Clare Bronfman, 42, will no longer be classified as a "sex offender" after the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) agreed to stop applying that public safety factor to the inmate.
The wealthy Seagram's heiress who provided critical funding for NXIVM and its disgraced leader Keith Raniere recently scored a minor legal victory in court.
Clare Bronfman, 42, will no longer be classified as a "sex offender" after the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) agreed to stop applying that public safety factor to the inmate.
In a writ of habeas corpus filed back in May, Bronfman stated that she was being unfairly grouped with those NXIVM members who created a secret organization that trafficked young women, despite the fact that her convictions had nothing to do with this organization. She also stated that she was never invited to be part of that group or witnessed the group's rituals.
As a result of this mischaracterization, Bronfman said she is unable to participate in the First Step Program and other initiatives aimed at reforming inmates. She also said that she is not eligible for designation to a minimum-security facility, despite the fact that she filed the writ while serving time at FCI Danbury, the minimum-security facility she has been assigned to since last year.
"Since approximately December 28, 2020, Ms. Bronfman has been subjected to unlawful conditions of confinement within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (the “BOP”) following her September 30, 2020 sentencing before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis," reads the writ submitted in a federal appeals court in Connecticut by Bronfman's attorney in May.
"Ms. Bronfman has been subjected to these conditions as a result of an arbitrary and capricious decision by the BOP to apply a 'sex offender' Public Safety Factor (PSF) against her. In applying this PSF, the BOP not only abused its discretion and violated its own internal guidelines and policies, it also relied on demonstrably false factual claims to justify the PSF designation."
Seven months later, the two sides came to an agreement that the "petitioner’s Bureau of Prisons classification does not include a 'sex offender' public safety factor." Bronfman agreed at that point to dismiss the instant petition, without prejudice.
That timing could be beneficial for Bronfman's other appeal, which she hopes might reduce her lengthy prison sentence.
The heiress, who is worth an estimated $450 million, received an 81-month sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy to conceal and harbor aliens for financial gain and fraudulent use of personal identification information.
This decision by the BOP also distances Bronfman from the two other high-profile members of NXIVM who are currently serving time behind bars: Raniere and former "Smallville" actress Allison Mack.
Bronfman says in her writ that the BOP unfairly linked her with the women involved in the society with NXIVM called DOS. The name comes from the Latin phrase "dominus obsequious sororium," which loosely translates to "master of the obedient female companions."
Raniere headed up this society, while Mack served as a top lieutenant.
The women in that group say they were starved, blackmailed, branded and forced to submit to a variety of sexual acts such as orgies at the request of Raniere and other masters.
During Raniere's trial, a number of these women described themselves as "sex slaves."
Members of DOS were required to film themselves making damning and often false statements about themselves or family members as a form of collateral. Many of these women were also instructed to take photos of their genitalia and nude body.
Raniere even demanded that the woman stay thin and not trim their pubic hair.
Those two edicts were carried out by the female masters who were each assigned to a group of "slaves." A number of women would later recall that they were only allowed to eat 500 calories per day.
This all culminated with a ceremony in which these women were forced to have Raniere's initials branded on their bodies.
There is no evidence or suggestion that Bronfman was involved in DOS.
Bronfman's efforts to recruit individuals into NXIVM and then obtain visas or other immigration documents for them based on false or fraudulent representations led to her conviction.
Bronfman recruited one woman from Mexico to work for a fitness-related NXIVM-affiliated company, submitting documents that appeared to confirm she was hiring Jane Doe 12 as a management consultant with a salary of $3,600 per month. That is the amount necessary to secure a work visa.
Instead, Bronfman allegedly paid Jane Doe 12 just $4,000 over the course of more than a year for her work, and instructed her to do additional work if she hoped to keep her visa.
