We may have to add another criminal defense lawyer to the present cast of 23 lawyers known to be representing the NXIVM team.
The newcomer is John Sandweg. He is an Arizona lawyer and has been named as a top member of the Arizona Mafia – the self-styled group from Arizona believed to be uncommonly friendly to alleged Mexican crime boss and former president of Mexico, Carlos Salinas.
Sandweg, a top-flight criminal defense attorney, specialized in representing accused and convicted murderers, sex offenders, and pedophiles, a man who fought for the release of violent convicted offenders. He was also a big man in DC under Obama.
He raised campaign finance money for their Arizona Mafia leader Janet Napolitano from 2002 to 2008.
But Sandweg shot near the top of the DC bureaucracy.
He became General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security under Napolitano. After six months on the job, he was named the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Napolitano.
Sources say it is Sandweg who was seen going in and out of court with Clare Bronfman on several occasions. It has been already confirmed that Arizona Mafia second in command Dennis Burke is one of Bronfman’s lead attorneys. It makes sense that his colleague, Sandweg, is also on retainer here.
Now I cannot be 100 percent sure of the ID. Perhaps readers will help out.
Here are some pictures of John Sandweg:
And here are pictures of the man who accompanied Clare Bronfman in and out of court – believed to be Sandweg.
Is this John Sandweg?
One of his former friends who knows him well says it is him.
Sandweg is a friend of Emiliano Salinas, as well.
Assuming this is John Sandweg accompanying Clare, we now have identified two dozen attorneys in this case.
They are:
Keith Alan Raniere
1. Marc Agnifilo – Brafman & Associates, P.C.
2. Paul DerOhannesian II – DerOhannesian & DerOhannesian
3. Danielle R. Smith – DerOhannesian & DerOhannesian
4. Jacob Kaplan – Brafman & Associates, P.C.
5. Teny R. Geragos – Brafman & Associates, P.C.
6. Brian Poe – Fort Worth, TX
Allison Mack
7. Steven Kobre Kobre & Kim LLC
8. William F. McGovern Kobre & Kim LLC
9. Sean S. Buckley – Kobre & Kim LLC
Clare Bronfman
10. Dennis Burke –Ballard Spahr
11. John Sandweg
12. Susan R. Necheles – Hafetz & Necheles LLP
13. Kathleen E. Cassidy – Hafetz & Necheles LLP
14. Gedalia Stern – Hafetz & Necheles LLP
15. William Savino
Nancy Salzman A/K/A Prefect
16. Michael J. Sullivan – Ashcroft Group
17. David Stern Franklin Rothman, Schneider, Soloway and Stern
18. Robert Soloway p Franklin Rothman, Schneider, Soloway and Stern
Lauren Salzman
19. Hector J. Diaz – Quarles & Brady, LLP
20. James L. Burke – Quarles & Brady
Kathy Russell
21. Justine Harris
22. Amanda Ravich
**************************************
Bonus lawyers who are just waiting for their clients to get indicted
Dr. Brandon Porter and Dr. Danielle Roberts
23. Michael S. Kelton – Abrams Fensterman
Nicki Clyne
24. Edward Sapone – Sapone & Petrillo
***
It should be noted that in a recent court filing it was revealed that “…a trust … has been established to defray legal costs for defendants as well as for a number of entities and witnesses in this case”.
Apparently, the trust funds are being used to pay “expenses” for “…a number of entities and witnesses…” – which means that the attorneys may have competition for that money!
This is a fascinating revelation since it makes clear that in addition to paying for criminal defense attorneys, the trust funds are also being used to keep some of the witnesses and defendants on the Bronfman-Raniere payroll.
If legal costs are in the range of $1 million per month – this trust fund may have to be in the $20-40 million range to take them through trial and appeals.
To Clare and Sara Bronfman – this is not all that much money. They once gave Raniere $65.6 million for purported commodities investments that he blew through in no time. A few months later they invested another $26.3 million that he was also on the high road towards losing until I stepped in and recovered their assets [and for which they repaid me by trying to destroy me.]
Spending money on Raniere is a habit for them – a bad habit.
Circling back to Dennis Burke and John Sandweg.
A source tells me that the FBI is investigating Burke, one of Bronfman’s lawyers, for possible witness intimidation. He was quite rough with some, according to my source, and may have actually threatened a witness or two or their lawyers.
Burke, who is closely associated with alleged murderer Carlos Salinas, was once the US Attorney for Arizona. He had to resign over the Fast and Furious scandal where the Deep State was running guns to Mexico to raise money for the CIA etc. outside the oversight of Congress.
Burke was the fall guy and it was commonly thought he was going to prison. But he was allowed to merely resign – and was later was appointed to an advisory board for the DOJ in DC.
As for Sandweg, neither Burke nor Sandweg are attorneys of record for Bronfman. They are behind the scenes players – whose loyalty is – if it is ever in conflict – will be to the Salinas family.
