Intrigued by a group that would go to such lengths to silence its critics, Bob contacted some of the victims of Scientology to find out more about it. Upon learning firsthand the true nature of Scientology, Bob set out to help those who have been victimized and prevent others from suffering the same fate.

In his speech Bob quoted from an editorial in the St. Petersburg Times that asked  "Can Anyone Stand Up to Scientology?"

Read the St. Pete Times Editorial  

A week later, the New York Times followed up with its  own editorial from Frank Rich.

Read the New York Times Editorial

Many people have stood up to Scientology and continue to do so, but no one has invested as much time, energy and money as Bob.  

"Dateline NBC" also ran a lengthy report on Bob.  The show originally aired on June 16, 1998.  The broadcast is available online, but not through our site.

If you would like to watch NBC's Dateline piece entitled "The Crusader," copy and paste this url into your browser:

http://www.users.wineasy.se/noname/multimed/index.htm

Bob Minton has frustrated and enraged Scientology by leveling the playing field.  No longer can Scientology follow Hubbard's policy that calls for them to destroy  their critics -- as Hubbard specifically instructed, "ruin them utterly."  

Nowhere is the danger of Scientology clearer than in the horrifying circumstances of Lisa McPherson's tragic death.  After her family had already brought a civil suit for wrongful death against Scientology, Bob called Lisa's  relatives and asked if he could help.  Since then, Bob has generously financed the civil case against Scientology. 

In December 1997, The New York Times published an article about Bob's involvement in the Scientology issue, including the Lisa McPherson case.

Read the New York Times Article

Bob lived in Boston for a number of years, so the Boston media have been interested in his experiences with Scientology.   

Read the Boston Globe article about Bob.

Also appearing on the Greater Boston show were Scientologists Sylvia Stannard and Frank Offman, both members of Scientology's infamous intelligence arm known as the Office of Special Affairs, or OSA. Little did Bob know what an impact Frank Offman would later have on him. 

A year after the taping of "Greater Boston," Bob and Jesse Prince were picketing outside the Boston Scientology Org when Bob was attacked by Frank Offman.  In watching the video of the event it is very evident that these OSA operatives were under orders to orchestrate an incident that would result in Bob's being arrested.  They succeeded.

But after hearing from Bob's attorney that the videotape showed the two OSA operatives repeatedly assaulting Bob, the judge threw out the charges against Bob. 

The Scientologists act aggressively at these pickets because they are following L. Ron Hubbard's directive:  "Always attack, never defend."  They are told that anyone who attacks Scientology is a criminal and thus they feel justified in their attacks.

As Board Members of FACTnet, Bob Minton and Stacy Brooks were invited to speak at the Leo J. Ryan Conference in January of 1999.  John Carmichael and Sylvia Stannard were two of the Scientology operatives who attended the event to monitor it for OSA.

At the Leo J. Ryan Conference, Bob and Stacy met Mark Bunker, who is now in charge of LMT Media.  Bob provided Mark with the patented MintonCam, a video camera used to document Scientology's abuses.

By mid 1999, Bob made the decision to establish a watchdog group to help people who have been abused by Scientology. Because it had been the dying wish of Lisa McPherson's mother to provide this kind of assistance, he received permission from Lisa's aunt, Dell Leibreich, to name the organization after Lisa. He also decided to establish the group where it would help as many Scientologists as possible -- in Clearwater, Florida. 

This was how the Lisa McPherson Trust was created.  As the team assembled in Clearwater in December 1999, Bob Minton and some future LMT staff members informed the participants of a "Say No to Drugs" race that it was sponsored by Scientology.  

Bob Minton tried to lease space in downtown Clearwater for the LMT offices, but Scientology threatened the property owners and forced them to refuse to rent to him. Undeterred, Bob decided to purchase a building in downtown Clearwater, as close to the Scientology buildings as possible.

There is a small side street shared by Scientology and the LMT named Watterson Street.   Shortly after the LMT opened, Watterson became the center of attention as the Trust held picket signs up to try to communicate with the Scientologists getting off the buses for dinner.  

Scientology convinced the city of Clearwater to paint white lines across Watterson and on the sidewalks on both sides of the street to keep the staff of the LMT from walking past any Scientologists. 

After just a few weeks in Clearwater it became clear to us that the relationship between the city and Scientology had changed dramatically.  Mike Roberto and his assistants had actively tried to prevent us from leasing or purchasing property at the suggestion of Scientology.

