With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies? Some of Clare’s Supporters May Have Put Nails in Her Coffin

Marie White's portrayal of Clare Bronfman

The general consensus seems to be that Clare Bronfman may have done herself some serious harm with the letter that she recently wrote to the judge who will be sentencing her on September 30th, U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis.

Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis

It was in that letter that Clare made it one hundred percent perfectly clear that she would never disavow her Vanguard, Keith Alan Raniere – or his crazy sex cult, NXIVM.

On the contrary, Clare boldly informed the judge that “…NXIVM and Keith greatly changed my life for the better”.

MK10ART’s painting of the Inestimable One, Keith Alan Raniere, the world’s smartest federal prisoner.

She also made the mistake of telling the judge how Keith and NXIVM helped her “…learn about being a responsible leader” – and how she was “…given opportunities to build myself and my new-found love of business within the various companies…” [that were part of NXIVM].

Meanwhile, in the same filing to which Clare’s letter was attached, her attorneys were trying to convince Judge Garaufis that Clare had no knowledge of any of the darker aspects of Keith and NXIVM: e.g., the merciless destruction of anyone who was less than 100% loyal and obedient to Keith; its numerous criminal activities – many of which were directly funded by Clare; the existence of DOS – and its ongoing blackmail of women; the failed attempt to use Mexican authorities to silence critics of Keith and NXIVM; and on and on.

DOS First-Line Slaves

According to her attorneys, Clare was really not a leader in NXIVM even though she was listed on its website as its Director of Operations.

And even though she was on the company’s Executive Board – and personally oversaw all its legal activities – her attorneys argued that she didn’t ever know what was actually going on behind the scenes.

Her attorneys even claim she was shocked when she received five emails from women who were resigning from NXIVM – and who asked her to return the blackmail material they had been cajoled and coerced into turning over to the leaders of DOS. Interestingly enough, her attorneys never explained why Clare didn’t do anything to see that the blackmail material was returned to its rightful owners.

According to her attorneys, Clare was entirely focused on protecting NXIVM from those unnamed scoundrels who were “hacking into NXIVM’s computer servers” – which led her to pursue criminal sanctions against them. For some reason, however, they failed to mention that the entire computer trespass case was based on the fraudulent assertion that the server in question was located in Albany, NY – and that the only law enforcement official in New York State who was willing to bring such charges was P. David Soares, the Albany County District Attorney who had been blackmailed, bribed or otherwise cajoled into bringing other unfounded criminal charges against enemies of Keith and NXIVM.

Despite a significant weight gain in the last 15-years, David Soares has still not grown into the job of being Albany County D.A.

All in all, Clare’s attorneys tried to portray her as someone who was basically oblivious to everything going on around her.

Not a real leader at all – but rather a socially inept misfit who just happened to be a member of NXIVM’s Executive Board – and who just happened to have the title of Director of Operations.

But not to worry…several of the people who wrote letters-of-support on behalf of Clare made it very clear just how much she was in charge of everything NXIVM did.

*****

Some of Her Supporters May Have Put Nails in Clare’s Coffin

While Clare’s attorneys tried to convince Judge Garaufis that Clare didn’t know anything about the darker side of NXIVM, several of her supporters painted an entirely different picture in their letters-of-support for her.

Alejandro A. Imbach, for example, mentioned how he first met Clare at the 2015 edition of V-Week. “Clare was in charge of planning and running the whole thing, which in my opinion was a quite complex task. I remember seeing her working tirelessly every day, from early in the morning until late at night. She was always moving between places, checking on people and making sure that things were running smoothly”.

V-Week group photo

Hmmm…That doesn’t sound like someone who was out-of-the-loop on what was going on. On the contrary, it sounds like a hands-on boss who’s on top of everything going on around them.

Antonio Aja, the General Manager of Clare’s Wakaya Club and Spa, described Clare as“A smart, reflective, compassionate, generous and conscious leader”.  He also indicated that he values her “…discipline, honesty, hard work ethic, [and] attention to detail…”. Once again that doesn’t sound like someone who wouldn’t know what was going on inside NXIVM.

Clare’s Wakaya Island Retreat

In his letter-of-support, Edgar Boone, one of the High-Rank members of NXIVM, made it abundantly clear to Judge Garaufis just how involved Clare was with the cult’s operations. “Clare was in charge of much of the companies [sic] daily operations, business decisions, and legal strategies.”

