Switch -Up, Switch-Down

>> Switch-Up, Switch-Down

June 2, 2009:

Three business days have passed since the meeting on May 28, and Childs now telephones with a cordial follow-up to a Davis and Yingling offer to supply documents cited in the meeting of May 28.

Childs proceeds to list what he refers to as the "primary documents of interest."

Most particularly:

• Internet posts attributed to Kingpin that speak of planning an overthrow.
• Kingpin being busted and demoted.
• Kingpin engaging in a reign of terror.
• Documents in Kingpin's own handwriting.
• Con Man's admissions of gross negligence.
• The declaration by the Adulteress.  

Childs additionally inquires after Adulteress' sexual misconduct and extramarital affairs. He specifically wants to know, "how many?" The point being: Adulteress had not told

Childs about her sexual relations with an individual she was reportedly counseling-a breach which had led to her dismissal from Church staff. "We only knew of one when she was a teenager at 17."

When Davis assures Childs the documents are forthcoming, Childs lodges another request to speak to the ex-wives of Kingpin, Con Man and Fact-Checker.

To which Davis again replies without hesitation: "They definitely want to talk to you."

All of which returns Childs to what's obviously foremost on his mind-the July 6 interview with Mr. David Miscavige. As he tells Davis, "We know you guys have a date on the calendar and we appreciate that."

Childs further inquires whether July 6 is the only date available.  Davis reiterates, "No earlier than that. That's right."

And so it was "the switch-up" became a "switch-down." Because while Childs had previously earmarked the week of May 25 as a last chance to respond, he is now telling Davis the timetable is in flux.

June 4, 2009:

Yingling and Davis contact Childs to confirm the requested material will be hand-couriered in a matter of hours. In much the same breath, however, Yingling explains there is another sheaf of documents best presented in person. Accordingly, she doesn't want to send them along without having an opportunity to discuss their implications.

A cordial Childs amicably replies that he and Tobin are available the "next week."

A meeting is then set for the following Wednesday, June 10 in Clearwater, and Yingling again reconfirms the David Miscavige interview as set for the 6th of July: "Mr. Miscavige's schedule is clear. And if you would like to speak to him, he will be available." She then emphasizes that Mr. Miscavige "doesn't mess around on these kinds of things. You should know that."

Childs--as straight as he ever is: "We've got the date on the calendar."

June 10, 2009:

The Church has now compiled an additional thousand column-inches of documentation--all of it exposing S.P. Times sources. Simultaneously, Davis and Feshbach have also now arranged interviews with key Church executives who will provide first-hand accounts of Kingpin and company abuses. These interviews are scheduled to commence immediately on completion of the OT Summit week. Finally, and also as a prelude to the much-anticipated David Miscavige interview, an incisive tour of representative Church facilities is scheduled for both reporters.

Meanwhile, back in the S.P. Times camp, Childs and Tobin have studied the 2,000 column inches. They posed no follow-up questions and arrive at the Fort Harrison's Colonial Conference Room in all apparent eagerness to receive the next thousand inches.

All key players are present: Childs and Tobin on one side of the table; Davis, Feshbach, Yingling and Walsh on the other.

The binders are also conspicuously present, and Church counsel and representatives now walk the reporters through the contents.

Included is a Kingpin admission citing more than 50 counts of physical and verbal abuse on fellow staff members, e.g.:

"I threw him up against a wall, then grabbed him and forcibly led him outside into private for a tongue-lashing."

And,

"I chased him and tackled him down the stairs and shoved his head into the corner, holding his jaw for several seconds while giving him a severe reality adjustment."

In all, this portion of the documentation evidences incidents of violence on 22 individuals-all of them in Mr. Miscavige's absence.

There is another set of documents concerning Adulteress. It catalogs gross executive incompetence coupled with sexual misconduct.

There's another again on the Con Man, who freely confesses to wasting millions in Church funds through botched construction projects.

Initially Childs and Tobin are silent. Childs says only:

"Right."

There's another telling moment when Feshbach asks if Kingpin had ever mentioned the beatings to either reporter.

To which Tobin replies:

"No, nothing like this."

The now obvious point: Never once, in 13 weeks of their "Journalism 101" investigation, did Childs or Tobin ask a single probing question of their sources. They merely provided them a forum to vent. And as even a cub reporter would have surmised, it was all motivated by their sources' desire to "get" Mr. Miscavige.

It concludes with a phrase originally uttered on the 28th. It's a phrase that even appears in the Tobin-Childs article. But it's watered down and buried amidst a mass of unrelated statements, which is a classic tabloid trick. Nevertheless, by the 10th of June, Childs indeed had a story about physical abuse:

"You just have the names wrong.... Literally, the names are wrong."

All again ends on a seemingly congenial note. Davis begins by saying:

"I think the best thing to do is for us to just stay in communication. We are continuing to provide you with things."

But Childs is still pondering the sheer weight of the documentation:

"This obviously took some time. We're glad to have it. It was real helpful. Don't you agree?" (Turning to Tobin.)

Tobin nods.

Davis then concludes with a summary statement that reads:

"Can you now understand why we said, 'If we just send them this, how's that going to....'"

But it's Tobin who now cuts in to assure Davis the meeting was vital:

"No, it needed you here to explain it all."

Davis then assures Childs of continued cooperation:

"Stay in touch and if you think of anything else.… In reading through it [the materials provided], if there is something you don't understand, just call me and we can figure it out."

>> The Final Whipsaw

June 11 - 16, 2009:

Davis, Yingling and company have now departed Clearwater, while Childs and Tobin allegedly "circle back" to present "their people" with a new round of questions.

Concurrently, Mr. Miscavige is now finalizing presentations and materials relative to major strategic strides he will announce starting June 21 at the "OT Summit."

Although the ball is officially in the Tobin-Childs court, Davis, Feshbach, Yingling and Walsh continue scheduling for the tours they hope the reporters will entertain.

June 17, 2009:

11:15 a.m. PST: Childs telephones Davis.

Childs confirms he indeed circled back to his sources--in particular with questions for Kingpin. The Kingpin copped to it and confirmed a final and especially brutal assault on Fact-Checker: "Kingpin mentioned to me people he hit. You were right. He verified the list you gave us and added some names we didn't have."  To which Childs adds: "It is a long list. That too will be in the article."

Childs also tells of questioning Fact-Checker--and yes: "[Fact-Checker] said [Kingpin] hit him, pretty much the way you described it."

In other words, everything the Church had told the Times was true. And in 13 weeks of so-called objective journalistic  "investigation," the Times had discovered none of it.

Immediately thereafter, however, the conversation shifts, and Davis is suddenly cognizant that something has dramatically changed.

Childs' voice is now flat, cold. He informs Davis that Fact-Checker is no longer merely fact-checking, the man has also now "agreed to answer questions on the record" and is corroborating a number of Kingpin's allegations. Childs then lists out a litany of new allegations from Fact-Checker. He then bluntly says: "It's Wednesday. And if you wish to respond, you should do it sooner rather than later."

At which point the exchanges continue in kind with Davis asking,  "Does that mean you're going to press this weekend?"

But this time Childs is evasive, saying only that he "can't be definite about when we will publish."

Davis is astonished,  "My God! So you've actually made the decision to not wait and talk to Mr. Miscavige?  Is that the decision that's actually been made?"

Childs replies, "I didn't say that."

But, in fact, he's now merely paying lip service to a fundamental code of journalistic ethics which absolutely mandates that persons attacked in print be afforded every opportunity to set the record straight. So what's really driving events now is that rather than circling back to their sources with probing questions drawn from Church documentation, Childs and Tobin spent the last seven days covering their bases.

Which is to say: knowing their sources were annihilated, and knowing Kingpin testimony was tainted with repeated lies, Childs and Tobin brought in Fact-Checker to corroborate.

In consequence, and likewise now knowing he must prepare to deal with Fact-Checker's allegations, Davis concludes the conversation by telling Childs he would review the new allegations and get back to him. However,  not without confirming, "You've laid out everything you need to fill me in on?"

Childs responds succinctly: "Yes. You know how to reach me."

June 18, 2009:

The last pieces fall into place through a second telephone call 28 hours later.

In light of the Childs turnabout, Davis and Yingling call the reporter at approximately three o'clock in the afternoon to explain they have rearranged their schedules and will board a third flight to Clearwater-this time to provide reporters with documentation concerning Fact-Checker. They are also now prepared to bring on those Church executives

Childs and Tobin have previously requested to interview. Davis concludes that the Church is available on Wednesday, and would like confirmation Childs and Tobin are available.

Childs disregards the effort and announces for the first time:  "Our position is that the Church can respond today or tomorrow."

Davis is nonplussed, telling Childs it was  made clear from the outset that the people they requested to interview-the alleged victims of violence-wanted to speak to the Times: "We still maintain those people are available to you."

Childs responds, and he obviously couldn't care less: "We are not willing to wait till next Wednesday."

It's at this point that Yingling raises the most critical issue of all--the original Tobin-Childs request for a David Miscavige interview. It's a request Mr. Miscavige has honored from day one and it's still on calendar for the 6th of July: "So are you now saying that you don't want to interview Mr. Miscavige

after he agreed to be interviewed?"

The Childs position is almost inconceivable: "We are not waiting until July 6 to talk to Mr. Miscavige."

Davis, searching for some shred of logic: "How can you do a full story without talking to the person who is the focus of the story?"

Yet by now Childs is simply repeating stock answers:

"We have talked to you folks for 17 hours.

"We're a news organization.

"We've listened carefully and now it's time to go."

And when bluntly asked why he was willing to publish a story about the Church with allegations about its leader without even interviewing the subject of that story, all he can finally admit to is: "I didn't expect that you guys would say, 'Ok, you can interview him.' So I thought, 'Well, gosh. This is probably a story that he is not gonna sit and talk to us.'"

The admission was stunning. The Times had banked on the target of their attack not responding to their allegations. Now the Times would cancel it so he couldn't respond.

Finally, when asked why he was willing to forego all other previously scheduled interviews (interviews requested by the Times) and why he likewise refused to tour Church facilities, he simply shrugs it off with another stock tagline: "Not for this story."

