Leah Remini Scientology Special & New Show

[Rev. Rye]

Well...Carrie's got some balls, for sure. I hope hired thugs don't break 'em.

That said, from what I know of the harassment campaigns against Scientology defectors, I don't think Miscaviage actually seems interested in reaching that point. I know he's actually got orders that if the private dicks he hires to spy on his dad see him having a heart attack, they are not to intervene, saying "if he dies, he dies," but the Squirrel Busters, the CoS's known goon squad seem more interested in annoying their targets in the hopes that they'll attack and the Church can sue. In general, their intimidation tactics seem to be more psychological than physical, like their endless filing of frivolous lawsuits that they would almost certainly lose, but to get rid of them all would likely bankrupt the target, which is how they took on the IRS and won.

Davey Boy seems to prefer leaving the physical violence to those still in the Church, which actually seems to make sense: committing vague crimes on people who are disloyal (read: unafraid) enough to try to report them and perhaps start legal action, but doing the harder stuff to those still attached enough to the church to not dare to stop it. In Going Clear, when asked what would happen if the FBI actually raided "The Hole," the ant-infested double-wide where Church executives are being held for DM's amusement, Tom DeVogt said "No. I think that everybody, one for one, would have gone, 'What do you mean? We're doing this voluntarily, we like living in these conditions.'" And this seems to have happened when the LAPD investigated Shelley Miscaviage's disappearance.

That said, apparently, when L. Ron Hubbard was still alive, he may have targeted people for assassination, but it doesn't seem like they actually followed through with any of them.