News of NXIVM – Old Faces and New Stories

by Paul Serran

Now that ‘The Vow Part 2’ has premiered on HBO, the eyes of the world once again turn to the misadventures of the people from that Albany multi-level-marketing-scam-turned-sex-cult.

Keith Raniere, Nancy Salzman and their not-so-merry band have hit the web in a series of news pieces that we have aggregated here for you.

The most consequential news breaking this week concerns Nancy Salzman, the ‘longtime Raniere underboss known as Prefect co-founded cult-like company’.

Former NXIVM president Nancy Salzman may have a starring role in the second season of HBO’s “The Vow,” but the longtime Halfmoon woman is no longer part of a civil lawsuit filed by scores of victims of the cult-like organization that she co-founded with Keith Raniere.

The latest filings in the civil case in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn showed that more than 60 plaintiffs have dropped their suits against Salzman, her daughter, former NXIVM education director Lauren Salzman, and another former high-ranking NXIVM member, Karen Unterreiner. All three women have disavowed Raniere, 62, the purported self-help guru known as “Vanguard” who is now widely viewed as a cult leader.

The Salzmans both pleaded guilty to racketeering-related charges in 2019 before Raniere, also of Halfmoon, went to trial. Nancy Salzman, 68, known as “Prefect,” is serving a three-and-a-half year sentence in Hazelton federal correctional facility in West Virginia. Lauren Salzman, 46, the prosecution’s star witness against Raniere, is serving five years probation. Unterreiner was never charged.’

Read more on the Times Union.

As it was bound to happen, some of the ‘news’ being written about are actually old pieces of information that the readers of the Frank Report have known and debated for many years.

‘There are, however, a few startling revelations in The Vow Part II, such as Salzman’s recollection of the time Raniere let NXIVM exec Pam Cafritz, who was dying of cancer, lay in her own feces while he finished his morning breakfast, or Lauren Salzman’s testimony that Raniere was constructing “a BDSM sex-torture dungeon” for the members of DOS, the all-female sorority within NXIVM whose members were branded and served as Raniere’s sex slaves.’

The main attraction seems to be a part of the story that producers of ‘The Vow’ withheld from the viewers in order to make for shock material in this second season.

‘The most disturbing part of the docuseries is the story of Camila, Daniela and Marianna, three sisters from Monterrey, Mexico, who joined NXIVM as teenagers. After the girls’ parents fell under Raniere’s spell, he convinced them to ship Daniela and Marianna to Albany, New York, and have them study under him.’

read more on the Daily Beast.

With each passing documentary, podcast or article, the cast of characters in this real life drama become more and more familiar to the public.

So there’s naturally going to be a curiosity going around about the fate of Clare Bronfman, Allison Mack, Nancy and Laura Salzman, and of course the band-leader Keith Raniere.

‘After more than two years and many high-profile trials and sentencing in the world of NXIVM, HBO’s The Vow is back for Season Two.

While last season focused on the inner-workings of the multi-level marketing scheme turned sex cult, this season (which premiered October 17 on HBO, continuing to air on Monday nights through the end of November), focuses on the criminal proceedings that have followed. Here’s where all the major players in the organization are now, and the details of their sentences.’

Read more on the Esquire.

He speaks! A feature of the NXIVM saga is that so far, everyone had a voice in telling this story, but the central character of the play. Not anymore. ‘The Vanguard’ decided to give an interview, that the uninformed media thinks it’s his first since his arrest, but it’s not – we all know that Frank Parlato interviewed him from prison in October 24th, 2020 – 2 years ago, almost to the day.

‘NXIVM founder Keith Raniere, in his first [actually second] interview since his 2018 arrest, said he was at first “embarrassed” and then honored by the female members in the cult who had his initials branded into their skin.

“In a way, [I felt] almost embarrassed,” he told “Dateline NBC.” “Well, if it was Albert Einstein’s initials, no one would care. And then I thought, if it was Brad Pitt’s initial maybe you’d have some jealous husband. But that’s not what I’m like. So I took it as an honorary thing, a tribute thing. And that brand was going to be tattooed over anyway. It was symbolic.”

