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Clearwater
Sun
March ?, 1979
Judge rules papers available to public
by Richard Leiby
Sun Staff Writer
WASHINGTON - Documents revealing a Scientology espionage campaign
against government agencies ranging from the IRS to the Clearwater City
Commission were declared open to further public inspection Friday afternoon by a
federal judge.
Scientology attorneys had argued strenuously that the papers should be
sealed because they would cause "irreparable injury" to the church.
The public availability of the dozen cartons of government-seized
documents - the basis of last week's conspiracy convication of nine
top
chruch officials - was in doubt until U.S. District Judge Charles R.
Richey issued his ruling.
Scientologists sought to reclaim the papers, or at least block their
release to the media on grounds they no longer were crucial to the
government's case.
But Richey, who personally reviewed the material, ruled the
Scientologists' argument invalid.
Richey said that returning or sealing the documents would "make a
folly of
the First Amendment."
The papers - largely confidential top-secret memos between sect
leaders -
include details of a Scientology scheme to "take control" of
Clearwater by
discrediting and spying on public officials. The documents also show
a
concerted far-reaching Scientology espionage campaign against
government
agencies such as the FBI, CIA, IRS and Justice Department, and private
groups such as the American Medical Association and the American
Psychological Association, long viewed by the church as "enemies."
The papers, among more than 40 cartons of evidence seized during an
FBI
raid at the cult's Losa Angeles headquarters in July 1978, show the
Clearwater branch was involved in a worldwide spying mission dubbed
"Snow
White."
The operation was orderd by sect founder L. Ron Hubbard and carried
out by
ranking "guardians," including his wife, Mary Sue, the documents show.
Mrs. Hubbard and eight other top church officials were found guilty
last
Friday of conspiring to break into government officies, steal
documents
and bug meetings. Two indicted guardians remain in England, where
extradition proceedings will begin next week.
Specific operations relating to Clearwater - projects "Goldmine" and
"Normandie" - appeared to have been launched when Scientologists
arrived
in Clearwater four years ago under the guise of a group called United
Churches of Florida. Only limited descriptions of these operations
were
among papers Richey released, but one document showed Scientologists
were
ordered to probe all aspects of city and county government and attempt
to
malign groups and individuals the church viewed as enemies.
Scientology attorney Michael Hertzberg attempted to convince Richey
Friday
to temporarily block any further release of the documents and to
return
them to the church. Hertzberg argued the government's need for the
evidence "terminated with the guilty verdict of this court last
Friday."
Without citing specific instances, Hertzberg continued that public
release
of the material would cause "irreparably injury" to Scientology
activity.
Spokesman for the California-based ect have indicated the documents
would
be damaging because they tell nothing about the actual working of the
Church of Scientology or of the crimes of government agencies which
the
church has been fighting for over 25 years."
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Tabakman said the documents would be
used in the upcoming cases of two indicted guardians, Mo Budlong and
Jane
Kember, now in England.
Tabakman said returning the documents to the cult also would hinder
grand
jury probes in Tampa and New York.
Richey also rejected the Scientologist's compromise request that if
the
documents were not returned, they at least should be kept sealed.
"This case is the only one in this court in which documents are not
being
put on the public record," the judge said. "To continue to do so
would
not serve the public interest."
Scientologists asked for the restraining order Thursday night after
Richey
released documents showing the sect kept dossiers and ran "rumour
campaigns" against public officials and private medical groups around
the
nation.
Richey also denied a last-minute appeal attempt after Friday's hearing
but
court officials said Scientologists will get another chance to stay
Richey's order in the U.S. Court of Appeal next week.
Richey apparently will continue making documents available on Monday.
He
has been reviewing the papers privately since the conviction of the
cult
leaders and issuing those he feels are not damaging to innocent
parties.
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