Kurt Weiland

Kurt Weiland is a native of Austria and an executive in the Church of Scientology International.[3] He is director of external affairs for the Church of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs,[1] and Scientology's vice president of communications.[4] He is a member of the organization's board of directors,[5][6] and handles government, legal and public affairs for Scientology.[7] He has often represented Scientology to the press as a media spokesman.[8] Weiland works out of the Church of Scientology's offices in Los Angeles, California.[9][10]

Kurt Weiland
NationalityAustrian[1]
EmployerChurch of Scientology International
TitleDirector of External Affairs, Office of Special Affairs[1]
Director, Church of Scientology International[2]
WebsiteKurt Weiland at Scientology.org

Work for Church of Scientology

In 1984 Weiland was a member of the Church of Scientology's Religious Technology Center, and performed work for the organization in Santa Barbara, California.[11] Weiland was executive director of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs in 1994,[12][13] and was responsible for its international legal affairs and public relations.[14][15] In December 1994 he prevented Richard Leiby, a reporter for The Washington Post, from attending a luncheon at the National Press Club sponsored by the Church of Scientology International.[13][16] Weiland did not allow Leiby to enter the First Amendment Lounge, and told him: "You seem to make a living by writing falsehoods."[13] "We know that you used to work in Clearwater, and we know exactly what you wrote," Weiland said to Leiby.[13]

In an interview at the National Press Club in 1994, the St. Petersburg Times asked Weiland and Scientology President Heber Jentzsch about the Church of Scientology's practice of investigating reporters who write about Scientology.[15][16] "First of all, we don't do that. There's no institutional or organized campaign or effort or action ongoing to go after a reporter," lied Weiland.[15] When asked about a discrepancy after Church of Scientology officials confirmed in 1998 that their attorneys had hired a firm to investigate a reporter for the Boston Herald, Weiland said: "It's not a personal thing. Every time a reporter steps out of his way to create damage to the church ... then, of course, it's gloves off."[15] He said that the Boston Herald reporter's articles were inaccurate, and the Church of Scientology decided to investigate the individual in order to determine what "vested interest" he was working for and what "sinister motive" he had.[15]

Weiland was the Deputy Commanding Officer of the Office of Special Affairs in 1995,[17] and served on the board of directors of the Church of Scientology International.[18][19] In 1996 he was director of the Office of Special Affairs,[20] and in 1997 Weiland managed external affairs for the Church of Scientology.[21][22]

On June 13, 2003, Weiland accompanied actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise and director of the Church of Scientology's Los Angeles Celebrity Centre, Tommy Davis, to meet with then-United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.[1][4][23] In the half-hour-long private meeting, they raised concerns with Armitage about the treatment of Scientologists in Germany and other countries.[1][23]

In 2006, Weiland was listed on a "Senior Honor Roll" in Impact, the magazine of the International Association of Scientologists.[24]

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See also

References
  1. Morton, Andrew (2008). Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 242–243. ISBN 0-312-35986-1. On June 13, 2003, one of the most powerful men in America, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, met privately with Tom Cruise, together with his friend Tom Davis, head of the Hollywood Celebrity Centre, and Kurt Weiland, an Austrian Scientologist who was director of external affairs for the organization's Office of Special Affairs. For thirty minutes Armitage listened as they expressed their concerns about the treatment of Scientologists in some foreign countries, particularly Germany.
  2. Fisher, Marc (August 19, 1995). "Church in Cyberspace: Its Sacred Writ Is on the Net. Its Lawyers Are on the Case". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. p. C1, C5.
  3. Baker, Russ (April 1997). "Clash of Titans: The German Government says the Church of Scientology is a tyrannical cult that recalls the country's dark history. The Scientologists say it's the Germans who haven't changed. In an increasingly bitter battle, two powers collide over the meaning of freedom and the burden of the past". George Magazine.
  4. Staff (August 25, 2006). "Tom 'Incensed' Sumner's Wife". New York Post. N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc. p. 14.
  5. Goodstein, Laurie (February 20, 2001). "Bush's Call to Church Groups To Get Untraditional Replies". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  6. Walls, Jeannette; Ashley Pearson (January 31, 2002). "Cruise's private Scientology sessions". MSNBC.
  7. Staff (September 19, 2003). "Scientologists open office to fight bias". Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  8. Russell, Ron (December 21, 2000). "Brained: Mentally impaired Raul Lopez was $1.7 million richer as the result of an accident settlement -- until he joined the Church of Scientology". New Times Los Angeles.
  9. O'Neil, Deborah (September 15, 2001). "'Mental health' hotline a blind lead: The televised blurb offered mental health assistance dealing with the attacks. Callers reached Scientologists". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  10. Staff (December 17, 1997). "National News Briefs; Scientologist's Death Could Lead to Charges". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  11. Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed. New York: Carol Publishing Group. pp. 321. ISBN 0-8184-0499-X.
  12. Garcia, Wayne (July 9, 1994). "Scientology publication criticizes the "Times'". St. Petersburg Times. p. 3B.
  13. Leiby, Richard (December 25, 1994). "Scientology Fiction: The Church's War Against Its Critics -- and Truth". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  14. Garcia, Wayne (August 3, 1994). "Network gives voice to former Scientologists". St. Petersburg Times. p. 12A.
  15. Tobin, Thomas C. (March 27, 1998). "Scientology looks into reporter's personal life". St. Petersburg Times. p. 7A.
  16. Tobin, Thomas C. (December 6, 1994). "Scientology puts itself on display". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1A, 4B.
  17. Kent, Stephen A. (September 2003). "Scientology and the European Human Rights Debate: A Reply to Leisa Goodman, J. Gordon Melton, and the European Rehabilitation Project Force Study". Marburg Journal of Religion. University of Marburg. 8 (1). Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  18. Hodges, Arthur (August 30, 1995). "Rights to rites Scientologists defend actions against critic". Denver Post. p. B-01.
  19. Fisher, Marc (The Washington Post) (August 20, 1995). "Critics bedevil Scientology - Secretive organization launches a strike to protect sacred texts". The Kansas City Star. p. A1.
  20. Wallsten, Peter (March 10, 1996). "Scientologists don't take protest quietly". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1B, 4B.
  21. Sharpe, Tom (March 13, 1997). "NY Times Details Church's Tax Battle". Albuquerque Journal.
  22. Ribadeneira, Diego (December 9, 1997). "Gifts of Cash Fuel Battle of Principle Hub Man's Aid to Scientology Critics Draws Fire and Rhetoric From Church". Boston Globe. p. B1.
  23. Derakhshani, Tirdad (August 26, 2006). "Cruise camp: sorry about Shields". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  24. International Association of Scientologists (2006). "Senior Honor Roll". Impact (114).

Further reading
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