A ‘ Clear’ call to tax church
FILMMAKER Alex Gibney has stepped up his war on Scientology by pushing for “a proper criminal investigation” or “congressional subcommittee” to yank the religion’s taxexempt status.
After Gibney’s HBO doc “Going Clear” revealed allegations against the church of “false imprisonment, human trafficking, wiretaps, assault, harassment and invasion of privacy”— he penned a weekend OpEd in the LA Times urging the IRS to repeal Scientology’s tax exemption since “the First Amendment should not be a smoke screen to hide human rights abuses and possible criminal activities.”
His film says the church owns about $ 3 billion in taxfree real estate. Gibney asserts: “It is hard to see why Americans should subsidize Scientology through its tax-exemption.”
Sources in Gibney’s camp feel the director — who’s previously taken on the Catholic Church and Lance Armstrong— is “wearing down” the famously litigious sect, which uncharacteristically hasn’t commented on his OpEd. HBO’s also said that since “Going Clear” debuted March 29, there have been no legal claims made by the church.
Butwhile Scientology hasn’t responded to Gibney’s column, a Google search for “Alex Gibney” or “Going Clear” brings up a paid link to the church’s Freedom magazine, with videos slamming Gibney as a “propaganda filmmaker” and his movie as featuring “admitted perjurers, admitted liars and professional anti-Scientologists.”
The doc is HBO’s highestrated in nine years, and the book by Lawrence Wright upon which it ia based, has shot back on to the bestseller lists at No. 7.
Gibney claims in his oped, “To maintain the right to be taxexempt . . . religions must fulfill certain requirements for charitable organizations” and “may not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy.” He adds, “There is ample precedent for the revocation of taxexempt status: It happens more than 100 times per year.” He also blasts David Miscavige, Tom Cruise ( claiming he uses “church assets for his personal gain”) and John Travolta, who’s defended Scientology against the film. Their reps didn’t comment.