Also in January 1997 , an open letter to then @-@ Chancellor Helmut Kohl appeared , published as a newspaper advertisement in the International Herald Tribune , drawing parallels between the " organized oppression " of Scientologists in Germany and Nazi policies espoused by Germany in the 1930s . The letter was conceived and paid for by Hollywood lawyer Bertram Fields , whose clients have included Tom Cruise and John Travolta , and was signed by 34 prominent figures in the U.S. entertainment industry , including the top executives of MGM , Warner Bros. , Paramount , Universal and Sony Pictures Entertainment as well as actors Dustin Hoffman and Goldie Hawn , director Oliver Stone , writers Mario Puzo and Gore Vidal and talk @-@ show host Larry King . It echoed similar parallels drawn by the Church of Scientology itself , which until then had received scant notice , and was followed by lobbying efforts of Scientology celebrities in Washington .