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You Can't miss this week's episode! Hanna decided to be super sneaky and surprise, Megan, for her belated birthday....and only 2 days short of a month late! The only thing we will tell you, is that it's not a bomb....we will also tell you how, Megan, once reeled in not a fish, but a pair of underwear on a cord, that takes talent! But, that's still not as good as the story about a cult from New York, called NXIVM. Cults already make for crazy stories, but they get even crazier! This one has a cult inside of a cult! Try to refrain from dropping your Chapstick in sweaty ass cracks, while you tune into this episode, along with the purple people eaters!
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Hello
Hanna Hawkins :Hi
Megan Hawkins :welcome to our podcast.
Hanna Hawkins :Welcome.
Megan Hawkins :What do you got going on today?
Hanna Hawkins :See I didn't even do it creepy again. Are you proud of me?
Megan Hawkins :Kind of. Oh yeah. Wait, I'm Megan.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh, crap, I'm Hanna.
Megan Hawkins :Yes,
Hanna Hawkins :I freakin forget every damn time I'm never gonna remember that part.
Megan Hawkins :No
Hanna Hawkins :sorry guys. Okay, so I may end up on this podcast as one of the stories for this because Megan has no fucking idea that I am doing this right now. Her eyes are huge
Megan Hawkins :I Don't love it.
Hanna Hawkins :Give me this, thank you. You're gonna hear a lot of weird noises I apologize in advance.
Megan Hawkins :What?
Hanna Hawkins :So Megan is going to be opening her birthday present from me, on our podcast. And I'm only almost an entire month late. Oh, but you know car payments anywho. Um, so this is kind of morbid, but it is fucking amazing. Okay, I am very proud of this. And there is a reason I'm making your opening on the podcast and you'll see why, you'll understand.
Megan Hawkins :I'm so scared.
Hanna Hawkins :All right, here we go, guys,
Megan Hawkins :but I will say I know it's not a bomb because you're in here with me.
Hanna Hawkins :That's true. That's valid. Um, I would have given it to you and dipped..
Megan Hawkins :So I'm looking at a box that says Happy belated birthday, and there is a cat face and some balloons. Oh, it's from debs! Okay, I'll try to open it in a non annoying way
Hanna Hawkins :I didn't put any tissue paper in there so she couldn't throw fit
Megan Hawkins :oh my god.......oh my
Hanna Hawkins :But, wait, you gotta open the lid
Megan Hawkins :okay okay all right so I'm looking at a cup that has a Jim Jones on the front and says drink up
Hanna Hawkins :and mind you I didn't get a mug so she couldn't throw a fit when the glass touch anything and made noise
Megan Hawkins :Oh Good grief, there's Kool Aid inside.
Hanna Hawkins :And I even crossed out the K and put a C.
Megan Hawkins :Alright, so I have Cool Aid, from my Jim Jones cup. Oh, my God, what a surprise that was. I don't even Know how you snuck that in here.
Hanna Hawkins :It wasn't easy, dude. It was not easy. That's why when you were like giving the cat or when you were giving Rona the canned food I was like oh yeah, go to Auntie go to auntie. And then I came flying in here and threw it in here quick.
Megan Hawkins :Oh my gosh, well, thank you.
Hanna Hawkins :It's so morbid, but it's so fitting.
Megan Hawkins :super funny and it actually matches the Joe Kenda cup that I have.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh really?
Megan Hawkins :Yeah, I'm obsessed with Joe Kenda. I watch a show all the time. Wow. That was a surprise.
Hanna Hawkins :Listen, I was so proud of myself. I giggled so freakin hard. And yeah, see, I didn't even get it in a mug. That way. When you set it down. It doesn't make loud noises and I don't get yelled at.
Megan Hawkins :Mhm, I don't like loud noises.
Hanna Hawkins :I really thought this through, man. Now you can have this back.
Megan Hawkins :Thank you, Iwondering why she was like taking my tablet away from me. I was just like, ahhhh, Okay.
Hanna Hawkins :so anywho
Megan Hawkins :We should give an update on poor baby monster kitty. Okay, so things took a turn for the worse. He is now a contortionist and figured out how to scratch his face open while wearing a cone.
Hanna Hawkins :It's really kind of impressive. Yeah. Except for he took his fur off. I mean it sucks, but he's like incredible at yoga.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. So I brought him into a dermatologist. I had no idea. There was even a dermatologist vet. I didn't know that was a thing, but there is. And at this point we don't know. And he could have an autoimmune disease or allergies.
