Three documents have been filed in the matter of the USA v Raniere that reveal a little more of the legal efforts Keith Raniere is making to get him released from prison. First and foremost we learn that Clare Bronfman has been paying for his team of premier attorneys.
We also learn that his recent team, which included Jennifer Bonjean, Steve Metcalf and Martin H. Tankleff are off the case.
They have been replaced by Jeffrey Lichtman, Jeffrey Einhorn and Jason Goldman or the Lichtman Firm and by Marc Fernich.
The Litchman Firm filed their Notice of Appearance on June 29, 2021 and Fernich filed his on July 2, 2021.
Bonjean filed Raniere’s appeal.
According to our sources, Bonjean has also ceased to represent Raniere.
Raniere and Metcalf at Odds Over Representation
Here is the motion to withdraw by Tankleff and Metcalf, which reads in part, “From the time that undersigned counsel started representing Keith, we have been zealous advocates. In fact, we actively litigated the issue of restitution before this court which granted a hearing, scheduled to commence later this month… It is our understanding that newly retained counsel has agreed to take over the issue of restitution, and all other aspects of representation of the defendant…
Prior to executing the Proposed Stipulation of Substitution of Counsel, a number of attempts were made to set up a legal phone call with Keith, all to no avail.
Based on the representations of newly retained counsel, and the person who is acting as Keith’s Power of Attorney, the undersigned counsel, executed a Proposed Stipulation of Substitution of Counsel
[Editor’s note: It is not known at present who Raniere’s power of attorney is.]
It is undersigned counsels’ position that there has been a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship. To fully explain all the issues would require them to reveal attorney-client privileged information, which we are not willing to do so…
It is not necessary for undersigned counsel to continue with an attorney-client privileged relationship where counsel and client are at odds with how to litigate the case and client no longer wants counsel representing him.
Bronfman Paying According to Prosecution
In another filing, the prosecution filed a document that reveals who is paying for the battery of attorneys to represent Raniere. It is none other than Clare Bronfman.
Their filing reads:
The government respectfully submits this letter to notify the Court regarding a potential conflict involving counsel for defendant Keith Raniere. On June 30, 2021 and July 2, 2021, Jeffrey H. Lichtman, Esq. and Marc A. Fernich, Esq. filed notices of appearance on behalf of the defendant Keith Raniere.
The government has been advised that the legal fees for Mr. Lichtman and Mr. Fernich, who represent Raniere in connection with proceedings related to restitution before the Court as well as his pending appeal, are being paid by the defendant Clare Bronfman.
Raniere was previously advised of, and waived, a nearly identical potential conflict relating to Bronfman’s payment of Raniere’s legal fees, see ECF Docket Entry No. 443 (Curcio hearing relating to payment of legal fees by the CDF Irrevocable Trust).
The government respectfully requests, in an abundance of caution, that the Court obtain the defendant Keith Raniere’s knowing and voluntary waiver of this potential conflict immediately prior to the sentencing hearing regarding restitution scheduled to proceed on July 20, 2021.
Nancy to Be Sentenced in September
In response to a request by Nancy Salzman’s attorney, Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis has postponed the sentencing hearing for Nancy Salzman one month. It is now set for Sept. 8, 2021.
Her attorney, Robert Soloway, requested the delay because he had a preplanned vacation and because the scheduling order for filings was not in the same sequence as prior defendants – which created some logistical challenges.
Here is the judge’s order:
ORDER: Defendant Nancy Salzman’s sentencing hearing is RESCHEDULED for Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. The court DIRECTS the parties to adhere to the following schedule with respect to their pre-sentencing submissions: Ms. Salzman shall file her objections, if any, to the Presentence Investigation Report (“PSR”) by July 19, 2021. The Government shall file its response to the PSR and to Ms. Salzman’s objections by July 26, 2021. Ms. Salzman may file a reply by August 2, 2021. Additionally, the Government shall make its sentencing submission by August 13, 2021, and Ms. Salzman shall make her sentencing submission by August 20, 2021. The Government shall submit any Victim Impact Statements by August 13, 2021, and shall inform the court by September 3, 2021 whether any victims wish to speak at the sentencing hearing. Ordered by Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis on 7/12/2021. (Freund, Zachary)
K. R. C.
Do you think when Clare Bear gets paroled, she will resume vengeful litigation on behalf of the cult?
Like, if Raniere made his wishes known to Clare; would she resume funding the spying and suing for Keith and crew in some sneaky way?
Or do you think Clare will at all be humbled and have learned a lesson? Because she will get out. Obviously. And she won’t be too old to get back into the cult swing of things…
She has enough money to get into media. Maybe she’ll buy some local Capitol area papers and become a super charged Nicki style apologist with the cash to push the public message?
Will Clare fund ESP part deux? On the down low. I am not saying what she should do legally. – what do you think Claire’s post prison life might be?
What do you predict for Clare post incarceration, K. R. C.?
Given that Clare is still in Keith’s thrall, it’s hard for me to believe that she’ll come out of it by the time she gets out.
