It shouldn’t be a surprise that fascists rule other fascists with an iron fist, but that’s the clear takeaway from a massive leak into the internal operations of Patriot Front, a group of white supremacists who swaddle their racism in a preppy Americana aesthetic.
The inner workings of the secretive group were laid bare in the release of their chats and planning documents—400 gigabytes total—obtained and published by Unicorn Riot, a left-wing media collective, late last week.
Many of the group’s roughly 220 members are required to regularly log their weight and fitness regimen, encouraged to take an obsessive and almost disordered approach to their diet, and provide updates about their “bad habits,” like porn and junk food. Patriot Front leaders regularly shame members for not participating enough in chats, skipping meetings, or failing to provide their mandatory fitness updates.
And then there’s the financial aspect. Patriot Front members are actually expected to fork out a cover charge to attend their own rallies. They’re also expected to engage in regular “activism,” which entails scattering Patriot Front “promat”—posters and stickers—around their respective regions. But, “for the sake of quality control, information security and preferable flow of resources,” they’re only allowed to use promat that’s manufactured exclusively by Patriot Front leadership—and they must spend hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets for it. They’re then required to photograph and video their propaganda distribution efforts following strict style guidelines, and then upload that documentation as proof.
Hellbound and Down 