Paul Haggis started his protection case Friday calling his first witness -- an ex-Scientologist.
Steven Hirsch
Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis started his protection Friday in a civil rape trial towards him with a former Scientologist testifying how the church allegedly “destroyed” its enemies.
Legal professionals for accuser Haleigh Breest rested their case within the second week of trial the place Breest — a former publicist — claims she was raped by the “Crash” director at his Soho residence Jan. 31, 2013.
Haggis, who defected from the Church of Scientology in 2009 after over 30 years, has stated he intends to current proof that Breest’s declare was cooked up as a part of the church’s vendetta towards him for talking out.
Haggis’ good friend Michael Rinder, 67, informed jurors he had headed Scientology’s Workplace of Particular Affairs — the division that, partly, aimed to silence anybody who criticized the church.
The Australian-born Rinder, who “escaped” the church in 2007, stated his workplace would make use of “spies” and personal investigators to “silence in any respect prices” anybody who opposed the establishment — known as a “suppressive individual” by the church.
The workplace had a finances that ranged from $1-2 million per week to $1-2 million a month, Rinder stated.
Rinder stated the church’s coverage, “honest sport,” meant it could monitor down what church enemies “are in search of to guard and what their weaknesses are and also you threaten them with it.
“Successfully, you blackmail the individual into silence.”
The church would perform its campaigns towards opponents in “covert operations” so the establishment didn’t go away its fingerprints behind, Rinder testified.
“Scientology won't ever admit to it,” Rinder stated.
Rinder wrote a e-book about Scientology and has a podcast with “King of Queens” actress Leah Remini — one other former Scientologist.
Rinder stated the church has tried to silence and discredit him by having him adopted, mounting false claims to wreck his status and utilizing his daughter, who remains to be a member.
“Are you conscious of the Church of Scientology ever stopping its marketing campaign towards its enemies?” Haggis’ lawyer Seth Zuckerman requested.
“Not till they're destroyed,” Rinder replied.
Nonetheless, Rinder admitted he’d by no means spoken to Haggis about what occurred the evening of the alleged rape and admitted he was now not within the church or working in its Workplace of Particular Affairs when Haggis left. And he conceded he had no private information of the Workplace of Particular Affairs’ alleged involvement in Breest’s case.
Earlier Friday, Manhattan Supreme Court docket Justice Sabrina Kraus informed jurors each Breest and Haggis’ camps had agreed Breest was by no means a member of Scientology.
Haggis first spoke out concerning the church in a 2011 New Yorker article, and he was featured within the 2015 HBO documentary “Going Clear: Scientology & the Jail of Perception.”
Breest’s lawyer Ilann Maazel informed reporters on Friday that “the entire scientology protection is embarrassing. It’s absurd.”
Jurors have heard testimony from 4 extra ladies who claimed they have been sexually assaulted or raped by Haggis.
The trial was set to renew Monday.
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