New York Times breaks the news: The DOJ/FBI investigating Raniere/NXIVM
Federal Officials Reportedly Investigating Group Where Women Were Branded
By BARRY MEIER and PAULINA VILLEGAS DEC. 21, 2017
As winter arrives, the winter of NXVM may be at hand. The New York Times and its distinguished investigative journalist Barry Meier have offered Expians a wonderful early Christmas present in the form of the news that the FBI and that the US Department of Justice in the Eastern District of New York have started an investigation into Keith Raniere and NXIVM.
Main points
The Justice Department has started an investigation into NXIVM.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation have contacted or questioned potential witnesses about Nxivm.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York is expected to soon recommend changes in how state regulators review complaints against doctors because health department officials declined to act on complaints about two doctors affiliated with Nxivm.
Raniere left the Albany area and traveled to Mexico.
Raniere and other Nxivm officials did not respond to requests for interviews.
A lawyer who represents the group, Robert D. Crockett, did not respond to written questions, including whether federal or state officials had contacted Nxivm.
Nxivm did not respond to requests for the report of its independent investigation or the names of the forensic psychiatrist they claim have evaluated the health and well being of DOS members.
Catherine Oxenberg identified forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Park Dietz, had been hired to evaluate her 26-year-old daughter, India Oxenberg. .
Dr. Dietz said he has examined only one female participant in Nxivm, He said his initial examination of the woman had not found evidence of “brainwashing” and that she appeared “happy,”
Dr. Dietz said that Nxivm had not hired him to examine matters related to DOS and that DOS “is not a Nxivm entity but a private sorority of women.”
Nxivm has recently attempted to hire lobbyists in Albany to represent it before politicians and regulators.
It has sued or sought to bring criminal charges against former members.
Nxivm sued former member Tony Zarratini.
Emiliano Salinas reiterated that the sorority was not affiliated with Nxivm and the company sued Mr. Zarattini because he and others had tried to extort Nxivm by asking for money in exchange for not revealing information.
Mr. Zarattini denied the allegations.
Earlier this month, a Mexican judge dismissed the lawsuit against Mr. Zarattini, saying it was based on inadequate evidence.
A lawyer for Nxivm said the group has another legal action pending against him, but lawyers for Mr. Zarattini said they were unaware of it.
The article closes with a quote for Toni Zarattini:
My friends “are in some ways kidnapped; their minds, their emotions have been
taken for ransom,” said Mr. Zarattini, who was kidnapped and brutalized a decade
ago by a drug cartel. “I can’t allow these secrets to keep going because that
contributes in some way to that.”
***
This is a good day for justice.
