". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ A Piece of Blue Sky, Chapter 3 "The Young Rulers
  11. ^ St. Petersburg Times, 25 October 1998, pg. 2 of the article
  12. ^ David Miscavige affidavit, 17 February 1994
  13. ^ Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8184-0499-X.
  14. ^ SO ED 2104 INT "The Flow Up The Bridge, The US Mission Holders Conference, San Francisco 1982", transcript, page 1
  15. ^ Streissguth, Thomas (1995). Charismatic Cult Leaders. The Oliver Press, Inc. pp. 77, 78, 79. ISBN 1881508188.
  16. ^ Lamont, Stewart (1986). Religion Inc. Harrap. pp. 100, 101. ISBN 0245543341.
  17. ^ The Shadowy Story Behind Scientology's Tax-Exempt Status, New York Times, March 9, 1997
  18. ^ Scientology Press Release, Jan 30, 2003
  19. ^ a b c d Koppel, Ted, Nightline, David Miscavige interview of February 14, 1992 Transcripts and video
  20. ^ Inauguración de la Iglesia Nacional de Scientology de España, Keynote Address at the Grand Opening of the Church of Scientology New York (accessed August 3, 2006)
  21. ^ Sappell, Joel (1990-06-24). "The Man In Control". Los Angeles Times. p. A41:4. Retrieved 2006-06-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Additional convenience link at [1].
  22. ^ "Cruise and Holmes go on honeymoon". BBC News. 2006-11-19. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  23. ^ Paulette Cooper: The Scandal of Scientology, Chapter 2
  24. ^ The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, By William E. Seidelman, MD
  25. ^ A brief history of the Institute, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
  26. ^ Miller, Russell (1987). [[Bare-faced Messiah]], The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard. Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-8050-0654-0. {{cite book}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help) Page 369.
  27. ^ Religious Technology Center, Mark Rathbun: Inspector General Religious Technology Center (archive.org copy of RTC.org page from May 3, 2005 - accessed last on June 6, 2006). Compare to the current RTC web site.
Media

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