Portland, Oregon - Jeff Hawkins is on a mission to expose what he says is a cult.
"It's become too abusive," he said.
Hawkins is referring to the fast growing, famous and mysterious religion known as the Church of Scientology.
He says Scientolgy's California headquarters and other large facilities have turned into work camps for staff members.
"They work underground, and sometimes they stay there sometimes for years," Hawkins said. "They're not allowed contact with anybody outside."
Protestors demonstrate regularly oustide Golden Era Productions, the 200-acre headquarters where the church makes high quality videos promoting Scientology and the books authored by its founde, science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
Hawkins says the church will do anything to quiet the critics.
He says a physical confrontation between a church security guard and protester does not surprise him because he and other staff members have been attacked when they dared question church leaders.
"They're subjected to all kinds of punishments and abuse," Hawkins says.
KATU News tried to talk to the Church of Scientology in Portland.
A spokesperson for the church visited KATU's station two days later.
Gwen Barnard said she didn't have time to do an on-camera interview, but asked KATU to submit questions in writing.
KATU received a letter in response which in part says "Jeff Hawkins was dismissed four years ago. The details are not matters the church will discuss in the press."
As far as accusations of abuse at church rehab camps go, the letter states "the rehabilitation project force is a voluntary religious program. I have worked in scientology churches for more than two decades and not once have I seen anything like this occur."
Hawkins doesn't buy it. Now he's taking his fight to a national stage blogging constantly about what happens inside the church, and he's writing a book: "Counterfeit Dreams: My Journey into and out of Scientology."
"It's my way of correcting the things that were said in the advertising at that time and letting people know what really goes on behind the scenes, because people don't know," Hawkins said.
Hawkins wasn't just any Scientologist. He was the marketing guru behind Hubbard's most successful book, "Dianetics."
His ads made dianetics a best seller and attracted tens of thousands of followers. Twenty years later, he decided he'd had enough and left.
Hawkins said after Hubbard's death in 1987, church leaders transformed the headquarters into a 200-plus acre work camp.
"They work hundred hour weeks, seven days a week," he said. "They have no breaks. They have no vacations of any kind. They work round the clock. They have no private time. They're paid about 40 cents an hour."
