The church reportedly paid as much as $10,000 a week to hire private detectives.
When L. Ron Hubbard established the first Church of Scientology in 1952 no one could have predicted how powerful the institution would become in 2015. So powerful that it could spend $10,000 a week having the father of the church’s leader followed by a pair of private detectives.
Ronald Miscavige, 79, left the Church of Scientology, which has been under the stewardship of his 54-year-old son since 1986. Shortly after Miscavige left the church he claims his son began having him followed. These claims first came to light 2 years ago when one of the private detectives hired to follow and keep tabs on Miscavige was arrested in Wisconsin carrying a slew of weapons and ammunition.
According to police documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times, the Church of Scientology was paying as much as $10,000 a week to have private detective Dwayne Powell follow Miscavige on a full-time basis.
Miscavige believes that this was a direct order from his son. Powell claims that his job was to make sure that Miscavige did not reveal any of the church’s secrets to the public.
Attorneys for The Church of Scientology are categorically denying all of Miscavige’s allegations.
In a statement to the Times, David Miscavige’s personal attorney, Michael Lee Hertzberg, denied any connection between Powell and his client.
“Please be advised that Mr. Miscavige does not know Mr. Powell, has never heard of Mr. Powell, has never met Mr. Powell, has never spoken to Mr. Powell, never hired Mr. Powell and never directed any investigations by Mr. Powell.”
Notoriously private and quick to send out attorneys, this is the second controversy in short order that The Church of Scientology is facing, recently an HBO documentary aired with many former church members providing revealing statements about the churches practices.
