Declaration of Garry Scarff
Entered in Grays Harbor Court Record/September 20, 1993
Note: Jason Scott acknowledged Scientologists he knew
under oath for the Court record. (Find Jason Scott's Sworn testimony
under 'Jason Scott trial')
I, Garry L. Scarff, declare as follows:
- All the facts contained within this Declaration are within
my personal knowledge and if called to testify - thereto, I could
and would be competently able to do so.
- I personally acted as an agent for the Church of Scientology's
Office of Special Affairs in covert and overt operations directed
against the Cult Awareness Network for a number of years while
a longtime member of the Church of Scientology.
[Note: WARNING! The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was recently
bankrupted and bought up by Scientology. We strongly recommend you do
not contact them for assistance.]
- Several of these operations were coordinated under the guise
of a Scientology-funded front group called the Friends of Freedom
network, which promotes itself as a national, interfaith coalition
of pastors and laymen fighting got religious freedom and preserving
the First Amendment's right to religious practices.
- The so-called director of the Friends of Freedom is Rev.
George Robertson, a pastor of a Maryland-based cult group who
maintains the organization is overseen by a Board of Directors,
which in fact, do not exist, and an Advisory Committee.
- In fact, Rev. George Robertson, who refuses to identify his
credentials as a minister, seminary professor and holder of a
Ph.D., whereby some associates refer to him as Dr. Robertson,
said Robertson coordinates his activities with officials of the
Church of Scientology and Eugene Ingram, the long-time private
investigator for Bowles & Moxon, the in-house law firm for
the Church of Scientology, International.
- As an agent for the Church of Scientology, I first met Jason
Scott, a 19-year-old member of the United Pentecostal Church in
November 1991, at the Oklahoma City site of the annual conference
of the National Cult Awareness Network Conference (CAN). The
role myself, the other Scientology officials present, George Robertson,
and Jason Scott, at this site was to take overt opportunities
to disrupt this conference a s part of the Church of Scientology's
longtime scheme to destroy the Cult Awareness organization.
- My superior, David Butterworth, Director of the National Office
of Special Affairs, based in Los Angeles, advised me, at that
time, that the Church was paying to fly Jason Scott in to Oklahoma
City from Sacramento, California, where he was attending a United
Pentecostal Church camp. Butterworth advised me that Jason Scott's
personal agenda at the Conference, which Jason had agreed to prior
to flying to Oklahoma City, was to confront and ridicule exit-counselor
Rick Ross, who earlier in the year had attempted to deprogram
him from the United Pentecostal Church.
- Butterworth advised me that Rick Ross had successfully deprogrammed
Jason Scott's brothers, Thysen and Matthew, both whom later recanted
their faith in the United Pentecostal Church/
- During our disruption operation in Oklahoma City, Jason Scott
and I shared the same hotel room for the weekend.
- All of Jason Scott's expenses during this disruption operation
were paid by the Church of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs,
under the guise of the Friends of Freedom.
- I am aware that prior to this disruption operation, Jason
Scott had appeared with George Robertson in media forums denouncing
his deprogramming at the hands of Rick Ross and to denigrate his
the Cult Awareness Network, which he alleged, as coached by the
Church of Scientology, endorsed and helped coordinate his deprogramming.
- At the Oklahoma City site, Jason Scott advised me that his
confidante, whom he openly referred to as "mom" was
Ann Laws, the Director of the Office of Special Affairs, Church
of Scientology, in Dallas, Texas. Jason claimed, and it was confirmed
to me by Ann Laws, that they had been in continuous contact with
one another by telephone since Jason first worked with George
Robertson and Scientology officials.
- Activities which Jason Scott was involved in, included denouncing
Rick Ross in a press conference attended by Oklahoma media, wearing
a concealed tape recorder in his coat jacket and inducing members
of the Cult Awareness Network into casual conversation never advising
the respondents that they were being recorded, deliberately disrupting
the Conference by walking directly through the mezzanine site
of the Conference leading Jason and other Scientologists, including
myself, to be escorted out of the area by security officials,
taking conference materials out of the mezzanine without the consent
of its owners and turning said materials over to Scientology officials;
and, deliberately confronting Rick Ross in the company of George
Robertson, myself, and other Scientology officials.
- While Jason Scott was physically present in our hotel room,
I, under the directive of my superior, David Butterworth, telephoned
Rick Ross in his room and threatened to kill him.
- Throughout the duration of this operation, I observed Jason
Scott giving different individuals varied interpretations of what
occurred in his deprogramming by Rick Ross. Both George Robertson
and David Butterworth prodded Jason to embellish his story so
he would be seen as a "victim" of a malicious crime.
- I have, in my possession, photographs of Jason Scott in the
company of Scientology official s in Oklahoma City, which have
been entered into evidence in numerous civil cases where the Church
of Scientology is the opposing party. The substantive facts
of this declaration is also basis of evidence introduced into
these state and federal cases.
