Las Vegas Review Journal
July 28 1980

The top spokesman for the "Church" of Scientology in Nevada. Arizona and Utah has defected from the "church," causing considerable concern among Scientology officials, "Church" officials are worried ahout her knowledge of dubious "church" activities, which may arouse the interest of the FBI.

Carol Garrity of Las Vegas has gone into seclusion and is shunning all direct contact with the "church", a close friend of the former "church" official said. Garrity could not be reached for comment.

"Church" officials have confirmed Garrity left her post July 18, but said it was not known why. It is believed Garrity left the "church" after five years because a close friend became disenchanted and left.

She has retained the legal help of local attorney Kent Dawson and is seeking representation from Michael Flynn, a Boston attorney who has filed several suits on behalf of former Scientologists.

Last week, another source said, worried "church" officials came to Las Vegas and attempted to negotiate a censoring pact with. Garrity's local attorney which provided that she would promptly get all the money she still had on account at the "church" in return for her silence.

Garrity turned down the offer "Church" officials are alarmed by Garrity's defection because she knows first hand about several. dubious tactics employed by the "church" against those it perceives as its "enemies", the Review-Journal was told.

According to the source, she can testify the "church" has conducted spy operations against ex-Scientologists from Las Vegas and performed background checks on The Review Journal's city editor and managing editor and the Donrey Media group vice president. The Review-Journal is a Donrey publication.

The operations conducted against the dissidents were alegedly aimed at Eddie Walters and about 30 other former Scientologists in the Las Vegas area. Walters, who was at one time one of the most highly trained Scientologists in Las Vegas, left the "church" about two years ago with 14 other dissatisfied members.

The exodus prompted a major shakeup at the Las Vegas branch of the "church".

The background checks of Review-Journal executives came after a negative article on the church was published two years ago, according to the source close to Garrity. The background of City Editor Shermen R. Frederick, the writer of the article, was conducted by local church information collectors.

After his background checked "clean," the "church" investigators conducted a background check on Managing Editor Mary Hausch andDonrey Vice-President Fred Smith. They also showed "clean" backgrounds and the operations were filed and classified a "bust," the source said.

The Review-Journal subsequently published two other articles on the "church," both of which were considered negative by the "church."

Frederick has been labeled a "suppressive person" by the church. which means he "actively seeks to damage Scientology ... by suppresive acts;' according to the source

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