But there was something else Childs said, which evidenced either his irresponsibility or that someone else was pulling the strings: "This isn't a Joe Childs decision." To which he later added in emphasis: "This is an organizational decision."

>> The Eleventh-Hour Shuffle

What the S.P. Times would later characterize as the Church of Scientology's "Eleventh-Hour Appeal" commenced on June 19, 2009. It was so named for what the S.P. Times would seem to have regarded as an inside joke--that they were granting the Church clemency from a death sentence. After all, everybody in the Tampa/St. Pete area knew the Times saw itself as judge, jury and executioner, not to mention emperor of the Gulf Coast. But, in fact, all that died on the 19th of June were the last remaining vestiges of journalistic integrity.

All began when Church executives insist on traveling to Clearwater to personally present their own first-hand accounts. To effect exactly that, Davis arranges a convergence of nearly two dozen people into Clearwater, including a dozen International Management executives who have known and worked with Mr. Miscavige for decades and whom the Times supposedly requested to interview just weeks earlier. Also arriving from New York and Washington, DC, are Church counsel Yingling and Walsh. All are determined to speak to Childs and Tobin.

When all flights are arranged, Davis telephones Childs and leaves the message: He is coming to Clearwater and will meet the reporters at the Fort Harrison--10 a.m. sharp.

June 19, 2009:

In fact, however, Tobin and Childs are late--10:21 a.m. to be precise.

Davis opens the meeting with pertinent information on the Fact-Checker, including: how he lied under penalty of perjury, how he lied to Mr. Miscavige on 43 separate occasions regarding critical legal issues and how he deliberately sabotaged the restoration of the most fundamental Scientology Scriptures.

Also on the table are the details of Fact-Checker's departure from the Church-not in protest, not under pressure, but out of frustration for the fact he'd been demoted.

With nothing more to say about their Fact-Checker, it's now that Davis informs Childs and Tobin a number of people have flown through the night and are waiting to see them.

Tobin and Childs are wary, but with Davis, Yingling, Walsh and Feshbach pressing, the reporters resentfully begin to hear from those who best knew the Kingpin, the Con Man, the Fact-Checker and Adulteress.

Included therein are ex-wives, two of whom were their former husbands' superiors, and they describe exactly how the men had lied. There are also victims of Kingpin abuse who detail every blow. There are still more again from those who worked with Mr. Miscavige for decades.

It is in reply to all this, then, that Childs keeps asking:

"Are we ready to just go? Let's go."

Tobin:

"You're dumping. This is a dumping thing, you're dumping them on us."

Childs:

"We're on our way. We're on our way."

And so it went until Childs and Tobin indeed pull the plug. Those left standing in their wake include Marc Yager, Guillaume Lesevre, Ray Mithoff and Mark Ingber--representing a combined Church experience of more than 450 years. Moreover, had they been given opportunity to fully respond, these interviewees would have provided unequivocal, first-hand evidence that the Times sources were lying and that Kingpin committed the physical abuse. [See The Brush-Off]

>> What Happens Now, Joe?

Not only has Joe Childs now formally turned his back on a level of access to Church executives unprecedented in Church history, he finishes the day with an outright refusal to interview Mr. David Miscavige. It is an interview he never intended to conduct.

Feshbach:

"I take it this means that you don't want to interview Mr. Miscavige?"

Childs responds with an unreadable expression:

"No. We are not waiting till July the 6th."

Of course, the Times knows Mr. Miscavige is out of the country and not available until the 6th of July, immediately following his return to the States.

Davis:

"So what happens now, Joe?"

Childs with still no recognizable emotion:

"We publish our story when we get it ready."

In fact, the Tobin-Childs story was all but written and all that remained was the pretense of objectivity in the face of facts such as these:

• That the reporters had spent more than 500 hours and 13 weeks in three states developing their story, and had even flown in one source to convince another to formally "go on record."
• That in contrast to those 13 weeks and 500 hours the Church was afforded barely 30 hours over three weeks. Moreover, even while meeting with the Church, the reporters continued "massaging" their sources for stories… Which, all told, means Tobin and Childs devoted more than 16 weeks to "their folks."
• And that in the end, had they only waited another two weeks as previously agreed, they could have at least fulfilled their first and foremost obligation to meet with the man whom they were ultimately writing about. (While despite the urgency with which they supposedly "rushed to press," they spend the morning after publication breakfasting Adulteress at an International House of Pancakes in Clearwater.)

It was also now incumbent on reporters to cloud the fact that through those 16 weeks they never once revealed the focus of their story was Mr. Miscavige-exclusively. In that regard, it was a liar's game from the start: first requesting an interview, then summarily cancelling it-and all the while knowing the jig wouldn't be up until their story hit the stands.

Then again, of course, they had to justify the fact they published a three-part series on a man they never interviewed-indeed, even cancelled the scheduled interview.

And finally, they had to justify the fact they had graced the front page of their paper with his photograph, because who would buy an S.P. Times with the faces of their sources on the cover-people nobody ever heard of, much less cared about?