Editing David Miscavige (section)

== Rise to leadership position ==

{{quotebox |width=40% |quote=In 1981 David Miscavige had begun the year as a cameraman at [[Gold Base|Gilman Hot Springs]] and a junior member of the Commodore's Messenger Organization. He ended it in charge of the Watchdog Committee and the All Clear Unit which he announced was now senior to CMO International. |author=—Stewart Lamont |source=''[[Religion Inc.]]''{{r|lamont|p=94}} }}

In the late 1970s, after the public relations disaster of the criminal convictions of eleven leaders of the [[Guardian's Office]], including Hubbard's wife [[Mary Sue Hubbard|Mary Sue]], Hubbard had to maintain his distance from Church management since he had formally resigned in 1966. Hubbard further distanced himself from the Guardian's Office, his wife, and CMO—which stood for Commodore Messengers Org where "Commodore" had been Hubbard's title as leader of the Sea Org.

In April 1979, the Watchdog Committee was formed, consisting of the senior executives of CMO International, with Miscavige assuming a prominent role.{{r|atack|pp=257-258}}{{r|lamont|p=91}} When Hubbard went into hiding with Pat and Annie Broeker in 1980, Miscavige became the sole link between Hubbard and church leaders, secretly relaying Hubbard's orders from the Broekers.<ref name="Man in Control"/> In early 1981, Miscavige set up the [[All Clear Unit]] "which was allegedly designed to work towards a situation when Hubbard could come back on lines"; to be "All Clear" for Hubbard to emerge from hiding.{{r|lamont|p=94}}

By the end of 1981, Miscavige was in charge of the Watchdog Committee and the All Clear Unit,{{r|lamont|p=94}} as well as [[Author Services Inc.]], a for-profit entity established in 1981 to manage Hubbard's literary and financial affairs.<ref name="Man in Control">{{Cite news| first=Joel | last=Sappell |author2=Welkos, Robert W. | url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-scientologysideb062490-story.html | title=The Man In Control | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | page=A41:4 |date=June 24, 1990 | access-date=June 6, 2006}}</ref> As head of the CMO, Miscavige sent out teams to investigate problem areas within Scientology.{{sfn|Miscavige|2016|pp=105}} 

Next, setting his sights on dismantling the larger and more powerful Guardian's Office, Miscavige strong-armed Hubbard's wife [[Mary Sue Hubbard|Mary Sue]] to resign from her post as Guardians' controller, removed several other GO officials, and [[purge]]d several more through [[Comm Evs]] including [[David Gaiman]], [[Duke Snider (Scientology)|Duke Snider]], [[Mo Budlong]] and [[Henning Heldt]].{{r|lamont|pp=94-95}} The ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' later reported: "During two heated encounters, Miscavige persuaded Mary Sue Hubbard to resign. Together they composed a letter to Scientologists confirming her decision – all without ever talking to L. Ron Hubbard."{{r|sptimes1998}} She subsequently changed her mind, believing that she had been tricked.{{r|atack|page=266}} Despite this, Miscavige claims he and Mary Sue remained friends thereafter.<ref name="barefaced">{{Cite book | author=Miller, Russell | author-link=Russell Miller | title=Bare-faced Messiah, The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard | publisher=Henry Holt & Co | location=New York | edition=First American | year=1987 | isbn=0805006540 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/barefacedmessiah00mill_0/page/305 305–306, 369] |url=https://archive.org/details/barefacedmessiah00mill_0/page/305}}</ref>

===Corporate restructuring===
In 1982,<ref name="religioninc" /><ref name="christensen" /> Miscavige set up a new organizational structure to insulate Hubbard from personal liability and to handle his personal wealth through a corporate entity outside of the Scientology network. He established the [[Religious Technology Center]] (RTC), an entity responsible for licensing Scientology's intellectual property, and Author Services Inc. to manage the proceeds.<ref name="religioninc" /> Miscavige has held the title of [[chairman of the board]] of the RTC since the organization's founding.<ref name="christensen" /> The [[Church of Spiritual Technology]] (CST) was created at the same time with an [[option (finance)|option]] to repurchase all of RTC's intellectual property rights.<ref name="religioninc" /> In a 1982 [[probate]] case, [[Ronald DeWolf]], Hubbard's estranged son, accused Miscavige of [[embezzlement|embezzling]] from and manipulating his father. Hubbard denied this in a written statement, saying that his business affairs were being well managed by Author Services Inc., of which Miscavige was also chairman of the board. In the same document, Hubbard called Miscavige a "trusted associate" and "good friend" who had kept his affairs in good order. A judge ruled the statement was authentic.{{r|sptimes1998}} The case was dismissed on June 27, 1983.<ref name="barefaced" />

In October 1982, Miscavige required Scientology Missions to enter new trademark usage contracts which established stricter policies on the use of Scientology materials.<ref name="Man in Control" /><ref name="mystery">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,951938,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930094022/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,951938,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |title = Mystery of the Vanished Ruler |access-date=August 10, 2007 |date=January 31, 1983 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> Over the two years following the formation of the RTC, Miscavige and his team replaced most of Scientology's upper and middle management.<ref name=Nordhausen /> A number of those ousted attempted to establish breakaway organizations including the [[Advanced Ability Center]] led by [[David Mayo (Scientology)|David Mayo]], a former RTC board member who had also been Hubbard's personal auditor.<ref name=Nordhausen /><ref>{{cite book| last =Abgrall | first = Jean-Marie | title =Soul Snatchers: The Mechanics of Cults | url =https://archive.org/details/soulsnatchersmec0000abgr | url-access =registration |publisher=Algora Publishing | year=1999 |page=[https://archive.org/details/soulsnatchersmec0000abgr/page/294 294] |isbn=978-1892941046}}</ref> The Advanced Ability Center closed in 1984, two years after opening.<ref name=Nordhausen>{{citation|ref=Nordhausen|title=Scientology. Wie der Sektenkonzern die Welt erobern will|last1=Nordhausen|first1=Frank|last2=von Billerbeck|first2=Liane|year=2008|publisher=Ch. Links Verlag|place=Berlin|pages=278, 288, 302|isbn=978-3861534709|language=de}}</ref>