Nxivm leader Keith Raniere’s hunger for power knew no bounds — he was plotting to try to install a female lieutenant in a top political office, one of his “slave masters’’ said in Brooklyn court Monday.
Lauren Salzman, a member of Raniere’s supposed elite inner circle, DOS, testified that she and her cohorts were encouraged to recruit “people of power and influence” to the group.
Raniere hoped “that we might have a DOS candidate in a high-level political office,’’ she said.
The candidate would have to be “highly collateralized,’’ Salzman said — meaning Raniere would have enough dirt on her to control her through threats of blackmail.
Salzman said that ultimately, Raniere — who is on trial for sex trafficking while masquerading as the leader of a self-help organization — planned to grow DOS into an army of followers.
“I think he envisioned it would have thousands or almost a million people,’’ Salzman said.
She said the idea would be to start “sorority’’ chapters across the country.
It was suggested that members could stay anonymous by wearing masks and using pseudonyms, Salzman said.
She said there was immense pressure to recruit “slaves’’ into the alleged cult.
”He was pushing me specifically to have 100’’ slaves, Salzman said.
She had six.
Salzman, who has copped a plea in the case, said the idea was that “every person who becomes a slave should make a whole list of all the people they know — mother included — who should be enrolled.”
Her own mother, Nancy, was Nxivm’s co-founder along with Raniere. Nancy Salzman also has pleaded guilty in the case.