In September of this year, it was reported that neo-Nazi Matthew Heimbach had joined the National Socialist Movement (NSM) following the disbanding of a group he had founded, the Traditionalist Worker’s Party. That job appears to have been short-lived, as Heimbach has now been reportedly expelled from the group for his Strausserist positions.

Strausserism is a form of neo-Nazism that is considered to be further left and more heavily emphasizes the socialist aspects of the fascist philosophy.

In November, the NSM held its first rally with Heimbach acting as director of community outreach. The event was heavily armed, but police kept counter-demonstrators and the rally attendees separate.

The group used that event to unveil a new red logo that was meant to emphasize the socialist element of their platform.

Rather than focus on anti-semetic positions, Heimbach’s rhetoric demonized right-wing capitalist figures such as the Koch brothers. This stood in contrast to speakers like Burt Colucci (the group’s Chief of Staff), who mentioned Jews repeatedly in his speech.

Colucci, reached for comment, said he has “nothing to say that I haven’t already said.”

According to a social media post by Tennessee NSM State leader Kynan Dutton, Heimbach was expelled for being a “betrayer, traitor, and Communist.” The post cites Colucci and the group’s leader, Jeff Scoep, as the authorities behind the expulsion.

“No, it’s not a form of communism,” Heimbach told News2Share, responding to Dutton’s allegation. “Communism is international socialism by its very ideological texts, Strasserism is a national form of socialism.”

Strasserists of Nazi Germany were killed by Hitler in the “Night of Long Knives.” in 1934. Heimbach tells News2Share he considers this historical fact to be a result of conspiracy rather than an incompatibility of Strasserism to traditional Nazism.

The Traditionalist Worker’s Party and National Socialist Movement were present during the “Unite the Right” rally whose surrounding violence and a helicopter crash left three dead in Charlottesville in August of 2017. Both groups, along with Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler, are currently plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Charlottesville, blaming the city itself for the violence. The future of that lawsuit is unclear.

This post may be updated with additional details as they develop.