Hanna Hawkins :I think it's allergies.
Megan Hawkins :I don't know. I'm expecting the worst, but it'll be a fun surprise.
Hanna Hawkins :I don't think that's gonna be fun. so to speak.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah, probably not. I'm not gonna love it either way, but I'm hoping for the best expecting the worst at this point.
Hanna Hawkins :Right, No, I get it.
Megan Hawkins :That is where I stand. But he was told that he was the best patient of the day. And he had really big feet. And he kept giving them kisses.
Hanna Hawkins :Sometimes I really regret reading your messages on your whiteboard.
Megan Hawkins :Oh, is there something on there that your questioning?
Hanna Hawkins :What the fuck does hairball underwear fork mean?
Megan Hawkins :Let me tell you.
Hanna Hawkins :I don't know if........you know hairball and underwear in the same sentence already scare me. And then there's a fork thrown in there. Like, I'm very concerned,
Megan Hawkins :not what you think.
Hanna Hawkins :I don't believe you.
Megan Hawkins :Okay, so I've been really missing live concerts lately. And as we reminisce, one of the things that I remember that was scary. Hanna was there. We went to a hairball concert. So hairball is a local band in Minnesota. They travel all around though, and they do a lot of 80s rock and roll. So we were at this concert and over by the porta potties, we found a pair of underwear like someone had literally dropped out of their underwear. And they were just laying there on the ground and there was a fork next to it. And we just kept standing there and staring at it and we're like, why I don't get it.
Hanna Hawkins :First off, I don't know what it is with you and finding underwear because you reeled a pair of underwear on a microphone cord once.
Megan Hawkins :Yes. Okay, that's fun too. So there was a big Halloween bash at a bar in Anoka. And I was actually DJing that night. And I'm cleaning up afterwards. And there was a lot of things happening that night that I wish I hadn't seen. But I'm pulling a cord from the wall, and it has Velcro on the end. So as I'm reeling the cordon and you know, putting it away, on the very end, there is a pair of ladies underwear, and I knew which lady it came from. And it was so awful and none of us wanted to take the underwear off. And then the guy there was a guy sitting at the bar, and he was the one that made the lady's underwear come off, and he was like, yeahhhhhh. It was so gross.
Hanna Hawkins :All right and second off when you said a hairball and then you started like talking about, like one of the shows and stuff. I actually thought you were going down the road of the chapstick incident.
Megan Hawkins :Oh, no.
Hanna Hawkins :That's pretty good too. We were at a pretty big hairball show once and there was a very sweaty group of people in front of us. And this guy's pants were waaaayyyy below his belt line. I mean, his ass crack. It was there.
Megan Hawkins :There why it was
Hanna Hawkins :It was saying hello.
Megan Hawkins :Couldn't Stop staring.
Hanna Hawkins :So, I'm behind him and I can't take it anymore. I've got this horrible habit of dropping things in people's pants when they're ass cracks are showing. I think I started with pennies didn't I?
Megan Hawkins :I believe that is the case.
Hanna Hawkins :Yes, I started with a penny and I dropped it down the crack and it fell out the bottom of his shorts. It rolled right through his pants and fell out the bottom.
Megan Hawkins :And he had no idea.
Hanna Hawkins :No, didn't didn't flinch didn't like, be like, what was that didn't move. Nothing, nothing happened. So I'm like, okay, we have to take this to a next level. So, poor Mitch sacrifices his chapstick for me. And I take it and I stuffed it right in there and it goes straight in because it's sweaty and so it just slips right on in and takes them about I don't know it was like a solid 15 seconds and then he reaches back casually grabs the chapstick pulls it out, and is handing it to his friends going Which one of you did that? And they're passing around this sweaty ass chapstick. So gross. Yeah. And they're passing it around and he's like, which one of you guys did this? But needless to say they ended up leaving because they're all fighting with each other. So they went to the back, and I didn't have to stare at a sweaty ass crack anymore. So it worked out for me. Mm hmm. No, that's totally where I thought you're going with that at first.
Megan Hawkins :Interesting, nope.
Hanna Hawkins :We've seen a lot of weird things at hairball concerts because there was also that smoking porta potti too remember?
