Journalist and author Chet Hardin joins ALBC to revisit the early days of reporting on NXIVM, Keith Raniere, and the machinery of intimidation that kept members insulated from outside scrutiny. Chet was only a month into his job at Metroland when attorney Joe O’Hara called with a story about a group “some people might call a cult,” leading him to Toni Natalie, Rick Ross, and a dossier that made clear NXIVM was already watching its critics very closely.
NXIVM sued Chet’s newspaper for tens of millions of dollars, tried to recruit him, and invited him to a midnight volleyball game where Keith Raniere offered an exclusive interview in exchange for Chet stopping his reporting on the Dalai Lama. We also unpack the group’s legal warfare, Kristin Keeffe’s access to the district attorney’s office, the arrests of whistleblowers including Toni Natalie and John Tighe, and how Chet’s later book, The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and The Rise and Fall of NXIVM (with Toni Natalie), helped connect the pieces he had spent years chasing.
Stay tuned for Part 2 when Chet discusses The Vampire’s Cult and the disturbing parallels between Keith Raniere and Nebraska cult leader Aubrey Trail—two men who used isolation, control, and carefully dangled promises to draw vulnerable people into their orbits.
Be sure to check out Chet’s website at ChetHardin.com and follow him on Instagram @chethardin.
Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of cult coercion and manipulation, stalking and surveillance, lawsuits and legal intimidation, sexual misconduct, child sexual abuse, child pornography, imprisonment, suicide, and emotionally distressing testimony.
Also…let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.
Buy the A Little Bit Culty paperback, ebook, or audiobook on Amazon or order a signed copy.
Check out our amazing sponsors
Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon
Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag
Support the pod and smash this link
Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources
Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred
CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Citizens of Sound
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Audio production: Will Retherford
Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore
Writer and administrator: Sandra Nomoto
Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin