New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project - Finances and Organization

Finances and Organization

From 2003 to 2007, Downtown Medical received US$900,000 in public funding, including $630,000 from the City of New York. The project also received private funding, the biggest supporter being Tom Cruise. Other celebrity donors included Paul Newman, Paul McCartney, Adam Sandler, Leah Remini, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. By late 2004, these donations amounted to $2.3 million. The detoxification program has been offered for free to rescue workers, and also offered to other New York City residents, some of whom paid $5,000.

According to tax filings, the project pays on some of its money to two bodies, related to the Church of Scientology, that promote the Purification Rundown. These are the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which receives 5% of all contributions, and the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE). The Executive Director of the Church of Scientology was involved in creating the Foundation and later described it as a "front group". In one year, $173,300 of Downtown Medical's income went to Dr. Steven Lager, a Scientologist. As of 2007, the director of the project was Jim Woodworth, a former drug addict who credits his recovery to the Purification Rundown. He was formerly the executive director of HealthMed, a Sacramento, California group which promotes Hubbard's approach to detoxification.