A shadow has fallen across Washington's corridors of power, and this time it comes bearing the controversial stamp of the Church of
Scientology.
Former member-turned-whistleblower Leah Remini has issued a stark warning that sends chills through critics of both
Donald Trump and the secretive organisation: members of the church have successfully infiltrated the highest levels of the federal government.
The alarm was raised on Tuesday when conservative broadcaster Erick Erickson observed that 'a lot of Scientologists' had been spotted 'hanging out in the President's orbit lately.' Remini, who has spent years exposing the church's alleged abuses since her dramatic departure in 2013, wasted no time in confirming his suspicions.
'Yes, this is accurate, Erick, and very scary,' she wrote in response, thanking him for recognising 'the dangers of Scientology and their successful infiltration of the Trump administration and the federal government overall'.
Trump Scientology Infiltration: The Key Players
Whilst Erickson did not name specific individuals,
the connections between Trump's inner circle and prominent Scientologists are well documented. At the forefront stands Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose ties to the church stretch back more than a decade.
During her tenure as Florida's first female attorney general, Bondi accepted campaign contributions from high-profile Scientologists and attended multiple fundraising events at the church's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida—including a notable appearance at the Fort Harrison Hotel in 2016, where she delivered a speech on human rights.
Yet Bondi is far from the only Scientologist with access to the administration.
Patricia 'Trish' Duggan, the church's top individual donor who has contributed more than £285 million to Scientology alongside her ex-husband, was appointed to the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by Trump in 2025.
Duggan's political generosity matches her religious devotion:
she has poured millions into pro-Trump super PACs, including £3.2 million to America First Action in 2020 and £4 million to MAGA Inc. in 2023.
The infiltration extends beyond donors and appointees.
John P. Coale, an OT 6 Scientologist married to journalist Greta Van Susteren, now serves as Trump's special envoy to Belarus, having successfully negotiated the release of more than 100 prisoners. Meanwhile,
real estate mogul and influencer Grant Cardone—who has reached the church's highest spiritual level, OT VIII—spoke at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally in 2024 and regularly appears at conservative gatherings.
Trump Scientology Infiltration: Echoes of Operation Snow White
For those familiar with Scientology's history, Remini's warnings carry particular weight. The church has form when it comes to government infiltration.
Operation Snow White, orchestrated during the 1970s under the direction of founder L. Ron Hubbard, remains the largest infiltration of the United States government in history.
Up to 5,000 covert Scientology agents penetrated 136 government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice, and Drug Enforcement Administration, stealing documents, planting wiretaps, and burglarising offices.
The conspiracy was eventually exposed in 1977 when FBI agents raided Scientology offices in Washington and Los Angeles, seizing 48,000 documents. Eleven senior church officials, including Hubbard's wife Mary Sue, were convicted of obstruction of justice, burglary, and theft. Hubbard himself was named an 'unindicted co-conspirator' and spent the rest of his life in hiding.
Critics fear history may be repeating itself. Journalist Yashar Ali, who has extensively investigated Scientology, pointed to Hubbard's explicit instructions for church leaders to 'infiltrate...the offices of elected officials'—a directive that appears to be bearing fruit in the Trump administration.
Former senior Scientology executive Mike Rinder, who co-hosted Remini's Emmy Award-winning documentary series
Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, predicted shortly after Trump's election that the Department of Justice would take no action against Scientology for the next four years.
The church, for its part, has long disputed characterisations of itself as a 'manipulative cult', insisting it is a legitimate religion that helps members achieve their goals.
Yet the organisation faces multiple lawsuits alleging human trafficking, child abuse, and forced labour, whilst its leader David Miscavige stands accused of physical and emotional abuse—claims the church vehemently denies.
Remini, whose three-season documentary series won two Primetime Emmy Awards and exposed systematic abuses within the organisation, has herself become a target. In 2023, she filed a harassment lawsuit against the church and Miscavige, alleging years of stalking, surveillance, and intimidation designed to silence her advocacy.
As Scientologists continue to gain proximity to power, Remini's message is unambiguous: the danger is real, the infiltration is happening, and the consequences could reach far beyond any single administration. Whether Washington will heed her warning remains to be seen.
