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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Sunday, August 20, 2017, 9:38 PM

An ex-skinhead who co-founded an organization that focuses on battling far-right extremism says President Trump revoked a federal grant issued by the Obama administration supporting the groups mission.

Under President Obama, my organization, Life After Hate, was awarded a $400,000 grant to help combat far-right extremism, co-founder Christian Picciolini told CBS News John Dickerson Sunday. And when President Trump took office, immediately that grant was rescinded."

We were the only organization of the pool of grantees that was focused on white supremacist, extremists and disengaging people from that movement," Picciolini said.

He told the New York Times that he believes Trump took away his organizations grant because hes critical of the President on social media.

Every day that passes w/ @realDonaldTrump in office will take America 100 yrs to repair, Picciolini tweeted in May.

Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan told the Daily News that Picciolinis claim that Life After Hates grant was immediately" revoked was inaccurate.

The grants initially announced in January were reviewed upon directionand with new guidancefrom then-Secretary (John) Kelly and awardees were announced in late June, Lapan said.

The department had issued grants to 26 law enforcement and community organizations worth $10 million.

Life After Hate was founded in 2011 by former members of the American violent far-right extremist movement, the nonprofits website says. Organizers work with people who want to leave their hate groups and to educate others about racism.

Picciolini, who is of Italian descent, joined the white supremacist movement at 14 years old in 1987. He was then recruited into Americas first neo-Nazi skinhead group.

Everybody at Life After Hate is a former extremist, so we understand the (motivations) of why people join," Picciolini said. But, more importantly, we understand what it takes to get out of these groups.

Originally posted here:
Ex-neo Nazi says Trump revoked federal grant Obama gave his organization to fight hate - New York Daily News