WASHINGTON (AP) – NEWLY RELEASED DOCUMENTS SAY CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY LEADERS STOLE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE RECORDS ON SINGER FRANK SINATRA AND LOS ANGELES MAYOR TOM BRADLEY.
CHURCH MEMOS IN THE DOCUMENTS REVEAL INFORMATION WAS STOLEN ON BRADLEY, SINATRA AND OTHER WELL KNOWN FIGURES ”TO SHOW IRS COLLECTION OF NON-TAX RELATED DATA ON FAMOUS PEOPLE.”
THE CHURCH CLAIMS THE IRS AND OTHER AGENCIES HAVE CARRIED ON A VENDETTA AGAINST IT OVER THE YEARS.
THE ACTUAL RECORDS OF SINATRA AND BRADLEY WERE NOT AMONG THE SIX CARTONS OF DOCUMENTS RELEASED THURSDAY BY U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE CHARLES R. RICHEY. THE DOCUMENTS WERE SEIZED IN 1977 DURING FBI RAIDS OF THE CHURCH’S LOS ANGELES OFFICES.
LAST FRIDAY, RICHEY CONVICTED EIGHT CHURCH LEADERS OF CONSPIRING TO STEAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE CHURCH. A NINTH MEMBER WAS CONVICTED OF A MISDEMEANOR THEFT COUNT.
JUST BEFORE THE VERDICT, RICHEY RELEASED DOCUMENTS USED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THE CRIMINAL CASE. THURSDAY HE BEGAN MAKING PUBLIC REMAINING DOCUMENTS SEIZED IN THE RAID.
THE NEWLY RELEASED CHURCH DOCUMENTS SAID SCIENTOLOGISTS HAD A “DOOM PROGRAM’ TO DISCREDIT THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. OTHER CHURCH RECORDS SAID LEADERS MET WITH SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY, D-MASS, AND TRIED TO START A SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST SEN. DENNIS DECONCINI D-ARIZ.
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News: Washington Capital News Service (December 7, 1978)
File/Ref. No.: 62-117658-A
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