Articles

Selected reporting, broken down by topic and medium

Books

The Riders Come Out At Night: Brutality, Corruption & Cover-up in Oakland. Co-authored with Darwin BondGraham, Atria Books, 2023.

Documentaries

Hunting the Neo-Nazis. British Broadcasting Corporation, Panorama, June 2020 US Producer).

Documenting Hate: New American Nazis. PBS Frontline/ProPublica, November 2018.

Documenting Hate: New American Nazis | FRONTLINE

Watch FRONTLINE and ProPublica’s documentary investigating a neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division, that has actively recruited inside the U.S. military.

FRONTLINEpatrice_taddoniowgbh.org

Documenting Hate: Charlottesville. PBS Frontline/ProPublica, August 2018 (Reporter).

Documenting Hate: Charlottesville | FRONTLINE

Watch FRONTLINE and ProPublica’s documentary on how the violent Unite the Right rally became a watershed moment for the white supremacist movement.

FRONTLINEpatrice_taddoniowgbh.org

Extremism

US founder of neo-Nazi network sentenced to two years of time served

Robert Rundo, 34, leader of Rise Again Movement and ‘Active Clubs’ will also serve two years of supervised release

The GuardianAli Winston

On Donald Trump’s Coattails, America’s Neo-Nazi Youth Is Flowering in Active Clubs and the Prison System

White supremacists and right-wing extremists are working out, doing time, and radicalizing ever more young men

Vanity FairAli Winston

‘Terrorgram’ Charges Show US Has Had Tools to Crack Down on Far-Right Terrorism All Along

The federal indictment of two alleged members of the Terrorgram Collective, a far-right cell accused of inspiring “lone wolf” attacks, reveals the US is now using a “forgotten” legal strategy.

WIREDAli Winston

He Was an FBI Informant—and Inspired a Generation of Violent Extremists

Joshua Caleb Sutter infiltrated far-right extremist organizations as a confidential FBI informant, all while promoting hateful ideologies that influenced some of the internet’s most violent groups.

WIREDAli Winston

California neo-Nazi found guilty of murder of former classmate

Samuel Woodward faces life without parole after conviction in killing of Blaze Bernstein, 19, in Orange county in 2018

The GuardianAli Winston

Why far-right groups are disrupting US campus protests: ‘When there’s so much attention, they show up’

Gaza counter-protesters at UCLA took part in anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-vaccine events across southern California, researchers say

The GuardianAli Winston

Neo-Nazi to face trial in killing of former high school classmate Blaze Bernstein

Sam Woodward, former member of Atomwaffen Division, was arrested in 2018 for murder of gay, Jewish pre-med student

The GuardianAli Winston

There Are Dark Corners of the Internet. Then There’s 764

A global network of violent predators is hiding in plain sight, targeting children on major platforms, grooming them, and extorting them to commit horrific acts of abuse.

WIREDCondé Nast

Jailed, released, jailed again: whiplash in a leading neo-Nazi’s legal case

Federal prosecutors charged Robert Rundo in 2018 for rioting, a judge threw out the case last week – and another reinstated it

The GuardianAli Winston

A 23-year-old was arrested for gun possession. It led the FBI to a global Satanic cult

Angel Almeida’s alarming social media posts led authorities to 764, a group that abuses minors and circulates violent videos

The GuardianAli Winston

Revealed: neo-Nazi active club counts several of US military as members

Clockwork Crew, formerly known as Crew 562, was founded in 2021 and has roughly a dozen members, researchers say

The GuardianAli Winston

White supremacist Robert Rundo extradited from Romania to US to face charges

Rise Above Movement co-founder to face charges in Los Angeles in relation to violent clashes with anti-fascist protesters in 2017

The GuardianAli Winston

How neo-Nazi Brandon Russell was accused of targeting Baltimore substations

The plot Russell is accused of perpetrating alongside Catonsville woman Sarah Clendaniel is straight out of the pages of the notebooks seized by the FBI in Florida almost six years ago.

Baltimore BannerAli Winston

Neo-Nazi Satanist Cult Is a Terrorist Group, Feds Say

The Order of Nine Angles sect should be treated like Al Qaeda, Feds say, in trial of neo-Nazi Satanist G.I. accused of plotting mass murder.

Rolling StoneAli Winston

The Satanist Neo-Nazi Plot to Murder U.S. Soldiers

A rogue G.I.’s trial exposes the depths of a murderous far-right ideology — and the FBI’s complicity in spreading hate.

Rolling StoneAli Winston

A far-right militia came to Oakland to attack police last year

Members of the “Grizzly Scouts” hunted law enforcement during the 2020 protests, and one of them allegedly murdered a federal guard.

