
Clare Bronfman, an heiress of the Seagram's liquor empire, arrives at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse, for her trial regarding sex trafficking and racketeering related to the Nxivm cult in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Jan. 9, 2019.
Judge Nicholas Garaufis had directed the defendants to appear in court "to address issues it has identified" with the irrevocable trust established by Seagram's heiress Clare Bronfman. The trust was being tapped to pay for defense lawyers.
Prosecutors raised questions about the trust and whether Bronfman, who is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit identity theft, established it in order to exert control over her fellow members of NXIVM.
The judge reviewed who contributed to the fund, how much money it has and whether there are conflicts in a trust established by one defendant that's meant to aid all six. It is not clear what happens if the money runs out.

Actress Allison Mack arrives at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn on Jan. 9, 2019, in New York.
Raniere, Bronfman and "Smallville" actress Allison Mack are among the defendants who have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in April.
Comment: See also: Second Seagram's heiress sued for ensnaring women in 'fraudulent scheme' as part of NXIVM cult