Edgar Boone writing his letter-of-support for Clare

Her former CPA Gregory Zelenay described Clare as “…a sophisticated and savvy client”. Definitely not the kind of person to have things going on behind her back.

And last – but certainly not least – we have the letter-of-support from James DelNegro who described himself as “…a 52-year old mechanical engineer with four (4) step children and spouse” – the latter references presumably being to his live-in domestic partner Esther Chiappone Carlson and her children. He goes on to describe Clare as “someone with great integrity” and someone “…who does not want recognition for all the good things she has done”.

Esther Chiappone Carlson with her longtime boyfriend Jim Del Negro

Turns out that Jimbo – who somehow failed to mention that he was a long-term member of the NXIVM cult and a leader of its so-called Society of Protectors – almost had it right.

Clare certainly does not want recognition for a lot of the things she’s done.

Things like underwriting the terrorism-by-litigation tactics of her mentor, Keith Raniere.

Terrorism-by-litigation was one of Keith Raniere’s favorite tactics to use against his enemies. And Clare supplied millions of dollars to pay for all the resulting legal fees. 

Things like underwriting the day-to-day operations of the NXIVM cult so that Keith had time to do things like creating DOS.

Things like spending millions upon millions of dollars on attorney fees to destroy the lives of anyone that Raniere declared to an enemy or a suppressive.

Things like personally committing perjury on at least two occasions because Keith told her to do so.

A portrayal of Clare Bronfman after she serves her prison term

Things like bribing, blackmailing and otherwise cajoling public officials to forgo their oaths to public service to ensure that Keith and NXIVM never got investigated, let alone prosecuted.

Hopefully, Judge Garaufis will read all of Clare’s letters-of-support very carefully.

And, hopefully, he’ll sentence her to at least 5-years in federal prison to contemplate all the harm and destruction she’s caused others.

Viva Executive Success!

 

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K.R. Claviger

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  • Let’s be blunt.
    NXIVM is still active in Canada, the US and Mexico.
    In fact, I can state that the cult has at least one courier, probably more, who travels throughout North America relaying messages between the various operating centers of NXIVM.

  • The job of Bronfman’s lawyers is to spin their client in the best light that they can and it’s up to others to provide counter-spin – her lawyers obviously don’t have much to work with. LOL

    Perhaps there’s a bit of reverse psychology going on here, make the judge think that she’s bat excrement crazy, feel sorry for her, make part of her punishment getting mental help and a lesser prison sentence. LOL

    I don’t think it will work, but she’s obviously desperate. LOL

    If it’s not a reverse psychology move, then a longer prison sentence would do her good by giving her time to think about what an absolute b!tch she is, as well as protect society from her. LOL

    Hopefully the civil lawsuit(s) will be wildly successful and break her financially, then she’ll become just another old, grumpy, and harmless spinster. LOL

  • Clare

    I know you are greatly worried and under great stress concerning your imminent incarceration. I’ve been there and more. The letter you wrote on your own behalf to Judge Geraufis was a total disaster. Despite your love and appreciation for Keith Raniere, a sentencing hearing is not the appropriate time and place to display it. No one is interested that you learned a lot in Nxivm, even if it is totally 110% true. No one wants to hear that you still support a convicted felon, child pornographer and child abuser (even if the girl gave her consent, was a full 15 years old and it wouldn’t have been a crime in Mexico).

    I’ve spent time in prison. I’ve been through parole hearings. The commonality between a pre-sentencing hearing and a parole hearing is neither is fair. In both situations, you’re walking in there as a convicted person. You are powerless to change other’s mind about your crime and the crimes of your friends. In prison I had a really good friend who was convicted of murder. I loved the guy and would have done anything for him. But, speaking up for him at my parole hearing was not appropriate even though I loved him. It’s the same for you. You may love Keith Raniere but it is not appropriate for you to speak up for him at your hearing. Doing so invites disaster, for you and him.

    I overwhelmingly suggest you rescind your letter written to Geraufis and admit you were blinded by misguided sense of loyalty and insanity.
    Throw yourself upon the mercy of the court and request to write a new letter.

