The documents, provided by a source inside Patriot Front, shed new light on the inner-workings of the group.
One of the nation’s largest white supremacist groups is rapidly expanding, adding hundreds of members across 49 states in the past two years.
The latest: Internal documents leaked to USA TODAY show a coordinated recruitment push fueled by step-by-step manuals and a network of fight clubs where members meet and sign up new recruits.
What it means: The files, provided by a source inside Patriot Front , offer a rare look at the group’s inner workings as it accelerates its growth. Known for its highly choreographed rallies – rows of identically dressed men in blue shirts, chinos and white face coverings carrying American flags – the group has used disciplined optics to amplify its reach and visibility nationwide.
Read what a USA TODAY analysis of the group's 72-page member roster and other obtained documents revealed.
Reporter Will Carless covers extremism and emerging issues for USA TODAY and he's the host of Extremely Normal, a documentary series that explores how once-fringe ideas are entering the mainstream.
![May 21, 2021; [ENTER CITY], IL, USA; Editor's Note: The subject's exact location has been redacted due to safety concerns.
May 21, 2021; Near Milwaukee, WI, USA. Daniel Berry, a former member of the Wisconsin chapter of the Proud Boys, looks out a window of his home for a portrait. Berry stays up each night to keep an eye on his home after receiving death threats for his plans to speak to USA TODAY.
Upon joining the group, Berry thought it would be a friendly brotherhood of working men, but soon discovered a culture of relentless hazing and bullying within a thinly-veiled white supremacist organization.. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/06/08/USAT/0c4a869f-b404-4b7e-9002-3d2c74b2ab97-JC205973.jpg?crop=2000,2000,x150,y0&width=240&disable=upscale)
![May 21, 2021; [ENTER CITY], IL, USA; Editor's Note: The subject's exact location has been redacted due to safety concerns.
May 21, 2021; Near Milwaukee, WI, USA. Daniel Berry, a former member of the Wisconsin chapter of the Proud Boys, looks out a window of his home for a portrait. Berry stays up each night to keep an eye on his home after receiving death threats for his plans to speak to USA TODAY.
Upon joining the group, Berry thought it would be a friendly brotherhood of working men, but soon discovered a culture of relentless hazing and bullying within a thinly-veiled white supremacist organization.. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/06/08/USAT/0c4a869f-b404-4b7e-9002-3d2c74b2ab97-JC205973.jpg?crop=2000,2000,x150,y0&width=200&disable=upscale)