Megan Hawkins :Oh, yeah,
Hanna Hawkins :it's just like there was like a straight smokestack coming onto there, just like
Megan Hawkins :and we were laughing so hard because we obviously knew what they were doing and
Hanna Hawkins :yeah, and then she comes out and she's like, I didn't do anything in there. What are you talking about? literal smoke pouring out the roof of it.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh man.
Megan Hawkins :Fun Time.
Hanna Hawkins :I can't wait to go to a concert again.
Megan Hawkins :I know we get the best stories.
Hanna Hawkins :We do.
Megan Hawkins :people watching is amazing.
Hanna Hawkins :So great. Yeah. Although I'm probably one of those people that people are people watching. purple people eater.
Megan Hawkins :Okay,well, also, today, I'm going to take you on a roller coaster.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh,sweet.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah, we are gonna do a deep dive into a cult.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh Fuck yes. Yeah. What are the odds of me giving you that cup? And it's not that cult. It's not. What are the odds of that? That's crazy.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. Ah, have you ever heard of the one from New York called NXIVM?
Hanna Hawkins :NXIVM, I'm not 100% I have actually,
Megan Hawkins :okay. Good, because this is gonna be a lot of fun. So Nexium is actually spelled N-X-I-V-M Oh, yes, that's okay. That's fine. huh? Keith Ranieri created a business venture, where he was accused by the New York Attorney General of being a pyramid scheme. He signed a consent order in 1996, where he denied any wrongdoing but agreed to pay a $40,000 fine, and to be permanently banned from promoting, offering or granting participation in a chain distribution scheme. In 1998, Keith began a personal development company called NXIVM, which is a self described American multi level marketing company near Albany, New York. It offers a personal and professional development seminar through executive success programs, which are aimed at self improvement. The programs are meant to help people experience more joy in their lives. This has been described as a cult, and allegedly is used as a recruiting platform for a secret society where women are branded and forced into sexual slavery. The founder of NXIVM is Keith Ranieri, and his associate was Alison Mack, who starred in things like Smallville and honey, we shrunk ourselves. In 2018 the two were arrested and indicted on federal charges for sex trafficking. There were others associated with NXIVM that were charged with federal crimes as well. As of April 2019, Allison Mac co founder Nancy Salzman, Lauren Salzman, which is the Seagram heiress, Claire Bronfman Bronfman and bookkeeper,
Hanna Hawkins :Damnit, I don't have a drink.
Megan Hawkins :Kathy Russell pleaded guilty to various charges on June 2019. Keith Raniere the founder was convicted in federal court for sex trafficking and racketeering, which is dishonest and fraudulent business dealings during seminars, people were expected to refer to the founder and co founder of Nexium as Vanguard and prefect Keith Ranieri adopted the title Vanguard from one of his favorite arcade games where the destruction of one's enemies increased one's own power. Keith chose these titles because he was the leader of a philosophical movement and Nancy Salzman was his first student NXIVM, his training was to be kept secret, and people had to sign disclosure agreements. In 2003, Nexium sued the Ross Institute in the case of NXIVM Corp versus Ross Institute, the alleged copyright infringement for publishing excerpts of content from their manual. Rick Allen Ross posted a psychiatrist's assessment of Nexium secret manual on his website, and it was reported as expensive brainwashing. He obtained the secret information From a former member Stephanie Franco. In October 2003, Forbes published an article on Nexium and Vanity Fair posted a review, saying that people at NXIVM were stunned. They expected Forbes will be posting a positive story, and they have their top people interviewed, including Keith Salzman and Sarah Bronfman. They were blindsided when they read the Edgar Bronfman told the magazine, I think it's a cult. He also stated that he was troubled about the emotional and financial investment in NXIVM by his daughters, and he hadn't spoken to them in months. In 2006, Forbes published an article about the Bronfman sisters, stating they had taken out a line of credit to loan NXIVM $2 million. That was repayable through personal training sessions. And phone consultations was salzmann 2006 was Also the year that NXIVM recruited Smallville co star Alison Mack Alison Mack was very enthusiastic about being involved in Nexium and even persuaded her parents to take courses. Smallville ended in 2011. And Allison moved to New York to be closer to NXIVM
Hanna Hawkins :is just I could be so fucking wrong. Okay, is this that like, um, well, I can't remember what it was like that thing that a bunch of people got involved in. Um, what was it like to Scientology stuff? Is that what it was cool?
Megan Hawkins :No, no,
Hanna Hawkins :it was different. Okay. Okay, I wasn't 100% on it. Okay.