    I am not a professional prison consultant but, If you need help writing a new letter, I can give some guidelines. The court is interested in the following:

    1) that you admit what you did was wrong (list all the crimes you did, state specifically the impact and pain it caused others);
    2) apologize to those you hurt (list them 1 by 1) and what you will do to make amends to them (restore them to complete financial health, apologize publicly);
    3) state what you learned overall from a deeper understanding of your crime;
    4) state specifically what you will do in your life to change to rectify the harm you have caused. Be specific. State how you will live your life each day, state what efforts you will take each day to restore yourself to full membership in society. (Pledge yourself to help others like you leave cults, publicly condemn sexual abuse to children).

    What I’ve said above may seem shameful and disloyal to your friends. It is, in fact, disloyal. But, you need to reflect upon not just the good they’ve done but the harm they’ve caused. It’s this harm that has put in the situation you are in right now. You have the opportunity to rectify this harm by speaking out against the abuse they’ve committed.

  • NXIVM and Keith changed my life for the better? Prison is considered by Clare a better life than a life of freedom. Interesting concept. Twisted actually

  • If anyone hammered nails in Clare Bronfman’s incarceration coffin, it’s actually Raniere himself, if the truly amazing email he wrote to Mariana Fernandez a year ago is indeed authentic:

    https://frankreport.com/2020/08/31/keith-ranieres-amazing-prison-email-to-baby-mama-i-was-kidnapped-by-mexicans-posing-as-police-a-south-american-billionaire-is-after-me-and-i-am-innocent/

    He says: “Suddenly, I find myself alone, in a fortuitous clearing, where I can potentially make a global difference. I don’t know why I’ve been granted this visibility or potential power, but here I am. Yes, I can, and should, potentially reverse my trial verdict, but just as importantly– even more so–something good can be done!”

    In other words, he wants to use the notoriety he has gained through these criminal convictions to create a platform to amplify his voice globally. This is why I said, the fact that Clare Bronfman still feels she can go out and do “something good” is so dangerous, and actually provides the judge with every reason he might need to lock her up and keep her isolated from society for a good few years.

    These people appear to be totally unrepentant, totally unreformed criminals, who still believe they have something to tell the world. They still believe their self-centered sociopathy is “enlightened”. This is the power of confirmation bias. The “happiness” they claim to have experienced in the cult was bought at the expense of torture, slavery, mind control, blackmail, extortion, child rape, induced suicide and quite possibly murder. This all gave meaning to Clare Bronfman’s self-proclaimed completely empty existence as a poor little rich girl.

    Seriously — Clare Bronfman needs to be locked away for her own good, as much as for the good of society. Since she apparently needs someone to help her sit on a toilet, it’s clear she needs 24/7 custodial care from trained professionals. For once, a few years in jail may actually do someone some good.

  • She hammered the nails into her coffin herself, from the inside. She can no longer get out of it. What did her attorney Robert Sullivan let happen? Simply catastrophic!

About the Author

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist.

His work has been cited in hundreds of news outlets, like The New York Times, The Daily Mail, VICE News, CBS News, Fox News, New York Post, New York Daily News, Oxygen, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, The Sun, The Times of London, CBS Inside Edition, among many others in all five continents.

His work to expose and take down NXIVM is featured in books like “Captive” by Catherine Oxenberg, “Scarred” by Sarah Edmonson, “The Program” by Toni Natalie, and “NXIVM. La Secta Que Sedujo al Poder en México” by Juan Alberto Vasquez.

Parlato has been prominently featured on HBO’s docuseries “The Vow” and was the lead investigator and coordinating producer for Investigation Discovery’s “The Lost Women of NXIVM.” He also appeared in "Branded and Brainwashed: Inside NXIVM, and was credited in the Starz docuseries "Seduced" for saving 'slave' women from being branded and escaping the sex-slave cult known as DOS.

Additionally, Parlato’s coverage of the group OneTaste, starting in 2018, helped spark an FBI investigation, which led to indictments of two of its leaders in 2023.

Parlato appeared on the Nancy Grace Show, Beyond the Headlines with Gretchen Carlson, Dr. Oz, American Greed, Dateline NBC, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, where Parlato conducted the first-ever interview with Keith Raniere after his arrest. This was ironic, as many credit Parlato as one of the primary architects of his arrest and the cratering of the cult he founded.

Parlato is a consulting producer and appears in TNT's The Heiress and the Sex Cult, which premieres on May 22, 2022.

IMDb — Frank Parlato

Contact Frank with tips or for help.
Phone / Text: (305) 783-7083
Email: frankparlato@gmail.com

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