Most first-time inmates stop bullshitting themselves after 6 months or so. Although it’s hard to believe, Clare has been imprisoned now for almost 10 months. And she’s spent all that time in a place that is a lot like MDC — albeit without the power outages and freezing.
So, I think Clare will most likely come out as Keith’s avenging angel — and, as soon as she is somewhere she can’t be extradited, she’ll, once again, be doing Keith’s bidding.
Thank you, K. R. C.
That’s close to what I was thinking too. Except I hadn’t thought of non-extradition!
It’s too bad Clare doesn’t make a friend inside who could set her straight. It’s also too bad that Clare doesn’t have friends on the outside to set her straight either.
If Clare hadn’t been so malicious, it would be sad.
I’m praying Clare finds a friend.
I know it doesn’t really matter what I think, but at some point, she needs to stop picking up the tab for this vanguard guy.
He turned her against her own father and lost millions of her money because he is not sane.
I understand she had a love for this toad and that’s okay. She probably just cared and was trying to help.
But, at some point, shouldn’t she just stop wasting her money and trust that this guy is gonna be okay?
His whole rhetoric was: no ultimate victims … renunciate… owned nothing … never even knew where his shirt came from, a celibate … etc.
I sort of think keith is exactly where he wanted to be.
I also think the sick man believes he’s gonna control the world through the prison system but that’s another story for another day.
If Clare developed a genuine friendship at any time in the future, that friend would try to explain to her the folly of continuing her support for Keith. Given that she reports everything to him via their lawyers, he’d instruct her to destroy that person just like she tried when Frank helped her.
Clare is cursed! Whoever will attempt to help her will have their life destroyed by Clare herself!
Thank you, Claviger.
I have been thinking the same. I think she will spend a good amount of her fortune attempting to make life hell for people like Mark Vicente, Lauren, Daniela and Cammie, Frank, Catherine and India Oxenberg and anyone else who contributed to the destruction of NXIVM and the downfall of the once almighty Keith. She will spend her life being bitter and have nothing to show for the rest of her days but blind allegiance to a charlatan.
At the same time, I doubt she will do much to support Nicki, Suneel and the remaining NXIVM members, especially since none of them lifted a finger to help her at the sentencing phase of her case. I could possibly foresee a power struggle over attempts to revive NXIVM.
Is there any word on the remaining NXIans continuing to recruit members?
To the Trump hater K. R. Claviger
#WINNING
Famous Attorney Michael Avenatti went from being “Trump’s nightmare” to become a fart in the wind after taking a huge L trying to extort Nike.
That is freakin funny, the end is the best.
Ahhhhh…nothing like some good schadenfreude to start the mornin!
Thanks so much!
Shadow-
K.R. Claviger never claimed to be a Michael Avenatti.
Fan fan
Why in hell would I want to be Michael Avenatti?
Claviger-
It was a typo!
***
What I meant is you are not a fan of either man.
Shadowstate buys into all the dogma. According to Shadow if you don’t like Trump, automatically, you love every democrat and communist on planet earth. According to Shadow, John McCain and Mitt Romney are traitors to the Republican Party.
Sadly, the one true conspiracy is that Shadow’s family is planning an intervention.
Frank, do you have any insight into why Jennifer Bonjean is longer representing Keith Raniere? If so, I would love to see an article covering all those details!
Bronfman is grateful because Raniere changed her life. He taught her to embrace being a sociopath, end the conflict and the pain. It works, looks what it’s done for Donald Trump.
“looks what it’s done for Donald Trump.” Scott D Laux
By selling crappy artwork for 500,000 dollars a painting, Joe Biden and his crackhead son Hunter have created a whole new level of corruption.
I hope you’re pleased with that.
Rumor has it that the Bronfman family will buy several paintings from crackhead Hunter.
Even though Clare still finances Raniere and still remains loyal, the NXIVM dead-enders do not speak out on Clare’s behalf…..
….I wonder why.
Keith used to talk shit about her behind her back and they all followed his lead. Sooo, they don’t and never did, like her.
Nut Job-
Thanks for answering my long-standing question!
You the man!
And yet the Nxium dead enders do not in any way publicly support Clare. Even though she is paying their precious vanguard’s enormous legal bills. And some of the manson girls/DOS slaves legal bills as well.
No booty dancing in short, shorts in front of Clare’s prison. Not even by that ingrate Manson girl Suneel “Sadie” Chakovarty – Clare’s personal bidet. I mean, friend. Or employee?
There is no PR campaign bent on turning public opinion on Clare. No wrongful conviction claims made on lame people’s podcasts on Clare’s behalf. No arguing prosecutorial misconduct in Clare’s conviction.
It’s been years. Clare languishing in prison with no support from her, “community”. No love for Clare. No mention of Clare. But she’s bankrolling the whole criminal cabal.
What great “friends”. What about all this sorority of branded sisters having each others’ backs and female empowerment and agency spin?