Megan Hawkins :In 2007, there were several financial contributions to Hillary Clinton's first presidential campaign, and over a dozen participants donated the maximum allowable amount, which is $2,300. The contributions totaled $29,900 NXIVM associates gave $31,600 to the state republican senate campaign committee and provided air transportation as well. The donations were made with the understanding that the members would be reimbursed by Bronfman and Nancy salesmen. In 2008, the Bronfman sisters allegedly pressured a friend of their father's Stephen Herbes to ask Albany district attorney David sores, New York Governor eliot spitzer and New Jersey Attorney General AnneMilgram to open criminal investigations into NXIVM critics. NXIVM kept a collection of documents on these individuals, and several others in Nancy Salsman's home. NXIVM had developed a reputation for aggressively pursuing their critics, or people that left her group, Nancy confessed in court that she tracked and monitored the usernames and passwords of suspected moles. In the group to make sure that they weren't leaking any details of their inner workings.
Hanna Hawkins :Geez.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. She also instructed others to destroy videotapes of Keith's teachings. NXIVM was described as a pyramid scheme, a sex trafficking operation, a cult and a sex cult.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh my god.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. An article came out in the Times Union in 2010, where former NXIVM coaches characterized students as prey for keith to satisfy his sexual or gambling needs.
Hanna Hawkins :So fucking gross.
Megan Hawkins :It's Yeah, it's awful. In 2014, Keith Ranieri founded the NXIVM affiliated news organization, the knife of Aristotle, which later became known as the knife media. The news organization was described as a fake news site and a cult. They reportedly hired journalists to gain support from Media and to get new members for NXIVM they also use this to shield their NXIVM members from negative press by creating their own news. In 2017, an article was posted in the New York Times that talked about a secret sisterhood within NXIVM called DOS. So it's d o s. And this is where females were referred to as slaves, and they were branded with the initials of Keith and Allison Mac, and they were subjected to corporal punishment from their masters. And we're required to provide nude photos or other damaging information about themselves as collateral. Several women testified in court that they shared sexually explicit photos granted access to their bank accounts, and recorded videos with damaging stories that would hurt their friends. or families.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh My goodness.
Megan Hawkins :Some of the women said their statements weren't even truthful. One woman said she had to write a letter to her parents, falsely confessing that she was a prostitute. And the letter may have been false but it still haunted her. Sarah Edmondson left NXIVM after Allison Mac inducted her into DOS at her home in Albany. She says the participants were blindfolded naked, held down by Allison Mac and three other women and branded Near the bikini line with a cauterizing pen.
Hanna Hawkins :I'm like a little bit confused. It's like a cult inside of another cult.
Megan Hawkins :Yes, exactly.
Hanna Hawkins :Holy. So okay.
Megan Hawkins :The first cult is Nexium
Hanna Hawkins :okay
Megan Hawkins :Inside NXIVM is DOS which is a sisterhood. So it's women only.
Hanna Hawkins :Okay. Okay, got it. Okay.
Megan Hawkins :This specific one is one where Keith claims. Oh, I had no idea that This was going on I wasn't part of that. That's bullshit.
Hanna Hawkins :Okay.
Megan Hawkins :Okay. So DOS is an acronym for dominance. obsequious sororium. I don't know if I said that right. But I gave it shot.
Hanna Hawkins :It sounded impressive.
Megan Hawkins :So it's a Latin phrase that translates to master over slave women.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh, yeah. So not impressed anymore.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. During the trial, there was a recording of conversations between Allison Mac and Keith Ranieri, where they were discussing the ceremony for branding the women. Keith said, Do you think the person who's being branded should be completely nude and sort of held to a table like a sort of almost like a sacrifice? Sarah Edmondson, one of the participants said she was told she was just getting a small tattoo as part of an initiation. She wasn't prepared for what actually happened. Each woman was told to undress and lie on a massage table. Their legs and shoulders were restrained. Their master would instruct them to say, Master, please brand me, it would be an honor. I know isn't that disgusting? Oh. A female doctor used a cauterizing device to sear or a two inch square symbol on the women. And the procedure took 20 to 30 minutes where they kept Oh, yeah, so they keep pushing down the cauterizing pen and marking like 50 to 100 times.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh my god. This is awful.
Megan Hawkins :It was described as hours of muffled screams and the smell of burning tissue.
