https://www.syracuse.com/politics/2019/04/report-gillibrands-father-worked-for-nxivm-tried-to-distance-himself-from-upstate-ny-cult.html
Report: Gillibrand’s father worked for NXIVM, tried to distance himself from Upstate NY ‘cult’
Court documents show Doug Rutnik worked as a consultant and lobbyist for NXIVM (pronounced “nexium”) for four months in 2004. He was hired by Keith Raniere, who founded the Capital Region-based group accused of sex trafficking, branding women and allegedly forcing members to have sex with Raniere.
According to Fox News, Rutnik was paid $25,000 per month but was later sued when he tried to distance himself from the group; NXIVM ended up paying Rutnik a settlement of $100,000. The 2006 settlement is signed by Rutnik and several NXIVM members, including wealthy Seagram’s heiresses Clare and Sara Bronfman and NXIVM President Nancy Salzman.
Salzman pleaded guilty to a charge of racketeering conspiracy last month. Her daughter, Lauren Salzman, pleaded guilty last week as well and admitted to keeping a slave locked in a room for two years.
According to Frank Parlato, a former NXIVM employee who helped expose the group to a federal investigation in 2017, Rutnik also got his future wife – Gillibrand’s stepmother – and a second cousin into NXIVM. It’s unclear if either continued to be alleged members after Rutnik left.
“[Gillibrand’s] father Doug Rutnik came to work as a consultant for NXIVM… He was fired, they sued him, and they had to pay him $100,000,” Parlato told Big League Politics. “Her father’s wife, her stepmother, was also a member of NXIVM. … Doug got her into the cult, Gillibrand’s father got Gillibrand’s future stepmother into the cult. Doug left the cult because he was sued. Clare Bronfman, after her father was sued, donated money to Gillibrand. Gillibrand accepted it.”