The Los Angeles Mayoral Race 2022: This is the mailer candidate Rick Caruso is mailing out to Los Angeles residents informing them of Karen Bass and her involvement with the Church of Scientology. This piece alludes to Scientology not allowing my wife Karen de la Carriere to kiss her only child Alexander Jentzsch goodbye after he died in 2012 at age 27.

Karen Bass has been involved with the Church of Scientology behind the scenes much more extensively than her one appearance. The Caruso mailer coincides with the high profile Los Angeles criminal trial of Scientologist Danny Masterson who was indicted on three counts of forcible rape. Scientology was involved in the cover up of Masterson’s alleged rapes. We have been there each day watching and covering the trial and will stay on through the entire criminal trial.

Karen Bass’ 2010 speech at Scientology Los Angeles:

On his blog today, Tony Ortega phrased it this way: “…the two candidates have tried to outdo each other denouncing Scientology like it’s a festering boil on LA’s backside.”

On his substack, Ortega then posted an email sent out by long-time Scientologist Jim Meskimen to his friends:

I don’t usually bring up my religion. It’s personal.

I respect your religion, and even your decision not to be religious.

Recently in Los Angeles, a candidate threw shade on his opponent in TV ads, condemning her for attending the dedication of one of our churches.

Apparently, speaking in support of effective drug rehabilitation, literacy programs and human rights disqualifies a candidate for public office in Los Angeles.

If that wasn’t tasteless enough, the candidate who attended the dedication backpedaled on all the kind words of support she had publicly made. She caved under the political pressure, making her look bad, too.

Disgraceful.

Our church is responding by running an ad of our own.

If you don’t mind, can you have a look and let me know what you think of the ad? The link is here: https://www.scientology.org/our-help-is-yours/

I’m not trying to proselytize or change your mind. I’d honestly like to know your opinion.

There is no place for bigotry of any kind, religious bigotry included, in an enlightened society.

Many thanks,

Jim

David Miscavige is fuming mad and has ordered Scientology to spend money running ads on Los Angeles television stations promoting itself. We now see an email sent out by Jim Meskimen

The Meskimen email raises the question: Why hasn’t Nancy Cartwright — the voice of Bart Simpson and the Galactic Empress of Scientology San Fernando Valley — emailed her much more extensive and longer list of friends and fans to decry both candidates in the LA Mayoral race denouncing Scientology? Nancy Cartwright would have a much larger impact if she spoke to the issue as Meskimen is simply not well known.

This also raises the question of why Tom Cruise, whose recent film Top Gun 2 has earned $1.5 billion globally, remains silent on the issue. Likewise, LA Scientologists Jenna and Bodhi Elfman, Terri Jastrow and Anne Archer, and the rest of the Celebrity Center Hollywood celebs remain silent.

Rather than using his top people to make a case for Scientology, David Miscavige has chosen instead to disengage and use television commercials. Miscavige has to disengage because he cannot risk exposing his dwindling and aging cadre of celebrities to hard questions from the media about the rape trial of their fellow Scientologist Danny Masterson and the Church of Scientology’s role in covering up Masterson’s alleged rapes.

In the larger picture, Scientology is loathe to use any of its celebrities as they can all be asked about the abuses of Scientology in general.

Due to its own conduct, Scientology has backed itself into a corner where it is immobilized into silence. So much for Scientology’s claims that it can confront anything and that “communication is the universal solvent.” Scientology is now as silent as a tomb and speaks only from television commercials while refusing to listen to, or interact with, any outsiders.

*****
Rick Caruso is a native Angeleno and a self-made billionaire. He made his money in LA real estate over five decades. He has served on the Boards of the LA Police Commission and the LADWP. Rick Caruso also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at USC. As Ron Kasman posted in the Underground Bunker today, Karen Bass comes from a very different background and has platinum qualifications: Bass has served in elected positions in the California legislature where she rose to become the Speaker and is now a six-term US Congresswoman.

Given his background as a long time power player and real estate developer in LA, Caruso decided to make Scientology a wedge issue in the city that has the highest concentration of Scientologists in the world. He decided this wedge issue would resonate with many LA voters.

This is an interesting story because, outside of Clearwater, Scientology has never been a campaign issue anywhere else in the US. However, Scientology is now an issue in LA politics — and this at the worst possible time for Scientology.

*****
As Jim Meskimen claimed in his email, Karen Bass caved in under the political pressure of being identified with Scientology and backpedaled on it. In a quite stunning manner, Meskimen is not even remotely aware of what he is openly admitting to, and saying about, Scientology in his email.

Nevertheless, Meskimen gets it wrong. Karen Bass did not cave. Rather, she changed her mind about Scientology because the Cult is morally and politically indefensible for a Mayoral candidate in Los Angeles. Both of the powerful Mayoral candidates have now made the denunciation of Scientology’s abuses the new political reality in Los Angeles.

*****
The LA Mayor’s race has turned into a slugfest between two very different candidates. Much larger issues than Scientology dominate the debate. However, Scientology has been thrown into the mix and both candidates have denounced it. So no matter who wins and becomes LA’s next mayor, the race will have proven to be a lose-lose for the Church of Scientology.

LA City Councilman and Scientology Best Friend Mitch O’Farrell should take notice of the LA Mayoral Race.

1. If you constantly ask, “why isn’t anyone doing anything about Scientology?”

Here’s your chance to make a difference.

In this photo, on the left, you have Scientology exec Shane Woodruff who was my “handler” when I was a Scientologist and LA City Councilman @mitchofarrell pic.twitter.com/Ysb4pNbRet

— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) October 13, 2022