While he denied being the mastermind behind the branding, he said he felt “responsible” for “all the damages” he participated in. “It’s not just a matter of, ‘Did I cause it all myself?’ I’m involved in the cause of it. And for that, that haunts me forever,” he said.’

Read more on Bustle.

Another aspect of NXIVM that is being unfurled to the general public with this new ‘The Vow’ is the group of people who still stand by NXIVM, DOS and the Raniere legacy.

Michelle Hatchette was featured in a profile in which she shared her worldviews, and also threatened to doxx the people who are anonymously suing Keith Raniere.

‘Hatchette’s brief appearance in the first episode solidifies her stance as a supporter of Raniere and NXIVM, and she recently made headlines after saying she wanted to publicly out 12 anonymous people who are suing Raniere in a federal court case. In a video posted to Instagram, Hatchette said, “For those of you who are Jane and John Does watching this, this is your last opportunity to come forward and put your name to your claims. If you don’t, it is my moral obligation to name every single one of you. The clock starts now.”’

‘Hatchette appears in Season 2 and immediately rejects the idea that the members are “brainwashed bitches doing Keith’s bidding,” calling that characterization “insulting.” Hatchette shares the origin story of her involvement in the NXIVM and DOS groups, saying that she found the group after going through a particularly hard breakup that left her suicidal. Mack recruited Hatchette into the group, outlining that NXIVM was just for women and would help her out of her distress. DOS (Dominus Obsequious Sororium) became the nucleus for the sex trafficking charges as members were encouraged into a master/slave relationship and were allegedly branded with Raniere’s initials.’

+++

How’s that for a start? We will keep an eye on the developments here, as more articles and news pieces keep being published. If you have some example about new media looks into NXIVM, drop it in the comments!

 

About the author

Paul Serran

21 Comments

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  • Paul-

    I read this article the other day.

    I simply want to say your writing is on point!

    I hope you’ll be writing more often!
    Thanks!

  • The Cut

    NXIVM OCT. 18, 2022

    Everything We Learned From The Vow, Part Two
    By Bindu Bansinath

    [ … ]

    D.O.S member Nicki Clyne denies D.O.S was a sex cult.

    [ … ]

    Multiple NXIVM members believe Nancy Salzman knew about D.O.S., despite her denial.

    Former NXIVM member Karen Unterreiner says she and other higher-up members used a spreadsheet to keep track of “who’s in, who’s out, and who we don’t know” within the organization, information she says they would then report back to Raniere. Unterreiner alleges that an acquaintance once confided in her, saying she’d been approached by D.O.S. and had notified Salzman about the recruiting attempt. “So Nancy had some idea of something,” Unterreiner says. Other former members, like NXIVM whistleblower Mark Vicente, believe “Nancy knew all of it.” Unterreiner is unsure: “Keith gave her some Oh, it’s just some girls doing things explanation,” she says. “ I don’t think she questioned things as much as some of us did. For her, he was a mentor. And a God, in some ways.”

    https://www.thecut.com/2022/10/everything-we-learned-from-the-vow-part-two.html

  • Was Keith Raniere using a cell phone or a pin light to flash signal from his window at the MDC to his dancer’s below?

    I read when he got caught, he was move to another part of the MDC to put an end to the dancing.

    What if any trouble did he get into for planning this?

    Didn’t he and Mr. Chakravorty plan something like this in Tucson also?

    Keith Rainier seems like a trouble maker.

  • UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
    EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

    CIVIL ACTION NO. 20-CV-485

    NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL
    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Federal Rules of Civil
    Procedure, Plaintiffs voluntarily dismiss their claims without prejudice against Defendant Karen
    Unterreiner.

    Dated: October 11, 2022

    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
    EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

    CIVIL ACTION NO. 20-CV-485

    NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL
    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Federal Rules of Civil
    Procedure, Plaintiffs voluntarily dismiss their claims without prejudice against Defendant Nancy
    Salzman.

    Dated: October 11, 2022

    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
    EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

    CIVIL ACTION NO. 20-CV-485

    NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL
    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Federal Rules of Civil
    Procedure, Plaintiffs voluntarily dismiss their claims without prejudice against Defendant Lauren
    Salzman.

    Dated: October 11, 2022

  • Saratoga Springs Politics

    Probing Politics Affecting Saratoga Springs. By John Kaufmann.

    Statements By the Two Candidates for Saratoga County District Attorney
    [JK: I have received statements from the two candidates running for Saratoga County District Attorney. They are Michael Phillips, who is a Democrat, and Karen Heggen, who is the incumbent Republican.]

    Michael Phillips (D)

    MY CAMPAIGN FOR SARATOGA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

    Exclusively submitted to Saratoga Springs Politics

    I’ve been a lawyer since 1991. My experience is deep—I’ve been on both sides of court as a defense attorney and as a prosecutor, handled cases at the local, state and federal levels and done substantial transactional work and organizational leadership training with GE Energy. I have spent a good part of my career doing the hard work of protecting and defending the rights of everyday, working Americans.

    My roots in Saratoga County go back to fishing out of my grandfather’s trailer on the east side of Saratoga Lake as a five-year-old. I now live in the second of two homes I’ve built on the lake. I was an honor graduate of United States Marine boot camp in Parris Island, SC, and learned early in my career the importance of “one standard of justice.” That is some of the personal experience and values I bring to now running for Saratoga County District Attorney. Readers can learn more about me and my campaign at Home – Michael Phillips for Saratoga County DA (phillips4districtattorney.com).

    There are several reasons why I have entered this race, not the least of which is the over 50-year lapse of time since there was a race for District Attorney in Saratoga County. If elected officials are not held accountable by the voters, they do not do their jobs, and, in the case of an elected prosecutor, people are not protected. That is what has been happening in Saratoga County, and I am running to change that record.

    Example #1 is the predatory, high profile NXIVM cult that sexually abused and trafficked women for years in the towns of Halfmoon and Clifton Park. During that time no investigation or prosecution was pursued by the District Attorney’s office, in which DA Karen Heggen has been employed for more than 25 years. NXIVM operated for 15 years in Saratoga County before the federal government stepped in and prosecuted the group and its leader Keith Raniere, who is now serving a federal sentence of 120 years. My campaign is asking the same question that Federal District Judge Nicholas Garaufis asked; “where were the local prosecutors”? Is it that NXIVM was untouchable because there were backed up by billionaires who are now serving prison terms?

    DA Heggen failed to heed the public warnings or investigate what the newspapers saw as suspicious behavior as far back as 2003. The cult’s behavior and treatment of women came into clear focus in 2017 when the national news picked up on a complaint filed at the NYS Department of Health. Sarah Edmondson, an actress and decades-long devoted NXIVM member/victim, came forward to tell her story—she was branded as a sex slave as part of the organization’s initiation process. Even after this, Heggen did nothing.

    All of this is documented in a 2021 HBO documentary film, “The Vow”.

    Example #2 is the failure of this District Attorney in 2022 to prosecute a repeat pedophile, Jonathan Aronson. Aronson pled guilty in 2012 to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful dealing with a minor. He was arrested again in January of 2022 and charged with felony rape of an 11-year-old child. Arrested on January 5 and out on bail on January 6. The district attorney did not even oppose the bail application proposed by Aronson’s counsel. This case has been lingering in Greenfield Town Court for 10 months with no action by the DA. Why? Could it be because he is connected to wealthy real estate interests in Saratoga Springs?

    A prosecutor’s sworn obligation is to prosecute “without fear or favor”. Clearly, this value is not being observed in Saratoga County, but this is what happens when there is no contested race for District Attorney. The job does not get done, and the people are not protected from predators.

