The presence of white supremacists in law enforcement has been documented through various investigations, whistleblower accounts, and high-profile cases, sparking concerns about public trust and safety. While most officers serve honorably, the infiltration of extremist ideologies among some has undermined the profession's integrity and the communities they serve.
The FBI raised alarms as early as 2006 about white supremacist groups actively recruiting members into law enforcement to exploit their authority. Investigations have since uncovered officers participating in hate groups or expressing racist beliefs. For example, in 2020, a California investigation revealed police officers engaging in racist texts and threats, leading to dismissals and public outrage. Similarly, the 2021 investigation into a Kentucky sheriff’s deputy linked to a neo-Nazi group highlighted how extremist ideologies infiltrate law enforcement ranks.
Racist behavior by white officers has been starkly evident in cases like the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, where Floyd's death under Chauvin's knee became a global symbol of police brutality and racial injustice. The 1991 beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers, captured on video, is another infamous incident showcasing systemic racism.
Evidence of tolerance for such behavior includes weak disciplinary actions, lack of accountability, and the “blue wall of silence,” which prevents officers from reporting misconduct. These practices embolden racist behavior and erode public trust, particularly among marginalized communities. A 2021 survey showed that trust in police is significantly lower among Black Americans, a reflection of lived experiences with bias and injustice.
In Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within, former FBI agent Mike German, who worked undercover in white supremacist and militia groups, issues a wake-up call about law enforcement’s dangerously lax approach to far-right violence.
Despite over a hundred deadly acts by far-right militants since the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the far right’s attempts to obstruct the transfer of power to a duly elected president on January 6, 2021, the FBI continues to deprioritize investigations into white supremacist violence, instead targeting marginalized groups such as environmentalists and Black Lives Matter. In 2005, for example, the FBI labeled eco-terrorists as the top domestic threat, despite not a single fatal attack in the United States.
Noting that the FBI does not even compile accurate national data on white supremacist violence, German also exposes the continuing tolerance of overt racism in law enforcement, as well as police membership in white supremacist organizations. The threat these officers pose became clear when at least 28 current and former law enforcement officials were alleged to have participated in the 2021 Capitol breach.
With chapters including “The Rise of the Proud Boys,” “A New Approach to Policing Hate Crimes,” and “Policing the Police,” Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within, shows how the lack of transparency and accountability in federal, state, and local law enforcement has eroded public trust and undermined democracy. The book’s conclusion, “Law Enforcement’s Role in Resisting White Supremacy,” points the way forward to a future where far-right violence is recognized and addressed as the true threat it presents to our country.
German has been a Brennan Center fellow since 2014, and the book is coauthored by Beth Zasloff.
Guest:
Mike German is a 16-year veteran of federal law enforcement. German served as an FBI special agent, specializing in domestic terrorism and covert operations. He left the FBI in 2004 after reporting continuing deficiencies in the bureau’s counterterrorism operations to Congress. German served as an adjunct professor of law enforcement and terrorism at National Defense University. German is a fellow in the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program. German is the author of Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy (The New Press, 2019). He previously published Thinking Like a Terrorist: Insights of a Former FBI Undercover Agent (Potomac Books, 2008).
This interview will be recorded on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
