Allison Mack Out — NXIVM Lawsuit Zeroes In on Bronfman Fortune

Mack Dismissed From Case

The 70 plaintiffs in the NXIVM federal RICO lawsuit have voluntarily agreed to dismiss all claims against Allison Mack Meeink.
Mack was never a significant financial target.

Alison Meeick

Focus Has Always Been the Bronfmans

The lawsuit was always focused on Clare and Sara Bronfman, heirs of the Seagram’s liquor fortune and members of NXIVM from 2002 to its government-compelled closure in 2018.

Clare and Sara Bronfman

Background: Case Paused During Raniere Sentencing

Filed in 2020, the civil case filed in the Eastern District of NY, was paused for more than a year while Keith Raniere—convicted in 2019—awaited sentencing.

Raniere was convicted after a six-week trial and sentenced to 120 years. He is now housed at USP Tucson.
After the civil litigation resumed in 2021, more than 30 Jane Does withdrew after the court required plaintiffs to disclose their identities under seal.

Keith Raniere

Who Is Left in the Case

There remain three active defendants: Clare Bronfman, Sara Bronfman, and Danielle Roberts. And one, inactive, is the founder of it all: Keith Alan Raniere. He has declared that his assets are zero.

Judge Eric Komitee’s upcoming ruling on RICO standing will determine how many plaintiffs remain in the case at all.

The Bronfman sisters face civil RICO, RICO conspiracy, and beneficiary liability under the federal trafficking statute. Danielle Roberts, a former osteopathic physician whose license was revoked after she branded DOS members with Raniere’s initials, faces a single battery claim.

Danielle Roberts

What Plaintiffs Must Prove

To hold the Bronfmans liable, plaintiffs must show that Clare and Sara Bronfman knew about NXIVM’s alleged misconduct and knowingly furthered or benefited from it.

The Plaintiffs, which run the gamut from DOS so-called “slaves” to top recruiters, are expected to argue that the sisters’ board positions, the more than $150 million in funding, aggressive litigation campaigns against critics, and long-term proximity to Raniere support an inference that Clare and Sara had knowledge and involvement.

Bronfman Role in Criminal Case

Neither sister was accused in the criminal case of participating in DOS, or sexual misconduct; their role was financial and administrative, and a form of litigation excesses to silence or ruin defectors and other perceived Raniere enemies.

Bronfmans’s criminal charges were limited to harboring an undocumented immigrant for financial gain and visa-related fraud. Sara Bronfman was not charged with any crime. Clare was sentenced to 81 months, triple her sentencing guidelines, after the judge determined that she knew or should have known about Raniere’s foul deeds.

Long Road Before Any Payout

If the plaintiffs win, they will not see any money for years.
The case still requires:
• a new amended complaint
• written discovery
• more than 60 plaintiff depositions and defendant’s depositions.

Expert Battles Ahead

Coercive control is not a recognized clinical diagnosis, and experts disagree on whether it can be measured. Many plaintiffs have no medical records or documented injuries, and the link between their alleged harm and Bronfman-funded conduct is weak or remote. Most plaintiffs paid for classes rather than providing labor, which further undermines TVPRA claims based on forced labor or economic exploitation.

Causation Problems

A core issue is whether plaintiffs can show a credible causal chain from Bronfman funding to their individual injuries, especially since many never interacted with either sister. The plaintiffs’ experiences are wildly different — some were branded, some had consensual relationships, some were brief Vancouver students.

No single coercive-control or trauma expert can cover all 70 plaintiffs. If key experts are excluded, the remaining RICO and TVPRA claims may not survive summary judgment.

Trial and Appeal Timeline

A trial before late 2026 is unlikely. If the Bronfmans lose, they will likely appeal. An appeal in the Second Circuit commonly takes 12 to 24 months..
There is at least one clear split between the sisters. Sara Bronfman has publicly stated she left NXIVM, while Clare Bronfman continues to supportRaniere and has invested heavily in post-conviction efforts.

Clare Bronfman with Keith Raniere

Clare, released from federal custody earlier this year, remains on probation. Sara left the US in 2018, going first to France and then to Portugal.

Mack’s Exit Changes Nothing

As for Allison Mack Meeink leaving the case, it doesn’t change a thing. The lawsuit always hinged on whether plaintiffs could turn Bronfman money into Bronfman accountability.