Declaration of Vicki Aznaran (May 31, 1988)

I, VICKI AZNARAN, do hereby declare as follows:¹

I am over the age of eighteen and if called to the stand and sworn under oath I could competently testify as follows:

1. I was involved with the Church of Scientology from 1972 to April 1987. During this time I held various management roles within the Church of Scientology. In 1982 I became an official for the Religious Technology Center which controlled the use of Scientology trademarks. At one time I was head of this entity.

2. Prior to my tenure at RTC, I was a Commodore Messenger in Clearwater, Florida.

3. Around 1981 and into 1982, Scientology disbanded the Guardian’s Office as members of the same had been arrested for theft of government documents and obstruction of justice.

4. I personally read dispatches setting forth L. Ron Hubbard’s plan that Scientology should separate itself from the acts that were done in the Guardian’s Office and therefore the Guardian’s Office should be disbanded.

5. Your declarant was selected to go to Los Angeles and take over the United States Guardian’s Office for purposes of reforming it and disbanding it. Pursuant to said plan, I reviewed many of the Scientology documents seized by the FBI. The accuracy and legitimacy of these documents were confirmed to me by other Scientology officials, including Norman Starkey and staff members of the Guardian’s Office who were on staff at the time documents were seized. These informants included Joe Lisa, Tom Ritchie, and Laurie Zurn.

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6. While the Guardian’s Office was disbanded, the same was done in “name” only. The role was assumed by the Office of Special Affairs International located in Los Angeles at the old Ceders Complex.

7. Scientology still ran covert operations that included planting people as spies, bugging of rooms and raiding people’s garbage, particularly opposing legal staff, looking for information.

8. The Office of Special Affairs International has a public relations division which subscribes to a “clipping service” and maintains files concerning publicity and articles generated concerning the Church of Scientology.

9. The Office of Special Affairs International further has a legal division which monitors all legal cases involving the Church of Scientology and maintains records relating thereto.

10. In 1984 I attended a meeting of high Church of Scientology officials, including David Miscavige, Starkey, and Marty Rathburn. At this meeting Mr. Miscavige said that something had to be done about “squirrels.” “Squirrels” is a Scientology term for people who have left Scientology and offer an altered version of Scientology technology to the public. I personally heard Mr. Miscavige discuss getting their “field people” to go out and beat up squirrels. (In Scientology, field people are Scientologists not employed specifically by the Church.) These instructions were given to Warren McShane. Plans were discussed as to who would do it.

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11. In late 1986, I saw a directive concerning planting someone close to Bent Corydon in order to obtain the manuscript of his book that he was writing on L. Ron Hubbard.

12. In 1982, I listened to a tape of L. Ron Hubbard outlining a plan, the purpose of which was to take over control of the Missions so that Scientology could control the Mission money and assets. It would also give Scientology the power to control and dictate activities of any Missions. Prior to this, Missions were generally autonomous.

13. As part of this plan, the purpose of the plan was not to be disclosed to the Mission holders. A sales pitch was created to falsely advise Mission holders that the new articles and by-laws would make their Missions better and more independent.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the above is true and correct to the best of my belief.

Executed on May 31, 1988, at Dallas, Texas.

[signed]
Vicki Aznaran

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