Operation Snow White
According to Ron Pandolfi Hal Puthoff wasn’t just a Scientologist
He ran the entire Operation Snow White
The largest infiltration of the US government ever
Source: x.com/RedPandaKoala
Description:
“Operation Snow White was a criminal conspiracy by the Church of Scientology during the 1970s to purge unfavorable records about Scientology.
This project included a series of infiltrations into and thefts from 136 government agencies, foreign embassies, as well as private organizations critical of Scientology, carried out by Church members in more than 30 countries.
It was one of the largest infiltrations of the United States government in history, with up to 5,000 covert agents.”
What would a modern day Operation Snow White style Scientology secret infiltration of UFO disclosure look like?
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Operation Snow White was a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the Church of Scientology during the 1970s to infiltrate and purge unfavorable records about the Church and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, from government agencies, foreign embassies, consulates, and private organizations critical of Scientology.
It is considered one of the largest infiltrations of the United States government in history, involving up to 5,000 covert agents across more than 30 countries. The operation was exposed by the FBI in 1977, leading to the conviction of 11 high-ranking Scientologists, including Mary Sue Hubbard, L. Ron Hubbard’s wife. Below is a detailed overview, key figures involved, and 50 key takeaways.
Overview of Operation Snow White
Operation Snow White was initiated by the Church of Scientology’s Guardian’s Office (GO), a unit established in 1966 by L. Ron Hubbard to handle public relations, legal matters, and security, with the primary goal of protecting Scientology’s interests. The operation began in response to increasing scrutiny from U.S. federal agencies, particularly after the IRS revoked Scientology’s tax-exempt status in 1967, citing commercial benefits to Hubbard, mainly through real estate. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had also raided Scientology in 1963, and the FBI had sent agents to investigate the organization.
The operation’s objective was to “remove and correct” what Scientology deemed “erroneous” files held by government agencies, particularly those that could jeopardize its operations or reputation. This included concealing controversial beliefs, such as Scientology’s teachings about the alien god Xenu. The plan, initially outlined in Guardian Order 732 (written by Hubbard in 1973), called for legal means to achieve these goals, but it quickly escalated into illegal activities, including infiltration, wiretapping, theft of documents, and burglary. Guardian Order 1361 further refined the operation, targeting specific agencies like the IRS and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The operation involved Scientologists gaining employment in government agencies, often as clerk-typists, to access and steal documents. Key targets included the IRS, DOJ, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Coast Guard Intelligence Agency, among others. The operation extended internationally, with sub-programs like Project Grumpy and Project Coal targeting countries such as Germany. The FBI’s discovery of the conspiracy in 1977, prompted by a tip from a night librarian in Washington, D.C., led to massive raids on Scientology centers in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Hollywood. The raids uncovered extensive evidence of the infiltration, resulting in legal proceedings in the U.S. and Canada.
Key Figures Involved
L. Ron Hubbard: Founder of Scientology and architect of Operation Snow White. He wrote Guardian Order 732, initiating the program, and was named an “unindicted co-conspirator” by federal prosecutors. He avoided prosecution and went into hiding after the operation’s exposure.
Mary Sue Hubbard: L. Ron Hubbard’s wife and a senior leader in the Guardian’s Office. She was convicted of conspiracy in 1979, served a year in prison, and never saw her husband again after her conviction.
Jane Kember: Guardian World-Wide (GWW), responsible for daily operations of all Guardian’s Offices. She reported directly to Mary Sue Hubbard and was convicted for her role in the operation.
Michael Meisner: A key operative who gained employment at the IRS as a clerk-typist. He supervised Gerald Wolfe and the Information Bureau section in Washington, D.C., and reported to the GO’s Deputy Guardian for Information in the U.S. Meisner later cooperated with the FBI, providing critical evidence.
Gerald Bennett Wolfe: An IRS clerk-typist recruited by the Guardian’s Office to monitor and illegally copy files related to Scientology’s tax-exempt status. He was caught during a break-in at the IRS building and convicted.
Cindy Raymond: Collections Officer in the U.S. Information Bureau of the Guardian’s Office, based in Los Angeles. She was Meisner’s handler and selected Wolfe for the operation. She was among those convicted.
Henning Heldt: Deputy Guardian for the U.S., involved in receiving Guardian Order 1361 and overseeing operations. He was convicted for his role.
Duke Snider: A Guardian’s Office official who received Guardian Order 1361 and was involved in planning infiltrations. He was also convicted.
Richard Weigand: Another Guardian’s Office official named in Guardian Order 1361, involved in coordinating the operation. He was convicted.
Sharon Thomas: A Scientologist who infiltrated the U.S. Coast Guard Intelligence Agency, stealing documents as part of the operation.
Nancy Douglass: A Scientologist who infiltrated the DEA, stealing and copying documents for the Guardian’s Office.
Key Takeaways
Operation Snow White was a criminal conspiracy by the Church of Scientology in the 1970s to purge unfavorable records about Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard.
It involved infiltrations and thefts from 136 government agencies, embassies, consulates, and private organizations in over 30 countries.
The operation was one of the largest infiltrations of the U.S. government in history, with up to 5,000 covert agents.
The Guardian’s Office, created in 1966 by L. Ron Hubbard, was the branch responsible for executing the operation.
The operation was initiated in response to U.S. government scrutiny, particularly after the IRS revoked Scientology’s tax-exempt status in 1967.
L. Ron Hubbard proposed infiltrating government departments as early as 1960, laying the groundwork for the operation.
Guardian Order 732, written by Hubbard in 1973, called for the “removal and correction” of Scientology files, initially by legal means.
The operation quickly turned illegal, involving wiretapping, theft, and burglary.
Guardian Order 1361, issued by Jane Kember, targeted the IRS offices in Los Angeles and London, as well as the DOJ.
The IRS was a primary target due to its litigation with Scientology over tax exemptions.
Michael Meisner and Gerald Wolfe were key operatives who infiltrated the IRS as clerk-typists.
Wolfe monitored tax-exempt organization files and illegally copied documents for Scientology.
Meisner supervised Wolfe and reported to the Guardian’s Office’s Deputy Guardian for Information.
Cindy Raymond, based in Los Angeles, was Meisner’s handler and selected Wolfe for the operation.
The operation expanded to other agencies, including the DEA and U.S. Coast Guard Intelligence Agency.
Sharon Thomas infiltrated the U.S. Coast Guard, stealing documents for the Guardian’s Office.
Nancy Douglass infiltrated the DEA, copying and stealing documents.
The operation included international sub-programs, such as Project Grumpy and Project Coal, targeting Germany.
Project Grumpy aimed to obtain files from German police, Interpol, and immigration authorities “by any means.”
Project Coal involved accusing Scientology critics in Germany of genocide to exploit the country’s historical sensitivities.
The FBI uncovered the operation in 1977 after a night librarian in Washington, D.C., reported suspicious activity by Meisner and Wolfe.
On July 8, 1977, the FBI conducted massive raids on Scientology centers in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Hollywood.
The Los Angeles raid involved 156 FBI agents, the largest single raid in FBI history at the time.
The raids uncovered mounds of documents detailing the infiltration, confirming its scale.
The operation exposed another Scientology plot, Operation Freakout, aimed at driving journalist Paulette Cooper to suicide.
Eleven high-ranking Scientologists, including Mary Sue Hubbard, were convicted of conspiracy in 1979.
L. Ron Hubbard was named an “unindicted co-conspirator” but avoided prosecution and went into hiding.
Mary Sue Hubbard served a year in prison and never saw her husband again after her conviction.
Jane Kember, Henning Heldt, Duke Snider, and Richard Weigand were among those convicted.
By 1990, all 11 defendants in the U.S. case were free.
The operation extended to Canada, resulting in legal proceedings against the Church.
Scientology claimed the Guardian’s Office was “infiltrated” and “set up” to fail, downplaying the operation’s severity.
Church spokespersons falsely claimed operatives only stole “photocopier paper.”
Despite convictions, some purged Guardian’s Office members reportedly remained in powerful Church positions.
The operation was partly motivated by Scientology’s belief that government files contained “false” information that hindered its operations.
Hubbard’s teachings deemed opposition to Scientology “fair game” for elimination by any means.
The operation aimed to conceal controversial beliefs, such as those involving the alien god Xenu.
The Church used Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests legally to obtain millions of pages of documents, but Snow White relied on illegal methods.
The operation’s exposure damaged Scientology’s reputation but did not halt its growth in the 1980s.
Scientology’s aggressive advertising of Dianetics as a self-help book in the 1980s helped it recover from the scandal.
The Church has been reluctant to discuss Operation Snow White’s details publicly.
Some sources suggest Scientology had unusual access to CIA information, possibly through double agents.
Hubbard was a supporter of South Africa’s Apartheid regime, making him a CIA target for alleged communism.
The operation’s scale and audacity shocked U.S. authorities, highlighting vulnerabilities in government security.
The FBI’s investigation was complicated by sealed records related to J. Edgar Hoover’s COINTELPRO program.
Some speculate the CIA conducted MKUltra experiments on Scientology members, though evidence is inconclusive.
The operation’s failure led to the dissolution of the Guardian’s Office, replaced by the Office of Special Affairs.
Scientology’s tax-exempt status was restored by the IRS in 1993, despite the operation’s history.
Operation Snow White remains a cautionary tale of religious organizations abusing power through covert means.
The operation’s legacy continues to fuel debates about Scientology’s ethics and influence.
Sources
Operation Snow White - Wikipedia
The CoS-IRS agreement and Operation Snow White -
www.cs.cmu.edu[](
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Cowen/essays/irs-snow.html) (
http://www.cs.cmu.edu[](
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Cowen/essays/irs-snow.html))
Operation Snow White - Wikiwand
The Creepy History Of The Church Of Scientology’s ‘Operation Snow White’ - thought.is
Operation Snow White - Wikispooks
r/AskHistorians on Reddit: Did Scientologist actually infiltrate government institutions during Operation Snow White?
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Re: The Continuing Search For The Truth
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) It was a hot mess. These people, whoever they are, aren't serious researchers. I might have missed something, but I never heard anything in there stating that "Pandolfi says Hal Puthoff directed Scientology Operation Snow White".
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