Revealed: The operators behind four major neo-Nazi X accounts
Revealed: The operators behind four major neo-Nazi X accounts
Anonymity has long been a tactic used by extremists to spread their ideology while avoiding social consequences, from Klansmen hoods to online pseudonyms.
Summary
Under Elon Musk, X (formerly Twitter) has become a hub for white supremacist content due to reduced moderation.
A Texas Observer investigation identified four neo-Nazi account operators, tied to Texas, New Hampshire, and Virginia, whose content has amassed 500,000 followers and millions of views.
Despite sharing antisemitic and pro-Nazi rhetoric, some accounts received responses from Musk and benefited from ad revenue and verification.
Public figures, including politicians, follow these accounts. Employers and the Navy are investigating the individuals, raising questions about accountability and platform policies.
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Through reviewing posts on X, web archives, leak databases, and other social media profiles, the Observer identified the following individuals as the anonymous operators of neo-Nazi X accounts, which had a collective 500,000 followers at their peak:
Cyan Cruz (40 years old): Marketing professional who has lived in Austin and Amarillo, Texas, operating the X account TheOfficial1984.
Michael Gramer (42 years old): Retired mechanical engineer who has lived in New Hampshire, claimed to own a house in Galveston, Texas, and spent time in Dallas, operating the X account 9mm_SMG.
Robert “Bobby” Thorne (35 years old): Vice president at JP Morgan Chase in Plano, Texas, operating the account Noble1945 and previously Noble_x_x_.
John Anthony Provenzano (30 years old): Lives in Virginia, works at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, Maryland, and operates the X account utism_ (formerly JohnnyBullzeye).
Think any of them will get fired or face legal issues for this? Pretty sure the naval one will have a bad time.
The guy working the naval shipyard might get got if he's part of a Nazi club. SF86 is a questionnaire required for a security clearance. Section 29 asks if you've committed an act of terror or are associated with groups dedicated to restricting constitutional rights of citizens or overthrowing the government.
If nothing else, lying on a federal form is a federal crime.
When asked about Provenzano’s employment and apparent posts on X, a public affairs officer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head provided the following statement: “The Navy has a zero-tolerance policy for extremist conduct and takes all allegations of personnel involvement in extremist groups seriously. These allegations are under investigation. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
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Provenzano did not respond to requests for comment sent to his email or X account. Less than a week after the Navy provided comment for this story, the utism_ account was deleted.
If this story gets widespread and sustained attention I bet the JP Morgan VP is done for. Not that they have a problem with that sort of thing if he had kept it quiet, but having it come out could cost them some money and he's not important enough for that.
In response to a request for comment from the Observer, Michaela Ross, vice president of media relations and executive communications with JP Morgan Chase, responded via email: “The employee in question is on leave while we complete our investigation. We do not tolerate hate speech of any kind.”
The Naval warfare centre guy and JP Morgan chase guy for sure. Especially if people shine some more light on this and bring it to the attention of their employers.
You gotta love it that someone with the last name "Cruz" is a neo nazi wannabe