Keith Raniere is rarin’: His pitch for speedy Nxivm trial, and against child sex counts

[Keith Raniere]

Lots of court documents have hit the Nxivm file, and we’ve been sorting through them as we can. On Friday, Keith Raniere filed a motion to dismiss that included his argument for keeping the timing of the upcoming trial on track, with jury selection starting on April 8 and opening statements on April 29, and blames prosecutors for trying to delay things.

Continue reading Keith Raniere is rarin’: His pitch for speedy Nxivm trial, and against child sex counts

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Internet in 2019: Spookily similar to Scientology in 1994

[Scientology heavy Helena Kobrin and Watchtower mercenary Philip Brumley]

We’re still playing catch-up here at our new Jehovah’s Witnesses blog, and yes, we keep running across parallels to what we’ve seen over at our Scientology watch.

Continue reading Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Internet in 2019: Spookily similar to Scientology in 1994

Mark Geragos makes the case for why Clare Bronfman deserves a separate trial

[Mark Geragos and his client, Clare Bronfman]

Now that Nxivm leader Keith Raniere has been hit with new charges of sexually exploiting a child and child pornography, his co-defendant, Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman, more than ever deserves her own trial.

Continue reading Mark Geragos makes the case for why Clare Bronfman deserves a separate trial

‘John Redwood’ on today’s Atlantic blockbuster about Jehovah’s Witnesses and child abuse

[Mark and Kimmy O’Donnell]

Mark O’Donnell, also known as ‘John Redwood’ to the ex-JW community, was featured in an amazing Atlantic piece that went live today, written by Douglas Quenqua. Mark’s journey leaving JWs and then his wife Kimmy eventually joining him forms the backdrop of a stunning article about how the Watchtower is sitting on a database of between 18,000 and 23,000 child molesters that the organization began compiling in detail starting in 1997.

Continue reading ‘John Redwood’ on today’s Atlantic blockbuster about Jehovah’s Witnesses and child abuse

Michelle Wallis: How I took back the power denied me by JW and really lived my life

[Michelle Wallis and her husband Craig]

We spotted this first-person testament over at Facebook and asked its writer, Michelle Wallis, if she’d allow us to share it here at the Bunker. What a remarkable story of family, loss, and personal strength. It’s long, but we think it’s worth your while.

Continue reading Michelle Wallis: How I took back the power denied me by JW and really lived my life

Jehovah’s Witnesses and odd rules about women covering their heads

Lloyd Evans has a new short video out this afternoon, and he discusses odd Jehovah’s Witness rules that require women to cover their heads, and the Biblical reasoning behind it. Here’s his description:

Continue reading Jehovah’s Witnesses and odd rules about women covering their heads

A Witness responds to Lloyd Evans about JW and global climate change

[The Warwick headquarters and its green buildings]

On Tuesday, we asked ex-JW activist Lloyd Evans about the Jehovah’s Witness view on climate change, since it’s an organization so centered around the idea of global catastrophe. Lloyd explained that because the planet was in Jehovah’s hands, Witnesses tended not to be concerned about environmental issues. We then received a rebuttal from Rob, a Witness who disagreed, and we’re very happy to publish his message to us, with his permission…

Continue reading A Witness responds to Lloyd Evans about JW and global climate change

Clare Bronfman tells judge she wants to stick with Mark Geragos

Correspondent VillageDianne snapped the photo above of Nxivm defendant and Seagram’s heiress Clare Bronfman, right, and her attorney Mark Geragos, left, as they left the Brooklyn courthouse yesterday. And she gave us her thoughts on how the hearing went…

Continue reading Clare Bronfman tells judge she wants to stick with Mark Geragos

The dangers of climate change: Not a worry for end-of-the-world JW types?

Ah, it’s finally the last day of winter, and we’re really looking forward to things warming up. It also gave us a thought: We wondered about how global climate change and its potential for destruction fit into the Jehovah’s Witnesses obsession with an impending Apocalypse. So we decided it might be fun to ask Lloyd Evans about it!

Continue reading The dangers of climate change: Not a worry for end-of-the-world JW types?

How Keith Raniere’s attorneys are pushing back against the new charges in the Nxivm case

[Keith Raniere and his attorney Marc Agnifilo]

The big news from yesterday’s court hearing was that three additional Nxivm defendants are negotiating plea deals, which, if it actually happens, would leave just Keith Raniere and Clare Bronfman facing trial scheduled to begin April 29.

Continue reading How Keith Raniere’s attorneys are pushing back against the new charges in the Nxivm case

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