NXIVM Prosecution Served

Will the prosecutors in the case against Keith Raniere, better known as the “NXIVM case,” in the Eastern District of New York, affirm or deny that they committed corrupt and improper acts in order to convict the alleged “sex cult” leader?

Today, a small group of civilians served a document demanding that prosecutors Mark Lesko, Richard Donoghue, Tanya Hajjar, former prosecutor Moira Kim Penza and new head district attorney Seth DuCharme affirm eight points of conduct that any prosecutor should be able to affirm without hesitation. For example:

• We did not lie to the court.

• We did not lie to the public.

• We did not threaten potential witnesses.

The prosecutors will not be able to honestly affirm any of these points and this will be supported with evidence that will be released, point-by-point, in the coming weeks.

It is the job of journalists to hold public officials, especially those in government, accountable to their roles and responsibilities. However, reporters often depend on these very same relationships as sources and exposing corruption can create a conflict of interest. Additionally, they often use terms like “the government” or “the prosecution,” which allows individuals to hide behind their titles or affiliated entities.

It is a rare journalist who is a true, independent journalist, who is not controlled by editors, relationships with the government, or salacious narratives that sell. We hope that such journalists will investigate the facts of this case and seek to hold people in positions of authority accountable for their conduct.

Read the Affidavit Here