- Following the operation in Oklahoma City, Jason Scott and
myself remained in contact with one another by letter and telephone.
In the Spring of 1992, Jason was married to his wife Kathleen.
I received a wedding invitation, but could not attend. I sent
Jason a wedding gift. I am aware that an official of the Church
of Scientology in Seattle did attend Jason's wedding.
- In May 1992, Jason Scott, his wife Kathleen, his pastor Harold
Kern and wife, and other members of the United Pentecostal Church
cooperated in a Scientology scheme to disrupt a cult education
forum, open to the public, where media had announced that Jason's
brother, Thysen Scott, would be a guest speaker to talk about
the positive effect that Rick Ross provided him as an exit-counselor.
Also slated to speak was Susan Landa, a Seattle-based attorney
who represented Thysen as a client.
- At this forum, held in McMinnville, Oregon, I, and another
Scientology member, Sam Demeter, verbally interrupted Ms. Landa
on numerous occasions as she attempted to give her speech.
- At one point, during Ms. Landa's presentation, Jason Scott
stood up from his seat and challenged Ms. Landa, leading a forum
official to approach Jason and threaten to physically eject him
from the building and seek his arrest.
- I, personally, paid for the gas and meal expenses her Jason
and Kathleen Scott during this operation. These expenses were
reimbursed to me by Eugene Ingram, an employee of Bowles &
Moxon, the in-house law firm for the Church of Scientology, Int'l.
- The disruptions caused by Scientologists and Jason Scott were
successful enough that forum coordinators canceled Thysen Scott's
appearance as a speaker.
- At one point, during the forum, Thysen Scott was observed
by Harold Kern, Jason Scott and myself, speaking on a pay telephone
to his mother. I observed Jason's pastor prodding him to go over
to Thysen and stand next to him as he spoke on the telephone,
so to intimidate Thysen. Later, Jason called his mother and heatedly
challenged her.
- Following the forum, I traveled with Jason & Kathleen
Scott to the Seattle, Washington, area, where they lived, and
where I had business to attend to the following day. During the
5-hour road trip to Seattle, Jason and I discussed many personal
issues affecting him, including the persistent and unwanted pressure
he was receiving from Scientology officials wanting him to demand
Grays Harbor County prosecutors to reinstate criminal charges
against Rick Ross.
- Jason expressed very clearly, at that time, that he wished
to put his deprogramming behind him, and seek some mental, financial,
and familial stability in his life, and expressed interest in
being a father. Jason, however, expressed fears of losing his
friendships with Scientology officials if he did not follow through
on their directives.
- During the duration of the period that I communicated with
Jason, prior to my leaving the Church of Scientology in September,
1992, I observed Scientology officials coaching Jason to deliberately
embellish his rendition of the events of his deprogramming. Initially,
Jason spoke of his being physically kidnapped and detained against
his will, renouncing his membership in the United Pentecostal
Church, attending a celebrative pizza party at the Ocean Shores
restaurant with Rick Ross, then fleeing the restaurant and calling
the police. Jason claimed initially, that no physical violence
occurred. However, after coaching by George Robertson and Scientology
officials, Jason reported the physical violence, torture and mental
abuse he endured at the hands of Rick Ross.
- Jason Scott advised me in Oklahoma City that Scientology officials
sought to have Jason embellish his story to include charges that
Rick Ross had sexually abused him during the deprogramming. Jason
was adamant in refusing to do this, citing his personal displeasure
of events surrounding the sexual abuse of Thysen Scott by a United
Pentecostal Church pastor.
- Jason Scott's coaching was result of official, internal Scientology
practice of "hatting the witness", whereby, a witness
is coached to "lie convincingly" to law enforcement
and judicial authorities in order to bring about the desired result.
- I have observed a copy of a July 3, 1993 letter to Grays Harbor
Prosecutor H. Stuart Manafee from an attorney with the Scientology
law firm of Bowles & Moxon. The letter encourages Manafee
to contact U.S. Attorney Larry Leiser in Virginia to corroborate
facts about "deprogramming". Allegations persist, for
which an investigation is currently taking place, that U.S. Attorney
Larry Leiser has direct ties to the Church of Scientology, thereby
placing his credibility for providing objective information in
doubt.
- I am aware that excerpts of testimony I provided in a civil
case last month in Los Angeles, which was adverse to the Church
of Scientology, and of which Scientology attorneys said they would
seek to have stricken in it's entirety, have ironically provided,
out of context, to Grays Harbor County prosecutors to support
their position against Rick Ross.
- I am not, nor have I ever been an employee or an associate
of Rick Ross, and our relationship is of a casual acquaintance.
In fact, I first met Rick Ross in Oklahoma City, in November
1991, during the Scientology operation discussed in the body of
this declaration.
I declare under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true
and correct.
Executed this 20th day of September 1993 in Los Angeles,
California.
Garry L. Scarff, Declarant
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