Bronfman, who has been played as a fool by Raniere for years, may be seeing round two – courtesy of Carlos Salinas – whose one goal right now is to protect his son, Emiliano, from indictment in the US and a fight over extradition.
Stay tuned.

[…] Clare Bronfman heads to court with bodyguard/lawyer John Sandweg, former director of he U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and reputed member of the Arizona Mafia. […]
I agree with Anon. The lawyers win almost regardless… Unless they don’t get the outcome the Salinas family wants and wind up “innocent bystanders” in a drive by. That’s the risk they take, though, playing games with people of that sort.
The lawyers win regardless. And a client that thinks he’s smarter than you. Let him run the show which is the only way a sociopath like Rainere would allow it. He will have himself to blame . Has not worried about putting on a defense right now. All he’s concerned about right now is damaging the credibility of the known witnesses. Let’s hope there’s enough unknown witnesses that slip through his cracks. I have to admit the fact he’s already done 6 months is a pleasure.
What a joke. All of the lawyers in the world can’t help these lawless slimes of the earth. They just enjoy their pay checks. But truth will prevail and the justice system will fry these NXISCUM pigs.
Indict Emiliano Salinas and Sara Bronfman and the number of criminal defense lawyers in this case will hit an even forty.
It may prove impossible to indict a member of what is likely the most influential and clever political family on the North American continent.
His huge bulging forehead gives him away!
Never put all your eggs in one basket!
These Arizona mafia lawyers were part of the great Democratic party that is no longer relevant, whatever Clinton promised is obsolete. Are they now settling to make a few bucks off the diminishing Bronfman fortune, maybe to pay for the lawyers their going to need.
yep, thieves are never rogues among themselves!
“Send lawyers, guns and money…They’ll get me out of this.” – Warren Zevon.
Off Excitable Boy (1978).
Lawyers, Guns and Money
I went home with the waitress
the way I always do
How was I to know
she was with the
Russians too?
I was gambling in Havana
I took a little risk
Send lawyers, guns and money
Dad, get me out of this, hah!
I’m the innocent bystander
Somehow I got stuck
between the rock
and a hard place
and I’m down on my luck
Yes I’m down on my luck
Well I’m down on my luck
I’m hiding in Honduras
I’m a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money
the shit has hit the fan
All right
Send lawyers, guns and money
Huh!
Uhh!
Send lawyers, guns and money
Uhh!
Send lawyers, guns and money
Hyah!
Send lawyers, guns and money
Ooh!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Yeah!
Uh!
@Frank:
That is definitely him walking with Bronfman…eyes, nose, bone structure are the same, so there’s no doubt. I did a cross-comparison of pictures in the facial recognition program I have on my PC, which matched on 64 markers.
“As for Sandweg, neither Burke nor Sandweg are attorneys of record for Bronfman. They are behind the scenes players – whose loyalty is – if it is ever in conflict – will be to the Salinas family.”
Is there not one person within the entire Bronfman clan who will stand against this?! Just say, “NO!” this psycho will not rule us, our family and neither will any dillitante faggot rebel- spawn of a tyrant Mexican dictator.
Man or Woman or Human up!
“They are behind the scenes players – whose loyalty is – if it is ever in conflict – will be to the Salinas family.”
Clare has spent so much Bronfman money already on frivolous law suits and criminal defense lawyers that the Salinas crime family will own her lock, stock and barrell.
Viva Executive Success!
Perhaps Mr. Parlato should change the name of his blog to:
BILLABLE HOURS
Precious post! ROFLMAO 🤣…can’t be sure but that COULD be John Sandweg’s identical twin trotting behind Clare.
– “This is fascinating since not only are lawyers paid by this but apparently it is being used to keep some of the witnesses and defendants on the Bronfman-Raniere payroll.”
Old NXIVM trick (or was it sly, old Bob Crockett?) prepping for the Plyam trial slaughter by bribing witnesses — if it wasn’t Frank’s idea. They kept all the “Precision” or Bronfman witnesses — mostly Mexican-Americans of unknown, unmentionable work status — on the payroll for YEARS prior to the trial. Plyam’s attorney, Dennis Riley, lost a lot of amigos on the jury — themselves comprised of mostly Mexican-Americans — by trying to show these witnesses had done next to nothing work-wise on the properties but were, somehow, being bribed all those years from 2008 – 2011
…I think the painfully detailed testimony of how the Bronfman’s Mexican-American employees (first hired by the Plyam’s, I believe, and kept on with generous salary increases and Christmas bonuses) well-maintained the stinky port-a-potties…and once or twice over the years, applied tarps to keep the properties from sliding down the hillsides…which they did, none the less.
Bribery’s a given but, now, Burke intimidating witnesses gangsta-style?! Arizona Mafia…Frank Report’s GOTCHA!
…This just gets better by the minute!