Judge orders NXIVM lawyers to reveal all donors to the Defense trust – by noon tomorrow
Another Order From Judge Garaufis = Another Bad Day For NXIVM
Right from the outset, it seems that Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis has understood just what Keith Raniere is all about.
One of the first things he did is order that Raniere be detained because he found that the prosecution had submitted credible testimony that there were no conditions that would reasonably assure Raniere’s appearance at trial or the safety of the community.
And it’s been pretty much downhill for Raniere from there.
Judge Garaufis has also had a very keen understanding of the woman that financed most of the illegal actions that were undertaken by Raniere and other members of the NXIVM cult: Clare Bronfman.
And yesterday, Judge Garaufis launched another torpedo that will help to sink both Raniere and Bronfman.
In another “sua sponte” Order that he issued yesterday, the judge has directed the defense attorneys to provide him with the names of everyone who has contributed to the Defense Trust Fund that Bronfman set up shortly before she was indicted.
Here’s the Order:
ORDER: Defendants are DIRECTED to submit to the court the names of any and all contributors to the Trust by no later than 12:00 P.M. on December 20, 2018. (See generally Gov’t Nov. 30, 2018 Letter (Dkt. [210]) at 2-3 (stating that an irrevocable trust, to which Defendant Clare Bronfman is the primary contributor, is paying the legal fees of the other Defendants and certain witnesses).) Having these names will help the court conduct the anticipated Curcio hearings properly. Defendants may submit these names ex parte and under seal. If Defendants are unable to ascertain and submit these names, they are to provide an explanation; the court will then take such further steps as are necessary to identify them. Ordered by Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis on 12/18/2018.
https://frankreport.com/2018/12/19/another-order-from-judge-garaufis-another-bad-day-for-nxivm/
Democrats to block end-of-year judges package
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), under pressure from groups on the left, will not agree to a customary year-end package of judicial nominees, according to a Senate Democratic aide.
Schumer and his Democratic colleagues are in no mood to agree to a year-end deal after a federal judge in Texas struck down the entire Affordable Care Act last week, including protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
The judge, Reed O’Conner, was a George W. Bush appointee confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote in 2007 — when Democrats held the majority.
Schumer brushed off questions about if letting O’Connor clear by a voice vote in 2007 was a “bad deal,” telling NBC’s Chuck Todd on Sunday that senators couldn’t predict how a district judge would rule more than a decade after his nomination was before the Senate.
“There was no deal, I don’t think, on this judge. He was a nominee to the district court. No one brought up anything. No one knew how he’d rule in the future. And you know, it’s an awful ruling. Let’s make no mistake about it,” Schumer said on “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Senate Democrats are also upset over Republicans not respecting the Senate’s blue-slip tradition, which gives both senators from a judicial nominee’s home state power to hold up his or her nomination.
Senate leaders usually agree to a package of judicial and executive nominees before major holiday recess. Judicial nominees, in particular, have been a top priority of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who views them as the party’s best chance to shape the political leaning of the country for decades.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/422085-democrats-to-block-end-of-year-judges-package