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David Miscavige (born April 30, 1960) is the leader of the Church of Scientology and affiliated organizations. His title is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard (a "Commodore's messenger") while a teenager. He rose to a leadership position within the organization by the early 1980s and was named Chairman of the Board of RTC. Miscavige's mandate is to protect the works of L. Ron Hubbard from distortion or misuse, and to serve as ecclesiastical head of Scientology. He lives and works at Scientology's Gold Base, which is the main RTC headquarters, in Riverside County, California, near Hemet. Since assuming his leadership position, Miscavige has been faced with press accounts alleging illegal and unethical practices, abuse of authority, and abuse of church members. Miscavige and other church spokespeople have repeatedly denied these charges. |