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Los Angeles Herald Examiner
May 29, 1980
Scientology Bizarre Plot to Get Official
Church of Scientology members planned to discredit a high-level
official in the California attorney general's office in Los Angeles
with a bizarre undercover operation involving a pregnant woman, a
phony nun and a fake bribery kickback, according to documents obtained
by the Herald Examiner.
The church's records of "Operation Snapper" - part of 100,000 pages
of documents seized by the FBI in Los Angeles three years ago -
identified the target at Lawrence Tapper, deputy attorney general in
charge of the charitable trust unit.
These documents reveal a complex "three-channel" operation "to get
Larry Tapper removed from his post in the AG's office so that he can
no longer commit overts (sic)" against the worldwide church formed in
1954 by L. Ron Hubbard.
The Church has come under fire recently for similar operations to
discredit public officials in Clearwater, Fla. But this is the first
indication that group members planned undercover operations against
local officials.
Heber Jentzsch, a spokesman for the church in Los Angeles,
confirmed the existence of the operation against Tapper. "I had heard
of the 'Snapper' operation, " said Jentzsch. "It was a gross
operation. I can't condone that kind of activity... Someone obviously
got frustrated and decided to carry out their own scenario. It should
never have happened."
Jentzsch said he had no idea who in the church planned "Operation
Snapper" or whether any phases of it were actually carried out.
Tapper became a target after handling consumer fraud complaints
against the church in the middle and late '70s.
Tapper at one point advised one of his superiors that the church is
"long overdue" for a state investigation, and that interoffice memo -
dated May 12, 1976 - was among the church's records.
It is unclear whether any elements of the operation were carried
out. Tapper, who still serves in the same position with the attorney
general's office, declined to comment because the church has an
ongoing $1 million lawsuit against him and other public officials
charging "illegal infiltration" of the church.
The well-planned operation against Tapper was outlined in a lengthy
church memo.
Channel 1 had two phases. The first: "Recruit a very tough (woman)
that is obviously pregnant and that is a good actress... she does a
practice run on the AG's office to ascertain the best place in
(Evelle) Younger's office (former attorney general) to do the action.
"Pregnant woman simply walks into the AG's office (Younger's) in
Sacramento and says in so many words: 'I told Larry I wouldn't do this
but he gave me no choise (sic). I don't care about his career
anymore! I mean look at me! I'll go to the press even if it does
ruin my family's reputation. I won't have an abortion!'"
After creating a scene and crying, the woman was to leave, saying,
"Oh, never mind, nobody will help me anyway."
The second phase: "Recruit trusted male... must be able to talk
angerly (sic) and sound about 45 to 50 years old over the phone.
"He is the father of the pregnant girl. He calls up the two areas
his daughter visited and gives them hell (from an outside phone),
says, 'My daughter came into your office yesterday. The pregnant
girl. Well, I don't know what you people said to her but she is
terrified... talks of suicide... this guy is Larry Tapper. Who is he?
My daughter tells me he is the father of her child.
"'And he's threatened to have her committed if she reveals this...
You can only protect basterds (sic) like Tapper for so long and then
you'll get a Watergate.'"
Five days later, Channel 2 was to be carried out. The first phase:
"Recruit a trusted female with a lot of courage. Find out what's the
biggest order of nuns in the area, and what habit they would be
wearing during this season... Recruit a reliable person who can
actually take professional photograph (sic) indoors."
The woman dressed like a nun goes into AG's office and asks a
receptionist what the proper procedure is for filing a complaint
against someone in the AG's office. The photographer, who has come in
independently of the "nun," overhears this.
The plan then calls for the photographer to say: "Holy cow! What a
story," so that the receptionist can hear him. "Excuse me sister, I
couldn't help overhearing you, are you filing a complaint?"
"Pressure is quickly put on the nun, forcing her to stammer out...
He uses his position to attack anything that's not Jewish... Well, if
you must know, it's Lawrence Tapper. Oh, I shouldn't have said that."
The photographer takes her picture, showing the receptionist in the
background. "Nun covers her face completely. She says please don't.
No! Oh God. I shouldn't have come here. Nun leaves very upset.
Photographer asks receptionist who was that... and leaves."
The second phase: The next day, a man posing as a newspaper
reporter is sent back to the same office. He asks questions like: "Is
it true a nun came in here yesterday and accused Younger of protecting
Lawrence Tapper... Any statement on this. Is Younger protecting
Tapper on this? What's it all about?"
Also, the photographer's picture is developed and sent to various
minority newspapers. "Telephone bigger papers to see if they would be
interested... The headline would read something like 'Mysterious Nun
Claims Prejudice in AG's office.' GET ARTICLE PUBLISHED. The article
will cast aspersions on the charity fraud area and Tapper."
One week later, channel 3 was to go into operation: "Find out where
Tapper banks... Obtain the name and address of the San Diego Mental
Health's executive who just got busted for dealing in drugs.
"Recruit a 30-year old tough looking male... He will be taking five
$20 bills ($100) and depositing them into Tapper's account. He'll
ensure no prints of his are on any papers... He should wear glasses
and some sort of hat so he can't be recognized again... He reports
back with receipt."
The receipt is delivered by another field agent - "an upstate
banker type male" - to Younger's office. The note names the San Diego
official and explains that the deposit is proof that Tapper is
receiving "payoffs from some rather strange areas." The "banker"
leaves without giving his name.
"The above channel workable (sic) is derived from the fact that
Younger has been involved with bad PR concerning bankers and banks.
This should... have Younger put a lot of attention on this caper."
Tapper, who is still in charge of charitable trusts in the attorney
general's office, was reportedly recently informed of the operation
against him by Henrietta Crampton of Redondo Beach, director of the
Citizens Freedom Foundation, a group composed largely of parents whose
children are members of various cults.
"When I told him about it (by phone)," Crampton said, "he was quiet
for a moment, and then he asked if it had anything to do with a
pregnant woman. I told him it did and that I had it in writing. He
said, 'You've made my weekend," and asked me to send him copies."
Tapper confirmed his conversation with Carmpton to the Herald
Examiner but refused further comment on "Operation Snapper."
Tapper and former attorney General Evelle Younger and City Attorney
Burt Pines are defendants in a million-dollar suit filed by the church
in 1976 alleging "illegal infiltration" by state officials. The suit
has not yet gone to trial.
"The church has hit us for talking to the press (before),"said
Robert O'Brien, an assistent attorney general who is defending Tapper
in the suit. "I not going to have a million-dollar judgment slapped
against Larry Tapper for talking to the press about this."
Younger, who said he has "never taken this (the church's) suit very
seriously," had no knowledge of "Operation Snapper."
"I do know that group (Scientologists) had among its targets our
office," said Younger. "But I have never heard of that particular
operation. If it was carried out, it was not brought to my attention.
Mr. Tapper's reputation is unsullied as far as I'm concerned."
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