Image by Getty Images

By Aiden Pink July 5, 2018

The major defense contractor Northrup Grumman said Thursday that it is “taking immediate action” in response to a report claiming that one of its employees who possesses a security clearance from the Department of Defense is also a member of a violent white supremacist group.

ProPublica and Frontline reported earlier Thursday that systems engineer Michael Miselis, who works in a computer modeling and simulation group within Northrop’s aerospace division, is a member of the violent group Rise Above Movement (RAM) and marched in the white supremacist rally last year in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The ProPublica/Frontline report identified Miselis as having pushed an African-American protester to the ground and beating him in Charlottesville, and also wrestled and punched protesters at a Trump rally in Berkeley, California.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Northrup did not respond to multiple requests for comment for the story, but current and former employees say that the company knew about his involvement with RAM and actions in Charlottesville.

“Northrop Grumman was recently made aware of alleged employee actions that are counter to our values,” the company tweeted after publication of the story. “Northrop Grumman is absolutely committed to the highest levels of ethics & integrity in all that we do, & ensuring that our workplace reflects our values of diversity & inclusion. We do not tolerate hatred or illegal conduct and we condemn racist activities in any shape or form. We are taking immediate action to look into the very serious issues raised by these reports.”

RAM is small, with only around 20 members, but is filled with former felons and recruits from Nazi skinhead organizations, according to the report.

Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount