Xavier Becerra is condemning the Church of Scientology after old reports and video surfaced of him speaking favorably of the organization during his tenure in Congress. Had he known what he knows now about the claims of coercive control, forced abortions, labor trafficking, and other abuse, he said he would have never associated with them.

“The Church of Scientology is facing the reckoning it deserves for decades of deception, abuse, and coercion,” Becerra’s campaign spokesperson, Jonathan Underland, told The Standard over the weekend. “It is dishonest to apply what we know today to decisions made in the 1990s and early 2000s, before the truth was public record. In the years since, public figures and elected officials like Becerra have rightly chosen to disengage. And when it comes to this particular organization, Becerra will do what he has always done: go after powerful institutions that prey on Californians.”

Becerra’s decades of public service have proved a blessing and a curse as he surges ahead in California’s chaotic gubernatorial contest. Since stepping into the harsh spotlight at the front of the pack, the career Democrat has had to reckon with questions about his 35 years in political office, not to mention a corruption scandal that ensnared some of his top aides. 

One of the more obscure criticisms to surface involves his interactions with the Church of Scientology — namely multiple speeches at the organization’s events and one delivered on its behalf in the halls of Congress. They all took place a long time ago, but Becerra never publicly disavowed the controversial organization until after The Standard asked his campaign team about it this weekend. 

Questions about Becerra’s ties to the church started a little more than a month ago with a social media post by journalist, influencer, and Dem political operative Yashar Ali. In response to someone praising Becerra on X, Ali wrote: “Xavier Becerra, the man who protected Scientology for years?”

Despite scores of comments urging Ali to elaborate, he left it at that. But the post came to the attention of Tony Ortega, a Village Voice editor-turned-independent journalist best known for critically covering Scientology, who pulled enough thread to weave into a couple Substack articles.

The earliest instance Ortega dug up (opens in new tab) took place in 1997, when Becerra spoke in favor of a resolution condemning Germany for the way it was treating some of Scientology’s most famous members. German officials had pushed for a boycott of Tom Cruise’s “Mission Impossible,” and a concert booking for jazz pianist Chick Corea was canceled after a local government decided it didn’t want to subsidize events featuring avowed members of Scientology.

“Many of my constituents, as I suspect many of your constituents, are members of religious minority groups like the Church of Scientology,” Becerra said to persuade his colleagues to vote “yes.” “This resolution calls for protecting their rights if and when they spend time in Germany. They deserve this protection. German citizens themselves who are members of minority religious groups deserve religious freedom as well.”

During his speech, he cites a case in which a U.S. immigration judge granted asylum to a German citizen claiming persecution for his membership with the Church of Scientology — claims that were later debunked. 

The second example Ortega cites (opens in new tab) is in 2000, when the Association for Better Living and Education — a front group for David Miscavige’s church staffed by Scientologists who sign billion-year contracts and earn no more than $50 a week — was celebrating the grand opening of a new global headquarters on Hollywood Boulevard. Becerra was one of the speakers.

“You revive Hollywood,” he said, according to Scientology’s Freedom magazine. “And perhaps most importantly, you kindle the spirit and determination of those of us who, through our health and our station in life, have an opportunity to work with ABLE to make life better for those who have fallen and are looking for a hand. This is just the beginning.”

Another notable guest at the event was ABLE president Rena Weinberg, who went on to spend at least five years, from 2007 to 2012, in a Scientology prison called “The Hole.” According to Ortega, she hasn’t been heard from since. 

In 2003, Becerra showed up in his official capacity as a U.S. representative to another Scientology event, this time a star-studded gala at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre.

Freedom magazine quotes him gushing over the contributions of Scientologists: “I applaud you, your efforts and your undying commitment to protect the rights of those who cannot fight for themselves. Thank you and keep the flame of freedom burning brightly.”

Photos from the party show him laughing and posing with Jenna Elfman and Scientology executive Kurt Wieland. According to Ortega, Wieland — like Weinberg — also spent time in The Hole and hasn’t been heard from in decades. 

Thirteen years later, in 2016, Becerra sent a staffer to a ceremony on Capitol Hill held by a Scientology cutout called Youth for Human Rights. 

When reached by phone on Friday, Ortega said he understands how a politician could get roped into those kinds of situations. 

“Listen, Scientology has a policy where they actively reach out to politicians to do this kind of thing,” he said. “They gladhand them, they give him a chance to hang out with these celebrities. And what they want in return is exactly what he gave them: Show up to an event, say a few words. … it makes Scientologists feel like they have friends in high places.”

Scientology’s abuses have been in the public domain for decades, Ortega said. Though he argues that Becerra should have known better before associating with the organization all those years ago, he should definitely know better after high-profile documentaries like Leah Remini’s A&E series from 2016 to 2019 and Alex Gibney’s 2015 HBO film “Going Clear,” litigation over alleged human trafficking, and accusations that church forced people to have abortions.

When Ortega asked Becerra’s spokesperson for comment about his findings, he got a canned statement: “As a member of Congress, Xavier Becerra met with constituents from across his district and made a point of engaging with all communities and organizations represented there.”

In phone calls and texts with The Standard, Becerra’s team, through Underland, offered a more substantive response, saying Scientologists have a track record of deceiving and abusing its own members, so it’s no surprise that they tricked elected officials, too. 

Ortega seemed pleasantly surprised to hear that. 

“It sounds like he’s saying Becerra learned something about Scientology,” he said. “That’s good. That’s encouraging.”