Operation Freakout
Operation PC Freakout was the name given by the
Church of Scientology to a covert plan undertaken by the Church in 1976, with the goal of harassing
Paulette Cooper, author of a book critical of
Scientology titled "The Scandal of Scientology". The plan came to light when the
FBI seized several documents related to Operation Freakout from church offices in
Los Angeles in
1977 during the investigation of
Operation Snow White. The documents indicated the purpose of Operation Freakout was to have Paulette Cooper "incarcerated in a
mental institution or
jail or at least to hit her so hard that she drops her attacks".
[Operation Freakout, main planning document.] The strategy was to fabricate
evidence that Cooper was guilty of issuing
bomb threats against the Church,
Henry Kissinger,
Arab nations, and a
laundromat. The seized documents were used to prosecute and convict Scientology officials in
1979.
The Church of Scientology continued to harass Paulette Cooper following Operation Freakout, filing numerous lawsuits against her throughout the
1970s and
1980s.
["Redondo couple, N.Y. writer named in Scientology lawsuit", Daily Breeze, November 1, 1982.]*
James Randi,
Flim-Flam! : Psychics, ESP, unicorns and other Delusions (Prometheus Books, New York, 1982; ISBN 0879751983)
page 247*
Operation Snow White*
The Story of Paulette Cooper