Bob and Stacy asked for a meeting with Mike Roberto.  Through mix-ups in the mail, it was thought that Roberto was avoiding meeting with the Trust.   Later, when the meeting actually occurred, Roberto threatened to shut us down if we interfered with his plans for downtown.

Prior to that meeting, Bob Minton spoke for the first time at a Clearwater City Commission Meeting.  

Prior to the LMT's opening, Scientology orchestrated another arrest against Bob Minton for "battery."  Once the arrest occurred, Scientology convinced a judge to grant them an injunction to keep Bob Minton away from Scientology's property. 

Bob was to stay 10 feet away from the Scientologists...they were to stay 20 feet away from Bob.

Scientology later convinced the judge to add other LMT members to the injunction.  The local news reported on the additions.  View the newscasts

Judge Penick

Refusing to plea bargain, Bob went to trial on battery charges for the incident that occurred between him and OSA operative Richard Howd.  Attorney Denis deVlaming clearly explained to the jury how Bob was set up by OSA.  In educating the jury about the policies of Scientology, Denis was able to show that Scientology was trying to manufacture evidence against Bob to label him a criminal. DeVlaming was able to show the jury that this was based on policy by Hubbard that "anyone who criticizes Scientology is a criminal."

It is interesting to take the pulse of the city of Clearwater when Bob and others picket downtown.  From the sound of the car horns as folks drive by, they appreciate what we are trying to do.

For the second year in a row, Bob was invited to come address the Leo J. Ryan Conference in Stamford, Connecticut.  

Leo J. Ryan Speech

Stacy again conducted a panel discussion about the importance of the internet in sharing information about cults.  Other speakers included Stephen Kent and Dr. Robert J. Lifton. View highlights of the Conference

Stamford was just the first travel destination for the LMT in 2000.  In June, Bob, Stacy, Jesse and Mark visited Leipzig, Germany, where Bob was presented with the first Alternative Charlemagne Award.

Ursula is a very good friend of Bob's and other staff at the LMT, so she was invited to visit Clearwater on her vacation. 

Ursula's visit to Clearwater coincided with an important election in the city.  Downtown Clearwater has been practically deserted for years save for the troops of Sea Org members walking through the streets.  The city manager, Mike Roberto, struck a deal with out of town developers in which the city would have given the developers a lease on much of the downtown for a dollar a year.  The people of Clearwater voted down this proposal saying it would only benefit Scientology.

The attacks on Bob Minton by Scientology continued to escalate after the LMT opened its doors.  OSA attempted to get him indicted on bogus money-laundering charges stemming from debt buy-back transactions in which was involved in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

Scientology used John Fashanu, a Nigerian who became a soccer star in England, as  a front man for a report put together by Scientology P.I. David Lee.  The "Fashanu Report," as it became known, is still being used by Scientology to libel Bob even months after the Nigerian Senate investigated the report and announced that Bob had actually saved the government five billion dollars with his deals.

One of the first reporters to be duped by Scientology with the Fashanu Report, George Noah, later discovered the truth and wrote a lengthy article about Scientology's under-handed dealings.

Professor Aluko of the Nigerian Democratic Movement invited Fashanu and Bob Minton to debate at Washington D.C.'s George Washington University.  Bob immediately accepted.

Fashanu also quickly agreed to show up with his "investigator" but when it was discovered that his investigator's true identity was known, Fashanu later backed out.

When Bob returned to Clearwater, he found that the rank and file members of Scientology had been briefed on the Fashanu Report.  They used it and other material during a picket in which the Scientologists had clearly been ordered to provoke Bob into another incident. 

Many of the Scientologists attacking Bob in this picket may some day realize that they have been lied to by Scientology and come to the LMT for help.  That was just the case with Tory Bezazian, a thirty-year veteran of Scientology who last year fought against the critics and this year became one. 

Tory Bezazian was one of the most respected members of Scientology in L.A. and we can see why.  She has quickly become a beloved figure around the Trust.

In November, Mike Krotz and Mr. Scary Productions held a benefit concert for the LMT.  The host of the event was Jamie Kennedy, a slam-poet from the San Francisco area who happens to be the great-grandson of Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. 

Scientology tried everything they could to stop the concert but it was a great success.

Try as they might, Scientology has been unable to derail the LMT which continues to expose the abusive and deceptive practices of Scientology even while fending off lawsuit after lawsuit from the cult.  

Scientology continues to try to silence the LMT and those who come here for aid but we will continue to speak out till the reforms of Scientology are implemented.