By Frank Parlato
My publishing of Scott Johnson’s rebuttal in response to Joe O’Hara’s post should NOT be interpreted as a slight to what Joe O’Hara has done to unhinge Nxivm over the long years.
He was behind many news stories in the early days and I have seen scores of emails and hundreds of documents he sent to authorities trying to get them interested in investigation Nxivm.
Joe was the one who first exposed Rainbow Cultural Garden and brought attention to the mystery child being taught by Raniere. He was also the one who later exposed that that child was the son of Raniere.
He worked with John Tighe to expose Raniere. He was virtually the sole ally of Toni Natalie for years, helping her to fight back from the jealous monster.
He provided counsel and advice to Toni and Susan Dones and Kim Woolhouse and Barbara Bouchey – all of whom fought the monster.
Joe was the one who provided Rick Ross with critical information about Nxivm illegally spying on him.
He provided reporter Chet Hardin with important information for stories and was a named source on numerous stories in the Albany Times Union.
All the fighters – silent or vocal – of Nxivm knew Joe was in there fighting – using his tactical brilliance to fight the monsters.
That gave everyone confidence.
Scott Johnson likes to talk of women and beta males. But for years Joe was the only man helping the women fight Nxivm.
He provided strength and courage. And it took guts, real guts to put your name on things; to openly be named in stories when you knew Raniere would use Bronfman money to get you.
Still everyone relied on Joe’s strength and brilliance when the war with Nxivm had only a few fighters.
And in 2012 – you talk about making it all public – Joe O’Hara laid the complete or near-complete blueprint of 15 years of Nxivm crimes – in exquisite detail in his lawsuit.
if only the authorities had listened then – how many people’s lives would not have been ruined.
Is that Joe’s fault?
Could he have done it any better?
The amount of work that went into that lawsuit is stupendous to think about. He did it pro se too.
The lawsuit is as long as a novella and dives into excruciating detail. He lists hundreds of crimes and hundreds of possible defendants.
He lists all the abusive attorneys. He names all the shell companies Raniere created.
How can anyone say Joe O’Hara did not speak up?
How much more speaking up can anyone do?
I could list hundreds of other actions Joe took. Not all of them were published.
Remember – prior to Frank Report [Dec. 2015] and after Tighe’s home was raided and he shut down Saratoga in Decline [October 2013] and Jim Odato resigned from the Albany Times Union – there was a long, silent gap of media coverage on Nxivm.
No wonder Raniere thought he could get away with branding.
He had Joe in prison. He had Toni indicted. He had me indicted. He had the media silenced. He had state troopers seemingly in his pocket. He had prosecutors doing his bidding and indicting his enemies.
He had judges in Mexico waiting to imprison any one of his enemies he could lure there.
He had bankrupted and indicted Barbara Bouchey. He had bankrupted Susan Dones. He had all his enemies vanquished by 2015. The same year he started branding women.
He had Joe in prison.
No wonder he felt he could start blackmailing and branding women.
Joe O’Hara has fought Nxivm for 13 years. And except for the time he was unfairly and wrongfully imprisoned, he was fighting them constantly.
Other than Toni Natalie, no one can say they fought for so long.
Joe O’Hara deserves accolades and great honor for his work.
He went to work for Nxivm as a consultant – in Octgober 2003. Saw crimes. Tried to persuade his clients to desist from committing crimes. They refused.
He quit. They went after him, spending millions on him literally to destroy him. They almost succeeded.
By a singular quirk of fate – Joe was incarcerated for 2.5 years at the same prison Keith Raniere is now being held.
Keith has been at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn for about 9 months – about a third of the time Joe spent there.
It will be likely another 10 months before Keith goes to trial – so he will likely be there for a year and a half – before trial.
On the day Joe got out of prison, he again took up the fight against Raniere.
He helped land him in jail. And unlike O’Hara, I doubt Raniere will ever be getting out.
Thanks, Joe.