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ABC NIGHTLINE:  INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY -- ILLUSTRATED INTERVIEW

[Tom Cruise] In yesterday's broadcast, we focused on allegations made by former high ranking Scientologists who claimed leader David Miscavige --

repeatedly struck subordinates.

[Bruce Hines] He just walked up and he hit me on the side of the head.  He didn't have a closed fist.  But it was an open hand.  But it definitely hurt, and it definitely knocked me back.

[Marty Rathbun] I saw him attack him while he was sitting in a chair, and hitting him upside the head, and then wrestling him around the neck, and throw him to the ground.  I saw it at least a dozen times this happen.

[Martin Bashir] The Church denies David Miscavige ever hit anyone. 

Sworn affidavits given to ABC News from over a dozen current Scientologists, describe the allegations of abuse as "vile falsehoods," and say it was actually Marty Rathbun who was abusive. 

Rathbun concedes he was violent, but says he was encouraged to be physical by Miscavige. 

He and the other accusers believe Tom Cruise is too supportive of the Church's leader.

[Amy Scobee] Tom Cruise, I don't appreciate the fact that he's supporting David Miscavige, because either he's supporting him and dumb to the fact that he is a total tyrant, or he's agreeing with it, and either way, that is really not okay.

[Marty Rathbun] And former church executive Marty Rathbun hopes that the other most famous Scientologist, John Travolta, will reconsider his relationship with the Church --

in light of the allegations of violence.

[Martin Bashir]  What do you think of his position at the moment?  Do you think that he's likely to leave?

[Marty Rathbun] I think if he were exposed to the truth, the truths that are being spoken about what really is going on behind the facade, I don't think he would continue to support that organization.  I think he'd check out in a heartbeat.

[Martin Bashir] In a letter sent to Nightline yesterday, Tom Cruise's attorney called the actor "a man of spirit, intelligence and independence."  He said Mr. Cruise is aware of the claims made against Mr. Miscavige by former members of the Church of Scientology.  He does not believe them.  We'll be right back.

Time now for tonight's closing argument. 

Over two days, we've examined allegations against the leader of the Scientology Church, the relationship between the Church and its celebrity members, and a belief system many critics consider bizarre.  The Church vehemently denies any wrongdoing, and defends itself as a religion.  So tonight we ask you:  Should Scientology continue to enjoy tax exempt status as an organized religion, or should the U.S. follow those nations which do not recognize Scientology as a religion? Tell us what you think by clicking on the Nightline page at ABCNews.com, or on the Nightline twitter page.  But that's our report for tonight.  With Terry Moran, Cynthia McFadden and all of us at ABC News, goodnight America, and have a great weekend.

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*  Declaration of Graham E. Berry, The People of the State of California v. Keith Henson

The People v. Henson record in Hemet is also clear as to improper pressure being brought upon the District Attorney to prosecute Henson despite the Hemet police fully investigating and reporting, in three different police reports, that Henson had committed no crime. This pressure was brought by Gerald Feffer, Esq., of the Washington, D.C. criminal defense law firm of Williams & Connolly. Mr. Feffer is one of Scientology's lead attorneys and was instrumental in having the IRS suddenly and surprisingly drop its 20 year refusal to grant Scientology tax exempt status in exchange for Scientology dismissing the over 2000 law suits it had caused to be filed against the IRS. According to an address by David Miscavige, Scientology's leader, the IRS relieved the Church of Scientology from a past due tax bill of over one billion dollars, David Miscavige and other scientology leaders from personal tax bills in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, appointed a committee of scientology officials to determine the future tax compliance of the Church and individual scientologists and provided for the United States government to brief all foreign governments as to the Church of Scientology's new tax free status in the U.S. and Scientology's alleged entitlement to tax free income in those nations. At the same time, the Church of Scientology reached a settlement with Interpol with which it had been warring for many years.

Mr. Henson has publicly stated that his research has disclosed that Moxon, on behalf of the Church of Scientology, was instrumental in paying a Maryland private investigator over one million dollars in fees and "costs" to set up the then new IRS Commissioner in a compromising situation(s) so that he would finally approve the Church of Scientology's IRS Section 501(c)(3) applications despite over 20 years of IRS and FBI opposition to their being granted 501(c)(3) status. The same opposition to Scientology's 501(c)(3) status which had been upheld the previous year by the US Supreme Court in the Hernandez v. Commissioner case.

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