Anti-Scientologist and former Clearwater candidate back in jail after bond revocation

A former candidate for Clearwater City Council who is a well-known anti-Scientology agitator is back in jail after a court revoked his bail related to charges he battered a Church of Scientology security guard in downtown Clearwater.

Aaron Smith-Levin was arrested July 29 after allegedly assaulting John Gaffney, who is a Church security guard, while the man was on duty.

Smith-Levin was protesting at the Church when Gaffney, who is also a member of the Church, was attempting to clean chalk markings made by protesters from the sidewalk, according to the arrest affidavit. Smith-Levin then reportedly approached Gaffney and “threw blue powdered chalk at the victim, covering his face and torso causing him to be transported to the hospital for medical care.”

The arrest affidavit notes that Gaffney suffered from respiratory distress.

The arrest affidavit further states Smith-Levin knew Gaffney was a member of the Church and “intentionally targeted (Gaffney) specifically because of (Gaffney’s) affiliation with a federally recognized religious entity.”

Smith-Levin was released from jail the next day on a $1,000 bond, records show. He was charged with first-degree misdemeanor battery over the incident. A court granted a no contact order against Smith-Levin on behalf of the victim, on Oct. 17.

Smith-Levin’s bail related to the battery incident was revoked Nov. 13 and he was remanded into custody. The revocation came after Smith-Levin was accused of a second battery incident, on a different Church staff member. A charge of first-degree misdemeanor battery was filed Oct. 23 and the motion to revoke or increase Smith-Levin’s bond was filed the next day.

The charges against Smith-Levin are still pending and have not yet gone to trial as of Nov. 19.

But this isn’t the first time Smith-Levin has found himself in hot water.

In September 2021 Smith-Levin was involved in an altercation at a Clearwater Beach bar after allegedly calling a woman a “c**t.” Smith-Levin told police he had called the woman “crazy” after she accused him of being a stalker. He said “she brought up something that happened 18-months ago,” explaining that he had sent her several messages on Facebook, telling police, “what do you want me to say? I don’t know, she’s super hot. I’m sorry.”

But bartenders who observed the incident told a different story at the time, saying he called the woman a “c**t” five times before the woman’s boyfriend stepped in and punched him. Smith-Levin initially said he wanted to take action against the man for striking him, but ultimately never filed charges after police explained that he had been the aggressor.

At the time of that incident Smith-Levin was a candidate for City Council. He went on to lose in March 2022 to now-City Council member Lina Teixeira.

Two years later, Smith-Levin backed another candidate for Clearwater City Council, Mark Bunker, who is also a Church of Scientology critic. Prior to supporting Bunker, Smith-Levin was removed from the board of a foundation he co-founded.

The removal cited a “history of incidents of misconduct” including two that involved law enforcement.

Asked about Smith-Levin’s latest legal troubles, the Church of Scientology pointed to “a well-documented history of unlawful harassment and physical confrontations.”

“Since July 2025, Smith-Levin has physically battered two members of Church staff. His arrest is the predictable result of his long pattern of unhinged and aggressive behavior,” the Church wrote in a statement. “We thank law enforcement and the courts for taking the steps they deemed necessary to protect members of the community.”

Smith-Levin could not be reached for comment due to his detention in the Pinellas County jail.

It’s worth noting the Tampa Bay Times, despite having covered Smith-Levin often in the past, has either missed this arrest and case, or has chosen to ignore it.