CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has sanctioned white nationalists for their "unacceptable" behavior in a lawsuit against them in connection with a deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, nearly two years ago.

The judge on Friday ordered Elliot Kline, Matthew Heimbach, and the organization Vanguard America to pay "reasonable attorney's fees" over their "refusal" to participate in the discovery process. He suggested "more drastic sanctions" could be necessary if their behavior doesn't change, saying it had stalled the litigation for months on end.

The lawsuit brought by Virginia residents injured during two days of violence in August 2017 accuses the white nationalists of violating state and federal civil rights laws. It seeks a court ruling prohibiting the white nationalists and other groups from committing further civil rights violations.