Hanna Hawkins :Ohhhhhhh.
Megan Hawkins :Once the women were officially part of the group, they were told to follow a very strict 500 to 800 calorie a day diet because Keith liked skinny women and told his followers, that fat interferes with energy levels.
Hanna Hawkins :I can't even take this right now.
Megan Hawkins :I know.
Hanna Hawkins :This is horrific.
Megan Hawkins :I told you this one's crazy. Oh, and I mean, it's like, fairly recent. wasn't long ago.
Hanna Hawkins :This is just disgusting.
Megan Hawkins :Mm hmm. In March 2018, Keith was arrested and indicted on several charges related to Dos, including sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, conspiracy to commit forced labor. He was arrested in Mexico and held in custody in New York. The indictment alleged that at least one woman was coerced into sex with him and he forced DOS members to be branded. It stated that he created a secret society of women who he had sex with and branded with his initials and threatened to release them. their personal information if they did not comply. On April 20 2018, Alison Mack was arrested and indicted on similar charges. According to the prosecutors, after she recruited women into NXIVM and then DOS, she coerce them into engaging in sexual activity with keith and performing tasks for money. Claire Bronfman moved NXIVM and began running it from a new location. She was eventually arrested and charged with racketeering and released to house arrest after signing a $100 million bond. Boy isn't it nice for someone to have like power and be super rich so that you can just sit at home and wait this out?
Hanna Hawkins :naturally
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. also arrested and charged with the same crimes were NXIVM president Nancy Salzman, her daughter, Lauren Salzman and a Nexium employee, Kathy Russell Lauren. salzmann testified that she was a master and had six slaves of her own, and the group would teach women to master their own life. She spoke about having a ceremony for her six slaves and said the first to be branded writhed in pain. She was squealing and screaming and it looks horrendous. It scared the other girls.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh, gee, I wonder why.
Megan Hawkins :Right. It's hard to figure that out. She said the other masters would paddle their slaves with leather belts.
Hanna Hawkins :every freaking time you say master I cringe.
Megan Hawkins :I know like using the words master and slave is freaking me out. I agree.
Hanna Hawkins :I am just cringing so hard right now.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. So while they were getting paddled, Keith would call in to check how it was going. He wanted to make sure they were flicking their wrists hard enough during the beatings. Some of the other punishments they used included. being forced to hold painful poses, standing barefoot in the snow, taking cold showers or even whipping each other on their bare butts.
Hanna Hawkins :So basically everything you dread.
Megan Hawkins :yes. A former NXIVM member testified that Allison Mac told her that she needed to seduce Keith and let him take a naked photo of her. Alison explained it would get rid of all of her sexual abuse trauma. The former member said I was horrified and enraged with the fact that she would try to re traumatize me and say that doing something sexual with someone that I obviously did not want to do that with would heal my sexual trauma. I was and she says I was disgusted. Another woman testified that Keith was telling women they would see a blue light if they swallowed his semen.
Hanna Hawkins :*GASP* Oh my god, this is so it's so so. Oh my god disgusting. I don't even have words for this.
Megan Hawkins :You see, Keith believed the women he had sex with. Were all connected via his sperm.
Hanna Hawkins :Like nervous laughter right now because I'm so grossed out.
Megan Hawkins :yeah. He used this to control the women as well. A former member said if one woman's having an issue, it hurts Keith and if he's hurting, you're hurting. So if you do something that he doesn't like, you get an army of women Sister Wives coming after you. You get ostracized. No one wants to socialize with you unless you get back in line.
Hanna Hawkins :This is terrifying.
Megan Hawkins :And I think it's weird too because like I remember hearing about it when it was all happening but not as you know, in depth as going right now. Right and I don't feel like it was really out there very much.
Hanna Hawkins :No, I I agree.
Megan Hawkins :In NXIVM, they had different classes where you wore different colored sashes to show your rank. They had a 12 point mission statement and the participants recited this, and pledge to purge themselves of all parasite and envy based habits, to enroll others in courses and to ethically control as much of the money wealth and resources of the world as possible. NXIVM held classes for 12 hours a day for 16 days, and the classes would cost about $7,500. In one class named relationships sourcing, students were instructed to explore the benefits they would receive in the event of a partner Sudden Death. Another class was called Dracula and his ghouls, which was a discussion of psychopaths and their followers. Some other classes were called best people perfect world and the heroic struggle. They also featured a practice called exploration of meaning where senior members would question other members and they would dive deep into their childhood memories. NXIVM taught that some people called suppressive try to prevent progress within NXIVM. If someone turned against Keith, it was described as undergoing the fall, and they were labeled as luciferians luciferians.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh,
Megan Hawkins :I know. Yeah, that word that sounds good enough luciferians it's probably pronounced something like that. So essentially, that meant that they were lost people for whom Bad feels good and good feels bad. Another class that they featured was called Society of protectors. Women were required to wear. You're not gonna like this. Fake cow utters over their breasts. And women were insulted by men while they did that.
