NXIVM: Founder found guilty; ties to Clinton and other prominent Democrats

Fellowship of the Minds – by Dr. Eowyn

On Wednesday, June 19, after just four hours of deliberation, a New York jury found Keith Raniere, 58, founder of the creepy NXIVM sex-cult, guilty on all counts — racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and attempted sex trafficking. (Daily Mail)

Raniere now faces life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for September 25 and he will continue to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn without bail. 

The trial lasted six weeks, during which time multiple women were called to the stand to describe how they served as sex slaves to Raniere and were forced to have his initials branded on their bodies, stay thin by being restricted to just 500 calories per day, and not trim their pubic hair.

US Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement shortly after the verdict was read on Wednesday: “Over the last seven weeks, this trial has revealed that Raniere, who portrayed himself as a savant and a genius, was in fact a massive manipulator, a con man and the crime boss of a cult-like organization involving sex trafficking, child pornography, extortion compelled abortions, branding, degradation and humiliation. The evidence proved that Raniere was truly a modern-day Svengali.”

Before Raniere was found guilty, his co-defendant accomplices already had pled guilty:

• Clare Bronfman, 40, billionaire heiress who used her immense wealth to bankroll NXIVM’s activities, made a plea deal and pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit identity theft. 
  
• Allison Mack, “Smallville” actress, 36, made a plea deal and pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking, and attempted sex trafficking.
• Kathy Russell, NXIVM bookkeeper, 61, made a plea deal and pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy.
• Lauren Salzman, daughter of Nancy Salzman, 43, made a plea deal and pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy.
• Nancy Salzman, NXIVM co-founder and president, 64, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy.

But NXIVM is more than a sadistic sex-cult. It also engaged in sex-trafficking of women and children, and had ties to Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats.

(1) THE CLINTON CONNECTION:

• NXIVM donated $29,900 to Hillary Clinton’s 2006 presidential campaign.
• At least three NXIVM officials — Nancy Salzman and the Bronfman sisters — were “invitation-only” members of the Clinton Global Initiative. (New York Post)
• Raniere’s trial judge refused to allow prosecution to present evidence of an “illegal scheme” by NXIVM to exceed contribution limits to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential primary campaign, in the “hopes of obtaining political influence to advance their own agenda”. (ZeroHedge)

(2) OTHER DEMOCRATS:

According to a man named Ben Szemkus, in February 2007, he attended a NXIVM recruitment party in New Haven, Connecticut, where he met Keith Raniere, Allison Mack, Clare & Sara Bronfman, but also Huma Abedin and her husband Anthony Weiner, James Alefantis (owner of the infamous Comet PingPong pizza restaurant in Washington, DC), porn actress Stormy Daniels, and Eric Schneiderman (former New York state senator and attorney general who is accused by 4 women of sexual and physical abuse).

Szemkus said snuff films were shown at the recruitment party, and that NXIVM parties were held on Virgin Atlantic Airline billionaire Richard Branson‘s Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

On July 18, 2018, Szemkus took — and passed — a polygraph test administered by Steve Hamre, a certified polygraph examiner and private investigator.

The questions asked of Szemkus, all of which he answered “yes”, are (FrankReport):

1. Is your name Ben?
2. Did you attend a NXIVM recruitment in 2007?
3. Was Stormy Daniels, James Alefantis, Huma Abedin, Anthony Wiener, and Eric Schneiderman there…?
4. Were you aware that there were snuff films…
5. Were NXIVM parties at Richard Bransons’s Necker Island?

Frank Parlato, a former NXIVM publicist and whistleblower who first revealed the group’s branding ritual in June 2017 on FrankReport.com, a blog dedicated to exposing Raniere and his crimes, observes:

When you consider the curious cast – – all of whom have come to recent notoriety – all coming together in Connecticut in 2007 for a NXIVM recruitment – makes for an intriguing gathering:

Stormy Daniels – then an unknown porn actress- now a notorious celebrity because of her liaison and payoff to/with Trump.

Eric Schneiderman – then a New York senator, now a disgraced former NYS AG – allegedly having committed sex crimes resembling those of Raniere’s.

Anthony Weiner – who was not married [and according to some sources not even dating] Huma Abedin, both at the party, introducing themselves as married – Weiner is in prison for sex crimes similar to Raniere. Abedin was a top aide of Hillary Clinton.

James Alefantis – a man unknown at the time – who recently became known from to-date-unproven online allegations/conspiracy theories about his operations in the area of pedophilia.

How and why this group would be together at a recruitment party of NXIVM in 2007 is unclear . . .  evidently Weiner, Abedin, Schneiderman, Alafantis – had no qualms about being known as connected to NXIVM.

~Eowyn

Fellowship of the Minds