Rep. Karen Bass praised L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology event in Los Angeles in 2010. Scientology leader David Miscavige also spoke at the event:
Below: Karen Bass is seen at the 2010 event palling around with Scientology leader David Miscavige and disgraced former LA Sheriff Lee Baca who was, and remains, an ardent Scientology supporter. Baca obstructed a US DoJ probe into Sheriff deputies violence against Black & Hispanic inmates in LA jails. He is presently serving three years in prison for obstruction and lying to the FBI.
The story of Bass’ appearance and speech at the 2010 Scientology’s event went viral. Rep. Bass of California’s 37th District has tried to do damage control with the tweet in which she speaks of Scientology having been exposed in “books, interviews and documentaries.” However, Bass offers no particulars of what has been exposed about Scientology.
If anything, Bass’ tweet is a deflection in which she wants its both ways. Bass wants to say she respects the beliefs of others while vaguely stating that Scientology has been exposed. This vacuous equivocation on Bass’ part is meaningless and weak.
Rep. Bass would have done well to have had Leah Remini next to her at a press conference and to have made an unequivocal statement denouncing the human rights abuses of the Church of Scientology.
Scientologist Danny Masterson was recently arrested on three felony counts of rape in Los Angeles. The Church of Scientology worked to cover up these rapes and silence Masterson’s victims. Scientology has also covered up child molestation as it did when the late Alexander Jentzsch was sexually molested by Scientologist Marie Warren. Karen Bass could have easily discovered Masterson’s recent arrest had she ordered her staff to do a basic check of social media on Scientology,
There is no ambiguity about the evils of Scientology. In her tweet, Karen Bass mentions that she proudly worships at the First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in South LA. As a Christian, Bass knows what Jesus says about his followers who are lukewarm:
Categories: The Scientology Money Project
I like the “10 years ago” part. It sounds reminiscent of phrases used in the Masterson PR statements.
What she fails to disclose in her statement is that she went back to lend the cult another hand about three years later (as disclosed in Ortega’s reporting). Another one from the Masterson playbook: Take the oldest incident and defend that one.
For perspective:
Leaving aside more obscure reports, Paulette Cooper unmasked the cult FIFTY years ago. The FBI nabbed them in their huge Snowwhite conspiracy THIRTY-THREE years ago.Time mag and Jon Atack both did extensive reporting THIRTY years ago. Anonymous brought attention to the cult TWELVE years ago. The Tampa Bay Times went ELEVEN years ago. And there were many others.
And she had “no idea” TEN years ago? Or SEVEN years ago? She’s not online?