cross-posted from: https://negativenull.com/post/40924

https://mastodon.social/@davew/110829219504113442

https://mastodon.social/@davew/110829219504113442

Leah Remini has filed a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, for harassment, defamation and other unlawful conduct. Remini, who joined the Church in 1979 as a child and left in 2013, claims Scientology’s “mob-style operations and attacks” have “significantly” impacted her life and career.

“For 17 years, Scientology and David Miscavige have subjected me to what I believe to be psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, significantly impacting my life and career. I believe I am not the first person targeted by Scientology and its operations, but I intend to be the last,” Remini stated in a press release sent out Wednesday.

According to the release, Remini filed the lawsuit in the California Superior Court on Aug. 2 in an attempt to “require Scientology, and any entity it controls and funds, to cease and desist its alleged practice of harassment, defamation, and other unlawful conduct against anyone who Scientology has labeled as an ‘enemy.'”

Remini also seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged harm Scientology has inflicted on her personal and professional life.

Named defendants are the Church of Scientology, Miscavige and Religious Technology Center, Inc., which, Remini alleges, manages policing operations and principally enforces Scientology’s punishment orders.

Per the release, “OSA Network Orders, a series of directives from Scientology’s founder, the late L. Ron Hubbard, institutionalized a series of retaliatory actions to be taken against any individual, organization, business or government entity that Scientology declares as an enemy. Under the organizations’ rules, directives originating from Hubbard cannot be changed.”

Remini alleges that a series of attacks meant to “obliterate” and “totally restrain and muzzle” her were “activated by OSA and their operatives.” The lawsuit details alleged “coordinated campaigns” by the Church levied against Remini and her family, friends and business associates.

“With this lawsuit, I hope to protect my rights as afforded by the Constitution of the United States to speak the truth and report the facts about Scientology,” Remini continued. “I feel strongly that the banner of religious freedom does not give anyone license to intimidate, harass and abuse those who exercise their First Amendment rights.”

The Church of Scientology did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

In 2016, Remini co-created and executive produced a documentary series about the Church titled “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.” She won two Emmy awards for the series, which ran for three seasons.

In November, Remini testified on behalf of Paul Haggis in the filmmaker’s civil rape trial. Remini implied that the Church was behind rape allegations against Haggis, who left Scientology in 2009. “Men and women who have been raped absolutely deserve justice. But in this case, it’s absolutely Paul who is the victim here,” Remini told jurors.

After “That ’70s Show” actor and practicing Scientologist Danny Masterson’s rape trial ended with a hung jury, Remini posted a lengthy statement to Twitter directed at Miscavige, whom she accused of covering up sex abuse crimes within the Church.

“While this is not the outcome I wanted for the survivors of Danny Masterson’s predation, I’m glad a retrial has already been rescheduled,” Remini wrote. “My heart breaks for the women who have courageously and tirelessly fought for justice for over five years. For years, they have been targeted and harassed by Scientology and its agents. They have also been targeted and harassed by their family members and friends who remained in Scientology.”

President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama and ending months of politically fueled debate, according to senior U.S. officials.

The officials said Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision ahead of the announcement.

The president, they said, believes that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness that the move would cause, particularly as the U.S. races to compete with China in space. And they said Biden firmly believes that maintaining stability will help the military be better able to respond in space over the next decade. Those factors, they said, outweighed what the president believed would be any minor benefits of moving to Alabama.

...

A third person has been charged in the classified documents case in addition to Donald Trump and Walt Nauta.

Carlos De Oliveira was added in a superseding indictment in the Florida federal case and, like Nauta, is charged with obstruction-related crimes. De Oliveira was the property manager at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club beginning in January 2022, according to the new indictment.

Among other things, the new indictment charges Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira with altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing an object regarding their alleged request that another employee delete security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago to prevent the footage from being provided to the grand jury.

Judge Aileen Cannon recently set a late May trial date before this superseding indictment. It’s not immediately clear how, if at all, adding De Oliveria affects that timing.

Gross domestic product rose at a 2.4% annualized pace in the second quarter, topping the 2% estimate.

Consumer spending powered the solid quarter, aided by increases in nonresidential fixed investment, government spending and inventory growth.

A Commerce Department inflation gauge increased 2.6%, down from a 4.1% rise in Q1 and well below the estimate for a gain of 3.2%.

by Jen Sorensen (@jensorensen@mastodon.social)
https://mastodon.social/@jensorensen/110766924492888405