Neighbor Accuses Candidate Of Being 'Closet Scientologist'

Candidate's campaign calls accusations 'outlandish'


ALDRIDGE, CAROVA--An unusual accusation has been made against Conservative lieutenant governor candidate Dave Emser: he is a "closet scientologist."

Scott Chansett, who lives next door to Emser in Aldridge, the small town where Emser formally served as mayor and later as a state legislator, says the 61-year-old Emser is a practicing member of the Church of Scientology, although he is "not going public with it," Chansett told the NPF.

"He is a scientologist, but only in secret, not publicly," Chansett said.

Mr. Chansett said he first discovered Emser was secretly practicing scientology when he broke into Emser's garage and found "scientology-related literature and items."

"There was just way too many books and items in there pertaining to scientology for someone not to be practicing it," Chansett said.

Court documents show Chansett was charged with third degree residential burglary after that case, and has a few other criminal acts on his record from the past.

A spokesman for Emser told the Carova Statesman newspaper that allegations Dave Emser is a scientologist are "absolutely without merit and completely untrue."

"Dave Emser is not and never has been a scientologist. He has always been a devout member of the Christian faith," spokesman Jordan Olds told the Statesman. "These allegations are completely false and outlandish. Mr. Chansett's bizarre behavior and sordid criminal record prove that his accusations have no standing whatsoever."

Critics of Mr. Chansett point out there is no Scientology church in Aldridge, much less the entire state of Carova, and that Emser has been a member of the local St. Paul Presbyterian Church for 16 years.

Mr. Emser himself declined to comment on the issue Wednesday, but is expected to speak about the subject soon.

The Statesman uncovered court documents that show Emser and his wife Charlene are currently in a court battle with Chansett and his wife, Marla, over a property dispute. Court records also show the Emsers sued the Chansetts in the past for noise violations and following Mr. Chansett's burglary and trespassing conviction. Chansett says he broke into the garage to turn off an alarm that was going off for no apparent reason.

"That time I burglarized their garage, that was not true," Chansett told the Statesman. "I went in there because  there was a security alarm going off for no reason and it was loud and annoying and disrupting my work."

An attorney for the Emsers declined to comment on Chansett's chequered history with his clients.

Dave Emser is running for lieutenant governor with Federal Senator Sam Byelle, who is running for governor. On Wednesday, Byelle had no comment on the matter but hinted Mr. Emser will confront the allegations in person later this week.