Joseph: I honestly cannot believe that you are defending them. There have been multiple investigations, both by secular authorities and frum organizations. Almost all of them substantiate each other, with the sole exception of the Ami article. And even the Ami article never contradicts some of the more major accusations, as I mentioned in my previous comment. Even Frankfurter later begrudgingly acknowledged that the accusations need to be seriously looked in to. Oh, and Ami had also previously published an article bashing Lev Tahor like everyone else did.
It shouldn’t take a genius to realize that there’s something seriously seriously wrong with Lev Tahor. Their guru never received smicha and determines everything about their lives. The kids only learn chumash and books written by the guru. Their manner of dress and adherence to kashrus goes far beyond what would even be considered machmir to the point where it may be k’negged halacha. There is no possibility for a member to have an independent income, all money is handled by the guru. Interviews with former members and families of members confirm most of the accusations. Members are almost exclusively either lieutenants of the guru chosen from his family, or new ba’alei teshuva or people from broken homes who don’t have a complete understanding of Yiddishkeit and need an authority figure as they’ve lost the connection to their family.
How can you possibly defend them?