    I’m 65 years old, so I’m not running for DA to set up a run for Congress or to be a judge somewhere. I’m running to train, build and lead the best District Attorney’s office in New York State for the global destination point of Saratoga County, a community that I grew up in, love and call home. There is no other reason to seek the job. This is our message–to be the best – to live up to the oath and to prosecute “without fear or favor”.

    https://saratogaspringspolitics.com/2022/10/03/statements-by-the-two-candidates-for-saratoga-county-district-attorney/#comments

  • Frank
    You’re still worshipping the killer. Why? Why? These people are felons and killers and rapists and druggies, etc. They killed MY sister- why aren’t YOU getting it yet ? Why?

  • So the two lead plaintiffs who owned, operated, managed, directed, recruited for and handsomely profited from the largest NXIVM centers in North America removed the president of the company and second-in-command from their lawsuit, but are still suing rank and file, dues paying members who had no authority in the organization and never made money from it. One of whom one of the lead plaintiffs directly recruited into the group.

    Yeah, there’s nothing about this that stinks at all…

  • Is there no lie this woman won’t sink to to save her own ass? You going to tell me as a nurse, she stood there and witnessed that & still did nothing?
    BUT: CIVIL suit dropped , mission accomplished!

  • The Albany Times Union has a new episode of their excellent podcast series “Nxivm on Trial” that covers the new season of The Vow.

    It seems to me the recent (very limited) media interest is minor and is solely due to the second season of the TV series. It’s a media / entertainment story, not a news story or a law story. Basically, nobody cares, the trial is long past, this story is moribund. The Times Union podcast is largely interested in The Vow inaccurately identifying the Raniere cult compound being located in Albany not Half Moon. Local news, in short.

    • The ratings for the first episode of the Vow season 2 was 147,000 viewers less than half of the worst episode of season 1.

      • It’s because the new show made these criminals sound nicer….and people know the truth and aren’t buying it. The public is also getting numb to these types of people and organizations. Look how many things like this in a short time span….Weinstein, Epstein, Cuomo, Raniere, the Salzman 3, Cosby, R kelly, Wiener, Manson, Sarma Melelngailis, Shoemaker, Landmark, FLDS, Scientology, Jehovas Witness, etc….and so forth ….all in like a ten year span. What happened after 1999? The last 20 years bred alot of nutjobs

  • There was a lot of secrecy surrounding both Pam Cafrirz death and her bodily remains.

    Pam’s death was kept very hush hush and it appears that choice was made in part to further facilitate the stealing of Pam’s identity and other financial crimes.

    It’s sad that Pam wasn’t surrounded by people who truly cared and didn’t just see her as a means to a financial end.

  • ‘in a way, [I felt] almost embarrassed,” he told “Dateline NBC.” “Well, if it was Albert Einstein’s initials,”

    That two legged turd has the nerve to compare himself to Einstein.
    One finds it difficult to imagine Einstein, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos concocting the idea of having their initials branded into women’s flesh.
    Keith Raniere has jumped the shark with a new level of asinine foolishness.
    It is time for Keith Raniere and all of his stupid followers to fade away.
    None of them have any wisdom, to offer the world.

    • It’s interesting how you placed Einstein on the same level with Musk, Jobs and especially Bezos. Tells us a lot about how you perceive the world, Shadow. Very especially from a scientific viewpoint, for those with a science background. Won’t be long before you might elevate Ivana and her skinny husband (can’t think of his name right now – although I dream about him as much as you do- rest assured) … maybe a bit above Einstein’s contribution to physics and implicitly humanity’s evolution. You are such a gem, Shadow! A rare gem!

      • Jarod Kushner is her skinny husband, who incidentally was paid 2 billion dollars by the Saudis for what we’ll never know – certainly not his financial expertise.

        • Einstein could never convince the Saudis to hand over 2b to him, he was that stupid! Consequently he can’t possibly be smarter than Jarod! Thank you for enlightening me, anonymous. I retract all statements above and hereby acknowledge ShadowState to be in the right all the time from now on!

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.” Parlato was also 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 premiered on May 22, 2022. Most recently, he consulted and appeared on Tubi's "Branded and Brainwashed: Inside NXIVM," which aired January, 2023.

IMDb — Frank Parlato

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

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