The Vow

Hello, and welcome. I'm Nancy Salzman.

I'm the president of NXIVM Corporation

and Executive Success Programs.

If you get involved in a group,

what's the word people usually use

to invalidate the group?

"Cult," right?

People use the term "cult"

because they want to devalue a group,

but they have no way of doing it

except by putting unsubstantiated doubt

in the minds of unsuspecting, non-critically-thinking people.

If this happens to you, ask,

"What are they doing that's bad?"

A sensational trial is underway in New York.

The explosive trial

of NXIVM's sex cult leader Keith Raniere.

Brainwashing, sex abuse, and even branding.

Raniere faces charges including

sex trafficking and racketeering connected to a secret society.

If convicted, he could spend life in prison.

His lawyers say that his relationships

were consensual.

If you have a leader who is seen as almost mythical

and you're basically being told that you might have to sleep

with this leader of the group, is that really consent?

I don't think that it is, but again, try proving it.

This trial is very much

an attempt to try and understand which version

of Keith Raniere is true.

- (BIRDS CHIRPING) - (APPLAUSE)

Thank you. Please be seated.

I am gathering all of you here

because I wanted to talk about some of what's going on.

You're of sufficient position in the organization

where I think you deserve to know.

And this is something that has to stay in this room

and the thing that we can't comment about

is there are criminal investigations

in multiple countries. This is not a small thing.

Supposedly there's an article that is likely gonna come out,

like, the New York Times. It's like a one-sided...

Zero participation from us.

They're just writing all the hearsay.

So...

I guess it's hard because I keep on hoping...

You know, you plan for the worst,

you hope for the best.

And I keep on hoping that...

either people I knew who are friends

or who I thought were different or whatever,

will come to their senses and say, "This is ridiculous."

It's my belief if people knew me...

people knew the man...

there would be, I hope, no doubt

there's nothing nefarious, there's no abuse of power.

I'm a person that walks around all day worrying about,

am I abusing power by saying this, by saying that?

That is my life.

I walk around. At night, I cry for hours.

We're on the ground. We are being kicked.

There is... There are aggressive actions

by probably a very few people coordinated against us.

The question is, how would noble people handle it?

How would... How should we handle it?

Just because of the situation that we're in,

I would ask all of you in this room

to keep the discussion about criminal investigations

within this room.

Um, it's a... it's a...

It is demanded of us.

Yes.

That enough?

(IN SPANISH)

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - (SIRENS WAILING)

- (BIRDS CHIRPING) - (FOOTSTEPS)

The suspected head of an alleged cult

now faces charges in the United States.

NXIVM posted a statement to their website

moments ago.

In part, the statement reads,

"In response to the allegations

against our founder, Keith Raniere,

we are currently working with the authorities

to demonstrate his innocence and true character.

We strongly believe the justice system will prevail

in bringing the truth to light."

Many of the allegations,

even if true,

if you read the complaint, don't make out federal charges.

And so, we think that Mr. Raniere is... is innocent.

We don't think there was any non-consensual criminal conduct.

But no one's ever heard

the rest of the story

and the other side of what's happened.

I think this case is gonna give us an opportunity

to explain a lot more than the public has heard.

Keith Raniere made his first appearance

- in a New York court today. Keith Raniere

appeared in front of a judge in Brooklyn.

The judge denied Raniere's request for bail.

He's maintaining his innocence.

To hear him say that, I mean, what comes to mind?

He's a sociopath.

Of course he's gonna maintain his innocence.

He doesn't have a moral compass.

He doesn't know... He doesn't... He can't differentiate.

Not at all. - He'll justify any abuse.

The last time I saw Keith was April 1999,

and he said to me, "I will see you dead or in jail."

So, he got half of it right.

Goodbye!

Oh, my God. It's so good to see you guys.

I heard the chains come off, Mark.

- Oh, you did? You did? - I did,

I heard the chains drop.

So you guys were looking at him?

We were in the front row, like, eye...

Did he look at you? Twice.

He is arrogant, and cocky, and believes

- that this is just another... Phase.

Do you know why he doesn't look broken?

There's nothing to break inside. He's got a fucking... no soul.

I agree. He's delusional.

- Yeah. Yeah, I said that to the press.

Very delusional.

He wants to go to trial because he likes court movies

- a lot. There's a lot more charges...

He likes court movies so much, and he has this vision of doing

- an argument in court... Being like Atticus Finch or something.

And being Atticus Finch.

- Sort of this 20 to 40-minute monologue. - (BONNIE CHUCKLES)

He wants desperately to have his moment.

So, he's gonna try and go for trial.

To do his word salad.

What an ass. What an ass.

Hey.

You're worried 'cause you think his lawyers are strong.

Yeah.

I think we're all accustomed

to getting beaten up for so long,

we're just assuming we're going to lose.

Yeah. Yeah.

DOS is operating on a premise, that for so long,

women have calibrated their value in regard to men.

Let's take men out of the sentence.

Just the notion of getting branded.

Talk to all the football players who have a branding

on their arm, are they all in cults?

You know what the difference is? They're men.

Oh, are you trying to make this about...

A hundred percent I am. Am I trying to? It is.

- So this is female empowerment. - It is.

- A hundred percent. - Challenging.

It's for real, and you know what?

And it's the government and the media are coming down

on the women of DOS. Women have a secret society,

women brand themselves, and they're poor little dears

and they're victims. When men do it,

they're Marines.

We think the government's dead wrong.

We think that their premise is faulty.

And we think when the truth comes out,

Keith is gonna be acquitted.

Everyone should pay very close attention to this trial.

I believe we have information the government doesn't have.

And so everyone's in for a big surprise

when the actual trial takes place.

This is probably the most unique case

I've had in 28 years.

And being a prosecutor and being a defense lawyer both.

You know, and I've had some fascinating cases.

We worked on the Martin Shkreli trial.

Pharma Bro, Martin Shkreli,

became infamous for raising the price

of a lifesaving AIDS drug by 5,000 percent.

Shkreli was set to be the most hated man in America.

We're, I think delighted,

thank you very much, Ben and Marc,

who's a great lawyer.

I had Dominique Strauss-Kahn's case,

when he was IMF head.

Strauss-Kahn was one of the most influential

decision makers in the world, but a sexual assault accusation

from a New York hotel chambermaid

dashed any presidential hopes.

Moments ago,

a Supreme Court Judge for the state of New York

dismissed charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

They could not prove attempted rape

and sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt.

I fortunately have a pretty good record