(AP) One of the largest and oldest neo-Nazi groups in the U.S. appears to have an unlikely new leader: A black activist who has vowed to dismantle it.
A court filing Thursday suggests James Hart Stern wants to use his new position as director and president of the National Socialist Movement to undermine the Detroit-based group's defense against a lawsuit.
The extremist group was sued over bloodshed at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Stern's filing asks a federal court in Virginia to issue a judgment against the neo-Nazi group before trial for a rally violence lawsuit.
Michigan corporate records indicate Stern replaced Jeff Schoep as the Detroit-based group's leader in January. Corporate and court records don't explain how or why Stern got the position.
Stern and Schoep didn't respond to requests for comment.
