LAWSUIT GOES AFTER SCIENTOLOGY, CRUISE "Tom Cruise is named in a $250 million federal lawsuit that is using the RICO statute against the Church of Scientology. Ex-Scientologist Peter Letterese, a longtime critic of the church, filed suit in Southern District Court in Florida on July 15 alleging, among other things, that members of the church harassed him after he left. … Letterese calls the church a 'crime syndicate' and wants it broken up under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization law, just as the feds have broken up Mafia families. He singles out Cruise, who's made no secret of his religion, saying that Scientology head David Miscavage is 'aided and abetted by the actions of Tom Cruise, his right-hand man for foreign and domestic promotion, as well as for foreign and domestic lobbying. He has assisted the syndicate in acquiring funds and [made] his own donations of money believed to be in the multiple tens of millions of dollars.'"
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This could really work. I hadn't thought of that, but RICO would definitely apply, IF, and it is a gigantic IF, any person working for the church has harassed him. It is not enough for fellow church members to harass him. It would have to be a church employee harassing him. Even if the church directed mere members to harass him, it would not be enough for RICO. Well, it would be enough for RICO, but it would be impossible to prove that the church had issued such an order.
Of course, this could be nothing more than a money grab, so take it with a grain of salt.
One of this guy's complaints is that the Church of $cientology is using a book to which he holds intellectual property rights. So I guess you could say there's a bit of "money grab" to the lawsuit.
But get this: The book is titled EFFECTIVE SALES CLOSING TECHNIQUES.
What kind of church uses, as part of its teachings or training, a book called Effective Sales Closing Techniques?
A money-grubbing cult, of course.