------------------------------------------------------------------- F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. =====================================================================  Info on FACTNETTEXTMSWD~_+LuͪuX FACTNET WHAT IS FACTNet? "FACTNet" is neither factual nor a network. It isn't just the invention of some kook with a computer. It is a hateful and malicious repository of lies, perversions and slander in the guise of an "information service." While its operator tries to pass it off as an "electronic bulletin board," FACTNet in reality is a sham 501(c)(3) organization that is currently under investigation by federal agencies for mail fraud and hate crimes. It is a scam with no other purpose than to make money by disseminating false and derogatory information about the Scientology religion and its parishioners. The information highway is not the problem. Larry Wollersheim is. In January 1994, Wollersheim first surfaced as "Factnet" when he mailed out to 2,500 members of the Church a scurrilous brochure entitled "Death, Psychosis and Scientology." It contained a list of more than 100 individuals who supposedly had suffered nervous breakdowns, threatened or committed suicide, or been murdered, somehow in connection with their involvement in Scientology. The purported reason for the mailing was to solicit information about the people on the list. The real reason was to malign the Scientology religion and its members by presenting a pack of grotesque lies and innuendo. The completely fabricated character of Wollersheim's accusations is shown by his reliance on sources such as Steven Fishman, who was convicted in 1990 on an obstruction of justice charge following his attempt to frame the Church of Scientology. The FBI investigated and found that Fishman's allegations against Scientology were completely fabricated. Robert Dondero, the Assistant United States Attorney, testified at Fishman's sentencing hearing in July 1990 that, "he [Fishman] went to the FBI and met with the FBI in South Florida and told the FBI, Fishman did, that he was aware of three murders committed by the Church of Scientology in North Carolina. And he told them about the fact that the three people allegedly killed were James Gore, George Perkins and Rita Livingston. And he said they were all killed because Scientology wanted access to their property, and that therefore they were given cyanide and Scientology is responsible." Dondero continued, "Well, the FBI checked that out, and I can represent to the court that James Gore died in 1986 of a heart attack medically evaluated by the coroner's office in North Carolina. George Perkins died of cancer. He had it for over a year. It was diagnosed by doctors for a year's time before he died. And Rita Livingston is alive and well in North Carolina and is not dead at all... I think we have to open our eyes to this individual, realize that he has serious problems, that he is a con artist and a man who commits crimes, and that he has to be punished for it." Despite having access to this information, Wollersheim blatantly forwarded Fishman's allegations. Factnet is akin to a neo-Nazi psychotic with a computer. He culls the obituary notices for Jewish names, loads them into a computer and then sits down and invents "reasons" for their deaths, claiming it has something to do with their religion. He sends out the list to synagogue members and the media "asking for information" regarding the "mysterious" deaths of these people and asks Temple leaders to prove that the people on the list were not killed as part of their religious beliefs and practices. Wollersheim's January 1994 Factnet mailing was a random collection of names, alleged incidents, non-incidents, speculations and fabrications. It even calls itself a list of "allegations" or "alleged" deaths, suicides, etc. The questionnaire included 112 ludicrous entries such as: "An individual (name unknown) jumped to his death from the Hanover bank building in New York City circa 1981-3." Or: "82. Cooper's book mentions another individual who threatened suicide but didn't...;" or "76. (first name unknown) Anderson." In fact, 17 of the 112 entries do not have any name at all; another 10 have only a first or last name. Responsibility for any consequence of the list is falsely shirked by the disclaimer printed on it: "This questionnaire contains allegations, opinions, and beliefs covered by the First Amendment." It says nothing about containing any facts, despite its name of "Factnet" and is truthfully devoid of any facts. Factually, the "allegations, opinions and beliefs" contained in Wollersheim's mailing are wholly unsupported and insupportable. He does not even bother to attempt to support his insane ramblings, listing no sources of credible evidence for even one word of his outrageous writings. Wollersheim's first mailing was followed by a second mailing entitled "Corrections and Additions to the January 3, 1994 Questionnaire." This 30-page supplement purports to make "corrections" to the information contained in the January flyer. For example: "January mailing #50: Doreen Gaul and James Sharp. "RANDOM LOS ANGELES VIOLENCE HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH SCIENTOLOGY." He freely admits that the first mailing contained numerous false and misleading statements. His "Corrections and Additions" document