Hanna Hawkins :I literally, I honestly know. I'm just sitting here with like my jaw wide open. I don't even know what to say.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. membership in NXIVM was invitation only. And before any classes started, the new members were required to fill out long questionnaires about their views on wealth, children and other various topics. The goal was to pinpoint their insecurities and get rid of all the skeptics. They looked for trust No, they did not do that. They looked for Trust Fund babies, Hollywood actors and survivors of sexual assault. their fears were used against them later if they ever tried to leave NXIVM. A curriculum was built for the early courses to condition the students to become emotionally dependent on a reward and punishment system. The coaches would break down the student's self esteem and scold them for failing to achieve their goals, but then lift them back up. They were told that only NXIVM classes could fix the internal problems that were hindering their success. They were told they could earn income and build a career as they ever reached the top of NXIVM. This system didn't allow for many people to actually earn money. And many members worked for years without any pay and lost their entire life savings. Over time, the curriculum at NXIVM began to change. Loyalty was tested. And Keith would ask members to do things like lick a puddle of mud or run headfirst into a tree.
Hanna Hawkins :That's nice
Megan Hawkins :Isn't it? Yeah. They had a program where they taught women that they were sheltered from the consequences of their actions by men, and they didn't deserve equal pay because they had quit their jobs to have children. Women were meant to be monogamous. But men were meant to be polygamous.
Hanna Hawkins :Hmm,
Megan Hawkins :yes,
Hanna Hawkins :of course.
Megan Hawkins :Sure. That's nice. Some of the NXIVM members were taught that in past lives, they were high ranking Nazis. Barbara brochet was the reincarnation of Holocaust architect. Nancy Salzman was the reincarnation of Hitler. Keith had been a leader of the anti Nazi partisans in one complaint filed by a former NXIVM member, a medical doctor performed an experiment on her that involved recording her eeg responses while viewing footage of people being murdered.
Hanna Hawkins :Okay.All right.
Megan Hawkins :I thought you would need a little breather for a second.
Hanna Hawkins :Again, I am honest to god at a loss for words at all of this this is and when I think it can't get worse...
Megan Hawkins :then it does.
Hanna Hawkins :You throw something at me and it gets worse. So let's be done with it getting worse.
Megan Hawkins :I will see what I can do. The doctor Brandon P. Porter faced 24 Professional Conduct charges from the New York State Board of the Office of professional medical conduct, including moral and fitness to practice medicine in August 2019 his license was revoked for his experiments and failure to report that there was an unusual disease outbreak during V week in 2016. V week, though it does sound like a disease.
Hanna Hawkins :I was just gonna ask, you
Megan Hawkins :No, it is a week long celebration for Keith's birthday. Yay, it's Vanguard week.
Hanna Hawkins :Wow.
Megan Hawkins :Uh huh. That's something to celebrate.
Hanna Hawkins :Fucking Wow.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. In NXIVM classes, the students were told that Keith was one of the smartest men in the world. Sorry, I'm so stuck on that one. Yeah. You're that full of your fucking self that you have to have a whole week. Well, here's the thing. Actually, some people believe that he could control the weather. So he must be pretty spectaculiar.
Hanna Hawkins :my okay.
Megan Hawkins :There was a biography That once appeared on a NXIVM website that claimed Keith attended a Institute when he was 16 years old and immediately started taking graduate level courses. I did not find anything that said that that was true, so I'm guessing it's a pile of bullshit that he gave. A teenager from Mexico went from being a high school student in Mexico to being pulled into NXIVMs self help curriculum, and groomed for sex. Daniela testified in court that she moved to Albany to help the group's mission and work for Keith. She was instructed to hack into computers of those that NXIVM perceived as enemies, typically former members of the group and she was not paid for this work. Just days after Danielle's 18th birthday. Keith had sex with her and he was in his 40s at the time. Daniela later discovered that Keith was also....I just Okay, here we go. He was also having sex with both of her sisters and all three sisters got pregnant by Keith and he forced them all to have abortions.