The OaklandsideAli Winston

A Portrait of the Fascist as a Young Man | Ali Winston

As the threat of political violence looms over the 2020 presidential election, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles are preparing for an appeals hearing for

The New York Review of BooksAli Winston

The Boogaloo Cop Killers - Popular Front

A deep dive into the deadly boogaloo boi ambush in California this summer…

Popular Front

Inside Atomwaffen As It Celebrates a Member for Allegedly Killing a Gay Jewish College Student

ProPublica obtained the chat logs of Atomwaffen, a notorious white supremacist group. When Samuel Woodward was charged with killing 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein last month in California, other Atomwaffen members cheered the death, concerned only that the group’s cover might have been blown.

ProPublicaA.C. Thompson

California Murder Suspect Said to Have Trained With Extremist Hate Group

The 20-year-old man charged in Orange County with killing a gay Jewish college student earlier this month is said to have belonged to Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group.

ProPublicaA.C. Thompson

Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace

They train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.

ProPublicaA.C. Thompson

Are Police Taking the Violent White Supremacist Gang Threat Seriously? | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

The site of four violent clashes this year, Berkeley has become a symbolic battleground for white supremacists hoping to advance their ideology by fighting antifascists in the streets. But it’s unclear what the city’s police force is doing to identify and prosecute white supremacist gang members instigating the violence. In fact, some law enforcement agencies […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaDarwin BondGraham and Ali Winston

Criminal Justice

Before raids, FBI probed expensive Oakland police unit tasked with fighting Chinatown crime

Sgt. Michael Chung helped orchestrate a donation of drones to the Oakland Police Department from David Duong, whose family and businesses figure prominently in the FBI’s current investigation.

East Bay Timesgqlshare

Complaints against NYPD hit 11-year high under pro-police mayor Adams

Concern that community relations are suffering as return to 1990s-style ‘broken windows’ policing focused on anti-social behavior

The GuardianAli Winston

In Oakland police bribery case, an internal investigation revealed more troubling practices at OPD

An internal review cleared Officer Phong Tran—who now faces criminal charges of perjury and bribery—but revealed OPD has long allowed questionable payments to witnesses.

The OaklandsideDarwin BondGraham, Ali Winston

10 years ago, OPD forcefully dismantled the Occupy Oakland camp

An Oct. 25 protest led to a grave injury and lasting consequences for the Oakland Police Department.

The OaklandsideAli Winston

New York’s Finest? | Ali Winston

As 2020’s chaotic presidential election was called last weekend, New York City erupted in a cacophony of joy at Donald Trump’s defeat. America’s largest

The New York Review of BooksAli Winston

NYPD Unit At Center Of Protest Policing Has Dozens Of Officers With Long Misconduct Histories

Civil liberties experts say the Strategic Response Group’s recent crackdown on ICE protests is the most brutal suppression of protests in decades—and many of its officers are the subject of significant misconduct allegations, including a supervisor with 32 complaints.

The AppealAli Winston

‘They Can Do This To Anybody’

Misconduct Complaints Against Officers in the NYPD’s 34th Precinct Have Risen for Three Years Straight. In 2018, 15 officers had Complaints against them Substantiated, The Most of Any Precinct in New York City.

The AppealAli Winston

When Prosecutors Bury Police Lies

Court records and interviews with former prosecutors show that internal assessments of police dishonesty are rarely memorialized, potentially violating the rights of people charged in criminal cases and sometimes keeping the records of bad cops clean.

The AppealAli Winston

U.S. Government Using Gang Databases to Deport Undocumented Immigrants

ICE operations over a decade have resulted in 40,000 “gang-related” arrests and thousands of deportations. Yet alleged gang affiliation is often unverified.

The InterceptAli Winston

Oakland Police Hold Secret Ceremony Honoring Several Officers Accused of Mishandling Celeste Guap Sex-Crimes Investigation | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

In a secret ceremony held in a church this morning, the Oakland Police Department promoted several dozen officers and awarded dozens more for bravery and service. But a few of the officers honored were the same ones who mishandled the department’s internal Celeste Guap sex-crime investigation. Two dozen protesters picketed the ceremony at the church’s […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaDarwin BondGraham and Ali Winston

Oakland Police Chief Doubles-Down on Promoting the Cops Who Covered-Up the Celeste Guap Case | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

Inside a federal courtroom this afternoon, the City of Oakland’s mayor and police chief reaffirmed their commitment to establishing a culture of accountability within the city’s troubled department. But after the hearing, Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters that the commanders who mishandled last year’s internal sex-crimes investigation would still be receiving promotions. In fact, when […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaDarwin BondGraham and Ali Winston

Did An Oakland Cop Kill His Wife? | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