admits to being itself incomplete, "apologizes" for any errors, and concedes that it may contain inaccuracies. Yet, he continues to forward the same false statements and adds dozens more. There are, for example, 38 separate entries of alleged deaths or instances of psychosis of persons "Name unknown" or for which there is only a first or last name. "1992, Oct Baker (first name unknown) suicide A person with the last name of Baker committed suicide somewhere in Europe." "1989 or 90 name unknown cover-up of death. An older Sea Organization member died. FACT's source heard OSA agents talking about keeping it quiet. The death of this individual occurred between November '89 and April '90." "late 70's name unknown suicide A guy committed suicide in Royal Oak, Michigan." No documentation whatever is presented; and Wollersheim again inserts his disclaimer that this document, too, "contains allegations, opinions and beliefs protected by the First Amendment..." There is no claim that this product of Factnet's contains any facts. Merely inserting a disclaimer provides no legal protection whatsoever for Factnet's numerous false statements. In fact, it highlights the irresponsibility of Factnet's reporting. Moreover, the actions being taken by Factnet clearly violate the rights of the Church and of the parishioners mentioned by Factnet. Wollersheim's allegations in Factnet are not even new, and they have been thoroughly discredited even in the judicial arena. They are in the same vein as the fabrications that were trumped up in 1982 for Clearwater City Commission public hearings that were held expressly to discredit the Church and get an oppressive ordinance passed. That ordinance was shot down in a blistering ruling against the City of Clearwater issued by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on September 30, 1993. The Court particularly targeted the prejudicial character of the hearings, noting that "the city commission hired a Boston lawyer named Michael Flynn to coordinate the publicly televised hearings that eventually led to adoption of the 1983 and 1984 ordinances. As reported in the Clearwater media and well known to the Commission and the public, Flynn had dedicated much of his career to fighting Scientology. It was Flynn who first suggested adoption of a charitable solicitation ordinance, the avowed purpose of which was to target Scientology. In his written report, Flynn appealed to the prejudices of his clients...." The 11th Circuit found that "[t]hese materials provide explicit evidence that the city commission conducted its legislative process from beginning to end with the intention of singling out Scientology for burdensome regulation." Wollersheim's obsession with attacking the Scientology religion and the Church's members was shown in a letter dated January 20, 1994, from Wollersheim to the Pinellas County Property Tax Appraiser. Based on the IRS's recognition of tax-exempt status to Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, settlement was also reached with county property tax officials regarding the Church's property tax exemption. Before settlement was reached, having gotten wind of this favorable settlement, Wollersheim wrote to the county officials imploring them not to go through with the settlement. He stated that he "shortly ... will have all 12,000 pages of the IRS ruling scanned into our searchable computer data base" for the purpose of using former members of the Church "and possibly several former high ranking IRS officials" to re-examine "this data base for fraud in Scientology's application." Wollersheim's 12,000 pages of data never materialized and the county officials were apparently unimpressed with his offer. The settlement was completed in early 1994. Wollersheim, like a ghoul or a grave robber, seeks to exploit the very real tragedies of accidents or deaths by natural causes, insulting and offending the victim, their friends and loved ones. It is difficult to think of a more despicable or callous act. And in the end, what at most has Factnet actually said? That Scientologists, like every other person on planet earth, die at some time or another. Well, the Church of Scientology has never promised bodily immortality, and neither has any other religion. Mark Pope Member, Church of Scientology  ================================================================= If this is a copyrighted work, you are acknowledging by receipt of this document from FACTNet that on the basis of reasonable investigation, you have not been to obtain a copy elsewhere at a fair price, and that you are and will abide by the following copyright warning. WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photo copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. FACTNet reserves the right to refuse to accept an order for copying or other duplication, or delivery of copied or duplicated material if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD CATALOG ENTRY DOS FILENAME OF TEXT FILE: E:\PCB\SCNR\FILES\FACTNET.TXT DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: SECURITY CODE: DISTRIBUTION CODE: NAME FOR BBS: SORT TO: CONTRIBUTOR: LOC. OF ORIG: NOTES: For additional verification see image files contained in the file with same name and .ZIP extension. UPDATED ON: UPDATED BY: =================================================================