Scientology, Greta van Susteren and John Coale

Articles, rants and images for fans and detractors

Media articles about Greta's move from CNN to FOXNews and her surgery:

The New York Times: Before Going, Van Susteren Told CNN of Hurt Feelings
The Washington Post: Greta? Is That You? Analyst Moves From CNN to, Uh, Fox
Talksurgery: 'Fox-y' Greta Van Susteren gets Bette Davis Eyes
clydelewis.com: Normal versus beautiful - The new class warfare?
ABC News: Full Disclosure: TV Legal Analyst Open About Eye-Lift
ABC News: Excerpt of her book "My Turn at the Bully Pulpit"
The Washington Post: Bags and Baggage: Greta Van Susteren Goes on the Record In Her New Book

Media articles about Greta van Susteren, John Coale and Sarah Palin:

The Huffington Post: Palin Pallin' Around with Scientologists: Todd & Sarah & John & Greta and Part II: Van Susteren Doth Protest Too Much
Gawker.com: Sarah Palin Adviser's Secret Scientology Plot to Take Over Washington (in 1986, John Coale had a plan to get scientology in the "MONEY and VOTES game")
Politico.com: Palin camp eyed Clinton alliance
Wonkette: Greta’s Husband Tried To Broker Friendship Between Clintons And Palin
Gawker.com: Sarah Palin Throws Her Scientologist Adviser Under the Bus
Law.com: Who Is the Prominent Plaintiffs Lawyer Helping Sarah Palin? (digs deep into John's past, mentions a 1986 lawsuit against his tailor, claiming that nine shirts were too small and caused him emotional distress!)

Misc stuff:

US News: Greta Van Susteren Saves Ana Marie Cox's Life
Gawker.com: Greta Van Susteren, Lifesaver
Gawker.com: What Does Greta van Susteren's Psychiatrist Sister Think of Scientology?
CNN's Greta Van Susteren's interview archive
Cartoons about Greta!

Greta "before" and "after", see also here

Greta van Susteren once said in the Washington Post that she is a Scientologist ("I like the ethics") and in People ("I'm a strong advocate of their ethics"). Ethics in Scientology is not the same as in the real world. It means to "remove counter-intentions from the environment", i.e. to get the job done and apply Scientology. Greta has done this for many years at CNN and before, although she has tried to keep a rather low profile on the Scientology angle of these activities.

The St. Petersburg Times about Greta and John: High profile couple never pairs church and state

The National Law Journal about John's failed RITALIN litigation: Ritalin Class Actions: Fast Start, Big Stumble

Her lawfirm got in trouble twice for active soliciting, commonly known as "ambulance chasing". The second time was after the ValuJet disaster. She showed her arrogant attitude in her CNN show (read the transcript). In other reactions, the argument brought by her lawfirm was mostly that "other lawyers are just jealous".

After the Heaven's gate mass suicide, she discussed suing the drug company that manufactured the product used for suicide. This is closely related to the viewpoint of scientology, that psychiatry and drug companies is responsible for every bad thing that happens anywhere.

She represented Amy Frith in her lawsuit against Wellspring, a cult recovery institution. She was not only unsuccessful, but it was also embarassing for her, as she had to admit to an opposing lawyer that she was scared of Amy's abusive husband.

On 12.6.1998 she agreed to represent the Southern Baptist Convention against lawsuits filed by women against discrimination. Greta's argument (also available in RealAudio): she is distressed by outside people who criticize the way a religion wants to run itself, and she would also leave the KKK alone if it was a religion.

According to Graham Berry, Greta van Susteren helped convince CNN to cancel an exposé about the Scientology front Applied Scholastics.

Greta and her husband John P. Coale were investors in the Ponzi scheme of Scientologist Reed Slatkin; they invested $2.1 million and received $2.7 million in payments according to this report by the court-appointed trustee. When being told that even innocent parties (i.e. participants who didn't know it was a Ponzi scheme) are required to return the extra money, John Coale said: "I'll fight this thing for 100 years" because "Most of that money went to the IRS." (Source: The Los Angeles Times from 21.12.2001)

The 100 years fight is already over. John and Greta are settling the case and will pay back $705,000 to the estate in seven semi-annual installments.

For years, Greta van Susteren was CNN's inhouse Scientologist and legal talker and co-hosted the show Burden of Proof until December 2001, when the show was cancelled and her co-host Roger Cossack fired. She then hosted The Point with Greta Van Susteren, a news and analysis show, until the end of 2001, when she resigned and signed up at FOXnews. At the end of January 2002, she had cosmetic surgery, which is why people nicknamed her Greta van Surgery. The "new, improved" FOXNews Greta looks quite different from the old "no frills" CNN Greta.

It is unknown to me what influence she had in CNN, and what her responsibility is for CNN's support of scientology was (e.g. cancelling the interview of Richard Behar after TIME won). She donated at least $40,000 to the "war chest" of the IAS (IMPACT #25; donation no longer mentioned on later editions), which is responsible for hate propaganda.

Her sister Dr. Lise Van Susteren is a psychiatrist in Washington, DC. Altough Scientologists cultivate a strong hatred for the mental health profession ("Psychiatry kills") and claim that it is a huge scam, Scientologist John Coale even called Lise to get the name of a cosmetic surgeon. (Update 2009: Read also this gawker.com article about Lise)

The weird clothing from her CNN days can be explained: it's her husband. He buys her clothes. (An important Scientology concept is not to "invalidate" another scientologists opinion).

Learn more about Greta and her husband, and their "ethics" in the Scientology Celebrity FAQ

Xenu presents: The Greta Gallery (images located on CNN's site!)