Hanna Hawkins :Remember when I said let's be done with it getting worse?
Megan Hawkins :I do.
Hanna Hawkins :You didn't listen very well.
Megan Hawkins :I did not No.
Hanna Hawkins :No, you did not.
Megan Hawkins :Daniela eventually told Keith, she had feelings for another NXIVM member, and she was confined to a room for about two years.
Hanna Hawkins :Holy shit.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. So Keith began taking away things from her such as like her phone computer, and He even took her immigration identification papers. Keith contacted her family and told them that there had been an ethical breach. He explained that Daniela had stolen money and promptly returned in. He encouraged her family to be very strict with her. Daniela was placed in a bedroom in her family's home in 2010 and had little contact with anyone outside.
Hanna Hawkins :WHat the hell?
Megan Hawkins :Yeah, he got her parents to lock her up. Mm hmm. She asked to leave the room multiple times over the years, but only Keith was allowed to determine if she had been fixed. So she was instructed to write to him every day. When Daniela testified, they asked her why she didn't just simply walk out of the room. She said she feared her family would no longer speak to her, and that she had no place to go since her legal documents were taken away from her
Hanna Hawkins :oh and who says we're not gonna just come right back after again.
Megan Hawkins :Exactly, yeah. True. Sally Brinkman was another woman that testified and she said they get you to not trust your own decision making process. She said She paid $145,000 to take NXIVM classes and they tell you that you need to make decisions from well that they need to make the decisions for you. You start to doubt everything. Sally said she was in her late 20s. When she first joined NXIVM, she was struggling because she was a new co owner of a restaurant in a Vermont college town and was working 18 hour days. her roommate recommended that to turn her life around, maybe she could go to NXIVM and pitch it as a class to help entrepreneurs reach their goals. Sally loved the idea and took a five day course where she found the teachings to be profound. Afterwards, her relationships with her employees and family improved. More than a decade later, Sally found herself fighting to get out of NXIVM in 2017 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. NXIVM Associates told her that she had Given herself the disease to get her husband's attention.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh, I'm sure just gave yourself cancer.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. Big deal. Mm hmm. Sally had raised money online for her treatment, but was told ......Rona,
Hanna Hawkins :he's telling the story for you.
Megan Hawkins :Sally had raised money online for treatment, but was told by NXIVM that she should make the ethical decision to die.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh,
Megan Hawkins :yeah. Okay probably because they wanted her money.
Hanna Hawkins :So let me get this straight. She gave herself cancer, and now she needs to make a decision and just let herself just die. Okay,
Megan Hawkins :yes. All right. On top of Keith's charges of forced labor, wire fraud, conspiracy, and human trafficking and sex trafficking, he was also hit with a charge for child pornography. He engaged in sexual conduct with a 15 year old girl and there were explicit photos of the girl in his bed. They also accused him of having a sexual relationship with at least one other child and possessing child pornography. between 2005 and 2018. multiple people testified that Keith had a den inside Nancy Salzman's home where he had sex with his slaves. The bed was elevated and a hot tub was underneath the bed. One member said yeah, I don't get that at all. I I just don't understand I need to see a photo because I don't know how it works. One member said Keith has said to me multiple times that it was okay for little girls to pleasure their father sexually. Oh, and he thought that was fine. I want to throw up. Oh yeah.
Hanna Hawkins :Oh, I am so sorry for the noises I have made Throughout this episode, but I am just so fucking disgusted
Megan Hawkins :I'm so uncomfortable. Also, I can say with certainty that at the beginning of the episode, I absolutely told you the wrong person's name for being the Seagram heiress. And I thought of that later. So we're gonna roll back to that and get that figured out soon. Oh, but I say the wrong things all the time. You know that if you listen.
Hanna Hawkins :That's true.
Megan Hawkins :So we're gonna get that cleared up. Okay. A woman named Nicole testified that she joined the group in 2016. After meeting with Alison Mack who offered to be her mentor. Nicole didn't like where she was at in her career and was looking for something different. The two ladies met at a hotel and Allison promise that everything would be fixed.
Hanna Hawkins :I'm really regretting not bringing a drink with me today.
Megan Hawkins :I just tried to tell you, I'm gonna fix my mistake from earlier.