It was the early morning hours of June 17, 2014. Oakland Police Department homicide investigators Mike Gantt and Caesar Basa sat across a table from rookie officer Brendan O’Brien in an interview room known as “the box.” Located deep inside OPD’s downtown headquarters, this is where detectives interrogate murder suspects. Hours earlier, O’Brien had called […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaDarwin BondGraham and Ali Winston

Badge of Dishonor: Top Oakland Police Department Officials Looked Away as East Bay Cops Sexually Exploited and Trafficked a Teenager | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

Celeste Guap was only seventeen in February of last year when a pimp chased her down International Boulevard. She spotted an Oakland police car and approached for help. That’s when she met officer Brendan O’Brien. “He saved me,” Guap said of the lanky ex-Marine, who joined the Oakland Police Department in 2013 after graduating from […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaDarwin BondGraham and Ali Winston

US police get antiterror training in Israel on privately funded trips - Reveal

Law enforcement seminars, which began after the Sept. 11 attacks, include tactics to control crowds during protests and riots. For some, the training highlights how the friendly cop on the beat has been replaced by military-style troops.

RevealAli Winston

OPD Promoted Cops Involved in Scott Olsen Case | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

Late last week, the City of Oakland made national headlines when it agreed to pay a $4.5 million legal settlement to Scott Olsen, the Marine Corps veteran who was critically wounded by Oakland police during a confrontation with Occupy Oakland protesters in 2011. Yet despite the large payout (which was first reported by the Express […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaAli Winston

Cop Identified in Scott Olsen Incident? | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

One of the most indelible images of the Occupy movement to date is that of Marine veteran Scott Olsen being carried away from a skirmish line of riot police at 14th Street and Broadway on October 25 in Oakland. Stunned and bleeding from an ugly gash on his forehead, the 24-year-old Wisconsin native had been […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaAli Winston

Getting Away with Murder | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

Samier Ayesh was shot to death outside the East Oakland Dollar & More convenience store on June 10, 2010. Earlier that evening, Samier Ayesh and his brothers Adham, Awad, and Samey were getting ready to close their family-owned store for the night when they saw two boys tagging the Ayeshes’ white truck in an adjacent […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaAli Winston

Deadly Secrets | East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda

March 21, 2009, was one of the bloodiest days in the history of the Oakland Police Department and California law enforcement. It began with a trifle: Two traffic officers, Sergeant Mark Dunakin and Officer John Hege, pulled over 26-year-old parolee Lovelle Mixon for running a traffic light. After Dunakin radioed in Mixon’s driver’s license and […]

East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & AlamedaAli Winston

Surveillance

Prosecutors Are Using Gang Laws To Criminalize Protest

Prosecutors in states ranging from New York to Utah are using decades-old gang laws to target participants in the largest uprising against police brutality in U.S. history.

The AppealAli Winston

Feds are treating BlueLeaks organization as “a criminal hacker group,” documents show

Supporters worry a crackdown is coming.

The VergeAli Winston

Palantir has secretly been using New Orleans to test its predictive policing technology

Even city council members don’t know about the program.

The VergeAli Winston

You may be in California’s gang database and not even know it - Reveal

California’s statewide CalGang database, which includes more than 150,000 people, has come under fire for its secrecy, which can ensnare innocent peop

RevealAli Winston

California State Auditor: Flaws rampant in gang database - Reveal

The California State Auditor harshly criticized management, oversight and use of the CalGang database, which tracks people with alleged gang ties across the state.

RevealAli Winston

California’s gang database gets less secretive, but problems linger - Reveal

Earlier this year, Reveal detailed the myriad problems with CalGang. In some cases, unverified allegations of gang affiliation in the database led to criminal charges and inclusion in civil gang injunctions, which restrict someone’s ability to move and associate freely.

RevealAli Winston

Money, politics and other miscellany

The Real Story of “The Order”

The new film about an FBI agent chasing a white supremacist terror cell is based on a true story—and one that connects the headlines of 40 years ago to those of today.

WIREDAli Winston

Lopsided playing field: executives with deep pockets spend big on Oakland recall races

California’s billionaires have altered San Francisco politics. The playbook is being repeated across the Bay

The GuardianAli Winston

A new political force: San Francisco’s mayoral election is a litmus test for tech elite’s influence

In recent years, money has poured into local politics as wealthy financiers try to remake the landscape of the city

The GuardianAli Winston

Sam Bankman-Fried funded a group with racist ties. FTX wants its $5m back

The Guardian reveals FTX trustees, in charge after the CEO’s downfall, allege payments were made with looted funds

The GuardianJason Wilson

Inside tech billionaires’ push to reshape San Francisco politics: ‘a hostile takeover’

The Guardian and Mission Local unravel ‘grey money’ network flooding the progressive city with conservative cash

The GuardianAli Winston, with graphics by Will Jarrett, of Mission Local