UPDATED 10/26/20
ATLANTA (Court TV) – Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis denied Raniere’s motion for a new trial on Oct. 23. He is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 27.
ORIGINAL STORY 10/21/20
Keith Raniere (US v. Raniere Gov. Exhibit GX46/US Gov.)
ATLANTA (Court TV) – Lawyers of convicted NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere have filed a motion for a new trial, six days before he is to be sentenced.
The disgraced self-improvement guru faces 15 years to life in prison after being convicted by a federal jury in June 2019 on charges that involve turning women into sex slaves branded with his initials.
According to court documents, the defense argues two members of the cult were not able to testify during his trial due to threats and intimidation by prosecutors.
Former “Battlestar Galactica” actress Nicole Clyne, 37, and Michele Hatchette, 33, both stated in affidavits provided by the defense, they now wish to take the stand on Raniere’s behalf but feared that Brooklyn federal prosecutors would retaliate against them if they did so.
Clyne stated in her affidavit personal beliefs about a related organization within NXIVM called DOS, which stands for “Dominus Obsequious Sororium”, a Latin phrase that reportedly translates to “Master over Slave Women”.
Clyne says in her affidavit:
It is my belief that the Government knew I would testify in a manner wholly inconsistent with their core premise that DOS was created and existed for the purpose of sex trafficking and forced labor. More specifically, I would have testified that women chose to participate in DOS voluntarily and benefitted greatly from its practices. When I observed women want to and inevitably leave DOS, I never witnessed any threats or negatives consequences enacted upon them by Mr. Raniere or other women in DOS
Nicole Clyne’s wife and senior NXIVM member “Smallville” actress Allison Mack, who was one of many charged alongside Raniere, pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges and is awaiting a sentencing date.
Clare Bronfman arrives at federal court, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Clare Bronfman, one of the heirs to the Seagram’s liquor fortune, is serving an 81-month prison sentence for her involvement as a benefactor in NXIVM.
