Operation Snow White
Operation Snow White was a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the Church of Scientology during the 1970s, designed to expunge unfavourable records pertaining to Scientology and its founder, L Ron Hubbard.
This extensive project encompassed a series of infiltrations and thefts from 136 government agencies, foreign embassies, consulates, and private organisations critical of Scientology, executed by Church members across more than 30 countries.
It constituted one of the most significant infiltrations of the United States government in history, involving up to 5,000 covert agents. This operation also brought to light "Operation Freakout," another Scientology plot, as Operation Snow White initiated the U.S. government's investigation of the Church.
The origins of Operation Snow White stem from the increasing scrutiny faced by the Church of Scientology from US federal agencies in the early 1970s, including claims by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding millions of dollars in unpaid taxes and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents infiltrating the organisation.
In response, the Church launched a publicity campaign, initiated extensive litigation against the IRS, and began a programme of infiltrating agency offices.
The Guardian's Office (GO), established by L. Ron Hubbard in 1966 to safeguard Scientology's interests, was the specific branch responsible for the operation. L. Ron Hubbard oversaw the Guardian's Office, with his wife, Mary Sue Hubbard, holding the title of Commodore Staff Guardian.
Guardian Order 732, authored by L. Ron Hubbard himself, marked the beginning of Operation Snow White, calling for the removal and correction of "erroneous" Scientology files, though this was initially meant to be achieved legally. This directive quickly evolved to include illicit means, leading to federal prosecutors naming Hubbard an "unindicted co-conspirator". Guardian Order 1361 further refined the plan, mandating infiltration of the IRS and Department of Justice offices in Los Angeles and London.
Under Operation Snow White, Scientology operatives engaged in infiltration, wiretapping, and the theft of documentsfrom government offices, most notably the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
The GO recruited field agents to infiltrate various governmental offices, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Coast Guard intelligence service, and the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as the American Medical Association.
Examples of implementation included Gerald Wolfe and Michael Meisner gaining employment as clerk-typists at the IRS, where they illegally copied files on tax-exempt organisations. In November 1974, a GO agent bugged a meeting concerning Scientology's tax-exempt status. Documents, some as thick as 20 inches, were stolen from the IRS Chief Counsel's office and the Refund Litigation Service.
"Project Horn" was conceived to provide cover for obtaining IRS documents, involving the theft of IRS stationery to forge letters from a fictional disgruntled employee to disseminate documents, including those on Scientology, appearing to come from within the IRS.
Following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the IRS, operatives targeted Charles Zuravin, the government's attorney in the case, stealing an index of Scientology files that effectively catalogued documents for the GO.
False IRS identification cards were created to gain access to restricted federal courthouse areas and steal more documents. Significant efforts were directed at Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Dodell's office, from which keys were duplicated and numerous documents related to Scientology litigation were stolen and photocopied.
The operation began to unravel when Meisner and Wolfe were confronted by FBI agents at the US Courthouse in June 1976 after night librarian Johnson reported their suspicious activities.
Gerald Wolfe was arrested for possessing a forged official pass. Michael Meisner, initially hidden by the Guardian's Office, eventually escaped and cooperated with the FBI. On 8 July 1977, the FBI raided Church of Scientology locations in Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Washington, D.C., seizing documentation of illegal activities against the US government and other perceived enemies, including "Operation Freakout".
Ultimately, eleven high-ranking Church executives, including Mary Sue Hubbard (L. Ron Hubbard's third wife and the organisation's second-in-command), pleaded guilty or were convicted in federal court of obstructing justice, burglary of government offices, and theft of documents and government property. L. Ron Hubbard was named an "unindicted co-conspirator".
List of Crimes Commited:
- Infiltration of 136 government agencies, foreign embassies and consulates, and private organisations critical of Scientology across more than 30 countries.
- Theft of documents and government property from government offices.
- Burglary of government offices. This involved breaking into various offices.
- Wiretapping. A GO agent bugged a meeting concerning Scientology's tax-exempt status in November 1974.
- Possession and use of a forged official pass of the United States.
- Obstruction of justice. This included attempts to destroy evidence linking involved Scientologists to the Church.
- Forging letters from a fictional disgruntled IRS employee, using stolen IRS stationery, to disseminate documents.
- Planting false information into US security agency computers, such as "Operation Cat," to ridicule American security.
- Conspiracy to frame individuals on false charges, as seen in "Operation Freakout," which targeted author Paulette Cooper and Gabe Cazares, mayor of Clearwater, Florida. This also extended to targeting Sir John Foster and Lord Balniel .
- Criminal conspiracy, Conspiracy felony, and aiding and abetting burglary.