Clare never caved on the Supreme leader. – why isn’t she revered as the biggest, best, most loyal, perfect follower and most ethical cult member ever? Hasn’t Clare passed Keith’s “tested trust” where others have failed? Where is Clare’s reward?
“No booty dancing in short, shorts in front of Clare’s prison.” No integrity nxians
That dancing was counterproductive.
Whoever is doing Attorney-In-Fact duty should be named as acting boss of the Raniere crime family.
With a no-contact order, it will be interesting to see how Clare’s apparently still close involvement with Keith has been orchestrated. Clare must enjoy being in lockup as much as Keith enjoys using her and her money.
Clare can talk with her attorneys – and her attorneys can talk to Keith’s attorneys. So, it’s really not hard for her and Keith to exchange information.
My point wasn’t well made. I think the distinguished judge from Brooklyn may have a thought or two on this game of telephone being played to circumvent his intent. It also proves his thinking at Clare’s sentencing that Keith’s actions didn’t occur in a vacuum, she had to be aware of them and was the financier. Nothing new under the sun. Poor dumb Clare. SMH 🤦♂️
I agree with everything you’ve stated here.
Keith’s new attorneys likely have appeared before Judge Garaufis before. If so, then they’ll know that he doesn’t react well when people try to bullshit him. If not, they better quickly figure that out.
We’ll get an early read when we see how they handle the upcoming restitution hearing. Other than the fact that he doesn’t like being told what to do, I have no idea why Keith is fighting so hard over the various claims that are being asserted in this matter (It’s unlikely he’s ever going to be paying anything himself). So, it will be interesting to see how hard they argue on his behalf – especially since he won’t be there in person.
Maybe because paying restitution connotes Raniere did something wrong that requires redress. He does not like to be told he did something wrong – perhaps this is just his legal version of an enormous temper tantrum. That is, after all, his usual response if you cross him or imply he is anything less than perfect. Hair-trigger ego that one…
As long as he has Clare’s checkbook to back him up, he can certainly indulge such whims…
Does Claviger get credit for this change in lawyers?
I could see his analysis causing Keith great concern. The appeal felt like it was practically co-written by Keith but being the fake genius he is, he probably already re-wrote his personal memory to wipe that away. Makes you wonder if the friction was, in part, the other lawyers (correctly) refusing to do exactly what Keith demanded.
This could also delay things as I imagine his new lawyers are going to want to file a new appeal and not be forced to work off of Bonjean’s work since they will (unless fired) be spending the next few years basing their work entirely on that document so best to claim ownership of the entire process if they can.
I bet there are some ego clashes we will never be privy to due to attorney-client privilege. As for Clare Bronfman, I guess she is proven beyond all doubt she remains loyal. When you’ve got that kind of money backing your plays, it does provide Keith with a whole lot of power and likely confidence regarding his future. May explain why so few ex-NXians actually speak against him even now.
–As for Clare Bronfman, I guess she is proven beyond all doubt she remains loyal.
It also proves she’s a total douche-bag.
That too, doesn’t have to be just one.
The new attorneys will not be allowed to file a new direct appeal. The best they can do is buttress the arguments that Bonjean made when they file a reply to the prosecution’s response brief but even then, they’ll be limited to the “legal issues” that Bonjean raised in her appellant brief.
The new attorneys will likely follow through on Bonjean’s plan to file a Rule 33 motion – but, unless they have truly come up with new evidence that was not available at the time of Keith’s trial – and unless that evidence warrants the overturning of one or more of Keith’s convictions – they’ll just be making money rather than getting Keith a new trial.
I would not be surprised if Keith directs the new attorneys to file one or more appeals based on “ineffective counsel”. Whether they will want to take on well-established attorneys like Marc Agnifilo and Jennifer Bonjean may determine how long Keith sticks with this group.
Wasn’t Clare prohibited from paying for Keith’s legal bills? Perhaps Mr. Claviger can explain the letter of the DA to Judge Garaufis.
Can Clare be prohibited from paying for lawyers? I wouldn’t think so as it undermines the ability for the defendant to get a proper defense since he seems to be broke at least legally. I am sure he has ill-gotten gains squirreled somewhere but an appeal will be based on known finances.
The refusal to let her pay for lawyers when willing and fine with waiving conflict of interest would be a significant avenue of appeal. I don’t see the prosecutors or the judge willing to make that mistake. This is why the prosecution wants another, new signed letter from Keith for the new lawyers, to kill that possibility early.
You are correct on all points. The prosecution is just being super cautious – and, at the same time, using this filing as an opportunity to get it on the record that Clare is paying for Keith’s attorneys.
My recollection is that there were some reporting requirements and some restrictions put on Clare’s funds but since those were part of her bail requirements, they would no longer be applicable (When she was remanded into custody, her bail automatically terminated). So, as long as Keith is willing to waive any potential conflict-of-interest, I see no reason why Clare can’t pay for his legal fees.
Mind blowing, shocking and such a waste of life. How could he have brainwashed her to this extent??
If I responded by saying “It wasn’t hard because her brain isn’t very large”, I’d be accused of being snide. So, I won’t respond that way.