In 1979, the wife of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and ten other high-ranking executives pleaded guilty and were convicted in US federal court for obstructing justice, burglary of government offices and theft of documents and government property. Known as the ‘Snow White Project’ and uncovered after the FBI raided several Scientology properties across the States, it soon became known as the largest infiltration of the US government in its history.
Documents presented during the trial (United States v. Mary Sue Hubbard et al., 493 F.Supp. 209; D.D.C. 1979) placed estimates at around 5,000 covert agents who were placed by Scientology in various government positions in more than 30 countries. In the US, 136 government agencies were identified as targets including embassies, consulates and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The operatives were found to have committed infiltration, wiretapping and theft of sensitive government documents relating to Scientology. Evidence was found that exposed Scientology’s plot to frame journalist Paulette Cooper for sending bomb threats to the Church – something she wrote about in her book ‘The Perils of Paulette’, excerpts from which we were given permission to publish last year.
In response L. Ron Hubbard disbanded the Guardian’s Office, the department responsible for the illegal activity, though he shortly after established the ‘Office of Special Affairs’ (OSA) to continue carrying out espionage and intelligence activities at his order. This department still exists to this day and although Hubbard died in 1986, it continues to follow the many policy letters and ‘Network Orders’ issued in the years that followed. It’s primary purpose is to act as the public relations arm of the Church of Scientology, fiercely attacking critics through prolific campaigns of harassment and intimidation.
Last year, we published a document that reveals the extent to which OSA has engaged in covert intelligence gathering against government officials in the United Kingdom.
Nonetheless, Scientology has continued to seek in-roads with officials at the local government level and the Mayor of East Grinstead, the town in which their UK Saint Hill headquarters is located, is frequently seen at events and turning on their Christmas lights.
Scientology’s attempts to build relationships with local politicians is governed by a series of policy letters written by L. Ron Hubbard which, per Scientology scripture, must be followed to the letter and remain unaltered. Bluntly, Hubbard wrote “No government bum ever acts on his own initiative: Governments today are simply like prostitutes—they are used” (HCO PL ‘Intelligence Filing’, 21 July 1973).
In another policy titled ‘The Special Zone Plan’, written on 23 June 1960, he wrote “A nation or a state runs on the ability of its department heads, its governors or any other leaders. It is easy to get posts in such areas […] Don’t bother to get elected. Get a job on the secretarial staff or the bodyguard.” He continues “The cue in all this is don’t seek the cooperation of groups. Don’t ask for permission. Just enter them and start functioning.”
Two months later on 15th August 1960, Hubbard established a ‘Department of Government Affairs’ with policy dictating “The goal of the department is to bring the government and hostile philosophies or societies into a state of complete compliance with the goals of Scientology. This is done by high level ability to control and in its absence by low level ability to overwhelm”
The following year, it was renamed the ‘Department of Official Affairs’ in another policy letter which lists creating “a pro-Scientology government of the area” as one of it’s main objectives. How to go about it? Hubbard writes, “the action of bringing about a pro-Scientology government consists of making a friend of the most highly placed government person one can reach, even placing Scientologists in domestic and clerical posts close to him and seeing to it that Scientology resolves his troubles and case.”
Scientology’s intention is not to bring about meaningful change to the local community, but rather to gain favourable press and close ties with decision makers. In ‘Public Image’, written 3 February 1969, Hubbard wrote “You can and must approach governors, parliamentary committees, big names, big activities and get press coverage for every contact.” This was later to become known as ‘safe pointing’ and has resulted in, for example, the previous Mayor of East Grinstead accepting a £50,000 cheque for his charity at the 2023 gathering of the International Association of Scientologists (IAS).
In America, Scientology has forged close ties with the new Trump administration. Multi-millionaire donor Trish Duggan was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center and senior Scientologist attorney John P. Coale was last week named as the White House’s Deputy Ukraine envoy. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr also has links to Scientology, having received payments as a consultant to law firm Wisner Baum. As RadarOnline reports “both partners have huge ties to Scientology, as Baum was an un-indicted co-conspirator in the “Snow White Program” that infiltrated the United States government in the 1970s – and resulted in the 1977 raid of Scientology by the FBI.”
Now, more than ever, it is important for government officials to take a serious look at Scientology’s policies, its history of government infiltration and it’s goal of bringing about “a Scientology world”.
You can watch an interview with former Scientologist Val Ross, who infiltrated the FBI for Scientology, as well as read Scientology’s policy letters for yourself below.
