White Nationalist State Department Official Surfaces in Photographs
Hatewatch has obtained images of Matthew Q. Gebert, a State Department official who is involved in the white nationalist movement.
Gebert oversaw the Washington, D.C.-area chapter of a white nationalist organization and has published hateful propaganda under the pseudonym 鈥淐oach Finstock鈥� since 2015, Hatewatch reported聽Wednesday. The State Department has suspended Gebert from his job as a foreign affairs officer in its Bureau of Energy Resources, .
A Gebert colleague who spoke to Hatewatch said the State Department sent Gebert, who described himself as a white nationalist in a 2018 podcast, home from work Wednesday after the publication of Hatewatch鈥檚 investigation, and he has not returned.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a very diverse bureau with lots of types of people he apparently hates,鈥� the source told Hatewatch over a series of texts. 鈥淚鈥檓 dismayed to see he鈥檚 only suspended; I鈥檓 hoping it鈥檚 just an intermediate step.鈥�
After Hatewatch published its investigation, people sent photos and information to Hatewatch about Gebert and his wife, Anna Vuckovic. Vuckovic also is involved in the white nationalist movement and used the pseudonym 鈥淲olfie James鈥� to post racist and antisemitic blog posts, Hatewatch reported.
Among the photos Hatewatch received is one of Gebert at a white nationalist event in Charlottesville, Virginia, in May 2017, months before the failed 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� rally that August.
A source who spent time at Gebert鈥檚 home at gatherings with white nationalists told Hatewatch that the State Department official prohibited guests from taking pictures at his home.
The May 2017 rally was a public outdoor event, and an anonymous tipster聽sent a photo from the event to Hatewatch. Gebert appears in that group photo wearing sunglasses, a white polo shirt and khaki pants.
One of Gebert鈥檚 colleagues at the State Department, who asked not to be named in this story, contacted Hatewatch after reading its investigation. That person confirmed the identity of Gebert in the rally photo. 鈥淚t is absolutely [Gebert],鈥� the colleague wrote by text, referring to the picture.
A family friend, who claims to have known Gebert for years, also contacted Hatewatch. 鈥淣o question,鈥� the person said, confirming the identity of Gebert as the man at the rally in sunglasses in front of the person dressed in all black.
The two sources who spent time at Gebert鈥檚 home told Hatewatch they thought the man in the photo looked like him.
Gebert also appears in photos on pages 38, 41 and 46聽聽聽for the . The institute is an international program providing 鈥渄iverse, tuition-free communications, IT and broadcast training for women and men who, each day, make modern communications a reality for their countrymen throughout the developing world,鈥� the guide explains.
Gebert could not be reached for a comment for this story.
Photo of 鈥榃olfie James鈥�
Vuckovic鈥檚 picture 听迟颈迟濒别诲 Exhibit City News. 鈥�Exhibit City News is the premiere magazine covering the meeting, convention and tradeshow industries,鈥� according to a description on .
鈥淚n a recent sales reorganization effort, Visit Phoenix, the city鈥檚 tourism engine, chose a director of national accounts,鈥� the story about Vuckovic says. 鈥淭he newest addition is Anna [Vuckovic] Gebert, who now handles the sales territories of Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.鈥�
Three sources who knew 鈥淲olfie James鈥� confirmed to Hatewatch Vuckovic鈥檚 identity in the Exhibit City News article. Hatewatch spoke to Vuckovic at the Geberts鈥� home in Leesburg, Virginia, on June 24, and also verified the Exhibit City News photo is an image of her. She told Hatewatch she was not part of the white nationalist movement.
Additional details emerge on double life
The colleague of Gebert鈥檚 in the State Department told Hatewatch they listened to the voice of 鈥淐oach Finstock鈥� on a white nationalist podcast after reading the investigation into his double life. The colleague said Gebert鈥檚 voice matched that of 鈥淐oach Finstock.鈥�
鈥淚 listened to a piece of the podcast, and it鈥檚 100 percent him,鈥� the source said.
The independent journalism collective Unicorn Riot published a follow-up story Wednesday on Gebert鈥檚 white nationalist ties detailing聽聽in the lead-up to the 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� rally in 2017. Discord is a gaming app that sometimes is used by white nationalists to organize.
One of the images published in the Discord chat was of swastika-shaped cookies. One of the sources who spent time in Gebert鈥檚 home told Hatewatch after the Unicorn Riot story appeared that cookies shaped like swastikas were served at his home on March 17, 2017. The source recalled that children were in the home at the time the cookies were served.
Unearthed 鈥楥oach Finstock鈥� Twitter post refers to State Department
Twitter users combed through internet archives of deactivated and suspended 鈥淐oach Finstock鈥� Twitter accounts following the publication of Hatewatch鈥檚 investigation. Hatewatch named 10 accounts in the story that belonged to 鈥淐oach Finstock鈥� between 2015 and 2019.
One account that聽聽Wednesday was @RevengeCoach, which was active in spring 2018. @RevengeCoach posted a screenshot of a headline聽聽on March 29, 2018, according to an archive.
The Washington Examiner article focused on how the State Department would soon publish new rules 鈥渢o require most visitors and immigrants to the U.S. to divulge their recent social media histories, carrying out one of the key security enhancements from President [Donald] Trump鈥檚 extreme vetting executive order.鈥�
Gebert, writing through the @RevengeCoach handle, appeared to suggest he would help 鈥渨oke Euro applicants鈥� subvert Trump鈥檚 rule. 鈥淲oke鈥� is sometimes used by white nationalists to convey that a white person has been radicalized to fascism.
鈥淪tate Dept visa official to woke Euro applicant: 鈥楽ays here you have NO social media accounts. Can someone in the U.S. attest to that?鈥� Gebert聽. 鈥溾�橴hh, why yes. My good friend...Coach Finstock.鈥欌��
Trump mentioned Gebert鈥檚 Twitter handle
Another Twitter user 聽that Trump, while a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, referred to the account @Q1776, which was manned by Gebert.
鈥淍Q1776: Love fest for DonaldTrump on @marklevinshow just now. Top 5 talk radio audience in country. Great being on the show with Mark!鈥� Trump , referring to a conservative talk show.
Gebert radicalized in 2015, according to his account on a white nationalist forum, Hatewatch reported.
Photo contributed
