NY Post
January 23, 2019
A Brooklyn federal judge is hauling the members of upstate sex cult Nxivm into court — saying he’s found some “issues” with a defense fund that prosecutors claim was set up by Seagrams heiress Clare Bronfman to help her cronies at the upcoming trial.
Prosecutors have said Bronfman set up the irrevocable trust to keep her fellow cultists in line as they head to trial by paying for top-notch defense attorneys.
Judge Nicholas Garaufis held an initial hearing on the issue last month, where he ruled that documentation related to everyone contributing to the trust must be turned over.
The Wednesday order from Garaufis was brief, simply stating that all defendants must attend “to address issues [the court] has identified in its review of the Trust’s indenture and the declaration that Defendants submitted.”
Those documents were not publicly filed.
Garaufis also noted he intends to schedule further investigative hearings on the finances at a later date.
Bronfman is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit identity theft for allegedly aiding cult leader Keith Raniere to run his self-help group — which prosecutors claim contained a secret inner circle of masters and slaves.
Raniere and onetime “Smallville” actress Allison Mack are facing charges of sex trafficking related to the secret group, where the slaves allegedly were instructed to have sex with Raniere.
The trial is scheduled for April 29.
https://nypost.com/2019/01/23/brooklyn-judge-finds-issues-with-nxivm-defense-fund/
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