Part #8 of our series on Susan Dones’ deposition.
Robert Crockett, NXIVM’s lawyer is asking the questions, Dones, a former head trainer of NXIVM answers. Here she tells why she left NXIVM and a little about NXIVM’s lawsuits against whistle blowers.
Crockett Q: Is it correct to say that NXIVM offered expensive training courses?
Dones A: I believe it is expensive.
Q: When anybody (who) left NXIVM speaks out against the organization or its leaders, NXIVM immediately initiates complex lawsuits that are intended to bankrupt the nonbeliever suppressive and destroy their reputations?
A: That is what I believe.
Q: How many students or members do you think NXIVM has had since its inception?
A: …. when I left, it was a little over 6,000, so I would assume that by now it’s probably over 7,000.
Q: And of those 7,000 members, how many of them would you say NXIVM has initiated lawsuits against to destroy their reputations?
A: …. There’s Barbara Bouchey. There’s me. There’s Kim Woolhouse. There is Toni Natalie, Joe O’Hara, the Plyams, Yuri and Natasha Plyam…. (if) Becca Friedman doesn’t come forward with what they want from her, that they’re going to initiate a lawsuit against her.
Q: …. seven lawsuits of the 7,000 members.
A: … most people are afraid to speak out because of NXIVM’s lawsuits.
Q: Are …you aware of any other lawsuits other than the seven?
A: I’m not aware of any. ….I’m also not aware of anybody who has been vocal and blown the whistle.
Q: …. And what do you need to blow your whistle about?
A: … I was told certain things about Keith … I found out other ….things about him, those are things that then eventually caused me to leave. The one thing is the — what I believe is compulsive gambling ….losing over seventy million dollars of their members’ money in the commodities market and using several NXIVM members to open accounts for him to gamble in. I believe that that’s a problem. Then I also believe that there’s a problem with the sexual behavior. Those two things then caused me to have great concern because I had misrepresented him in relationship to a lot of people that …. trusted me, in that I told them about Keith Raniere’s character. I believe that what I did was the reasonable, ethical, moral thing to do, was to let people know that I had misrepresented him, and in doing so, I blew that whistle on his behavior.
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