Hanna Hawkins :The only reason I don't have a drink right now is because I've got a headache today and I'm really pissed right now that I don't have one.
Megan Hawkins :That usually doesn't stop you.
Hanna Hawkins :I would have been like, pretty much drunk after this episode with all the times you've managed to mess up today.
Megan Hawkins :You're welcome.
Hanna Hawkins :And I feel like I need to be drunk after this episode anyways.
Megan Hawkins :Okay, we'll take shots. pink lemonade, vodka. Okay. Well, let's see here. So let's roll back to what I was trying to say. The two ladies met at a hotel and Alison promised that everything would be fixed.
Hanna Hawkins :fixed,
Megan Hawkins :fixed. If she joined NXIVM to join The group Nicole was asked to provide collateral that included a solo sex tape and a letter where she lied about being sexually abused by her father. Alison encouraged her to be a good slave and do anything that Keith asked. Nicole said that after she joined NXIVM, she was blindfolded and led into a house where Keith instructed her to remove her clothes and lie down on table. her wrists and ankles were bound and Keith circled the table asking her questions about her sexual history, while an unidentified third person performed oral sex on Oh yeah, it gets worse throughout this whole thing, doesn't it?
Hanna Hawkins :It's just never ending.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah, well, it's about time we're getting close. Nicole said she was confused and terrified. So that was basically the end, except for I want to talk charges and confirm who the Seagram heiress was. Okay. So Keith Ranieri self proclaimed genius. He pleaded not guilty. He is being charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, conspiracy and racketeering conspiracy. racketeering includes crimes such as identity. So annoying.
Hanna Hawkins :I'm just gonna keep track now. I'm just gonna take as many shots when I get out.
Megan Hawkins :Okay, identity theft, extortion, forced labor, sex trafficking, money laundering, wire fraud, obstruction of justice and exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. Allison Mac took full responsibility. For her role and pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering, conspiracy, and one count of racketeering, and admitted to luring women into NXIVM she faces up to 20 years in prison on each count to which she pleaded guilty. Nancy Salzman, the co founder of NXIVM was charged with racketeering, conspiracy and identity theft. She said in court. I accept that some of what I did was not just wrong, but criminal. Some, right. If I could go back and do it all over again, I do it ...no. She said she would but she can't. She's pleading guilty and faces 33 to 41 months in prison. Nancy's daughter, Lauren Salzman was accused of enslaving Daniela and forcing her to perform labor for NXIVM and threatening to deport her to match Mexico without her identification papers. She is pleading guilty to two felony charges of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy. Kathy Russell was the bookkeeper for NXIVM and was charged with racketeering conspiracy. She invoked her fifth amendment privilege more than 80 times and refused to answer questions about her knowledge of Keith's sexual relationships with members of DOS and underage girls. She pleaded guilty to one charge of visa fraud. Claire Bronfman is the heiress to Seagrams alcohol, and she pled guilty to charges of lying to the government in 2014. About harboring an illegal immigrant who provided labor and service for Bronfman and NXIVM. She also pled guilty to allowing Keith to have access to the credit card of his deceased girlfriend. She faces more than two years in prison and will have to give the court $6 million as part of the terms of her guilty plea.
Hanna Hawkins :That is a hefty sum.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah, but I mean, it really means nothing because she's not even gonna be in there that long. Right. So, um, when you're the Seagram heiress, I'm sure you have a ton of money.
Hanna Hawkins :no, very, very true. Yeah. So that is our cult story. Wow. Yeah, you weren't kidding. When you said you're going on a roller coaster?
Megan Hawkins :Yeah,
Hanna Hawkins :we jumped right on there.
Megan Hawkins :Shoulda gave some warnings buckle up.
Hanna Hawkins :The ahhhh nauseous stomach and all.
Megan Hawkins :Yay. Yeah, I'm probably said like 40 things wrong in there. So good luck trying to weed through that. Yeah, if you're drinking, it really doesn't matter.
Hanna Hawkins :You gotta drink. Like I said, drink every time she fucks up it works perfect. Yeah.
Megan Hawkins :Yeah. Okay. Well that's everything from us today. So thanks for drinking the Coolaid with us. Like us on Facebook. Please tell your friends and make sure you subscribe on your podcast app. And that way you will be notified when we have a new episode so yay
Unison :bye Transcribed by https://otter.ai
