Who Is Robert Rundo?
Palm Bay’s name was placed on a letter urging clemency for Robert Rundo, a convicted white-supremacist leader. Here’s his record - and why it matters.
Palm Bay, FL - Imagine waking up to learn your name was used to defend a violent white-supremacist. That’s what happened when Councilman Chandler Langevin placed the City of Palm Bay’s letterhead on a request to Congress seeking clemency for Robert Rundo. By doing so, he did not just speak for himself - he made it look as if every resident of Palm Bay endorsed the cause of a man federal courts described as a leader of a “combat-ready militant white supremacy and identity movement.”
Palm Bay did not authorize the letter. But the damage is done: our city’s name is now linked to one of the most notorious white-nationalist organizers of the past decade.
A Pattern of Violence
Rundo’s violent path began in 2009, when he stabbed a Latino man multiple times in a New York store. He served nearly two years for gang assault.
By 2017, he had co-founded the Rise Above Movement (RAM), a group the Southern Poverty Law Center called “a loose collective of violent neo-Nazis and fascists.” RAM’s purpose was not political debate. It was street fighting. Members spent weekends training in boxing and mixed martial arts - preparation for the confrontations they staged at protests.
That same year, Rundo and RAM were on the front lines of political violence across California:
Huntington Beach, March 2017: Rundo punched a protester in the back of the head and assaulted another.
Berkeley, April 2017: Members taped their fists and donned skeleton masks before clashing with police and protesters. Rundo punched a police officer.
Charlottesville, August 2017: RAM traveled across the country to participate in the infamous “Unite the Right” rally, where white-supremacist violence left one woman dead.
By October 2018, federal agents arrested Rundo and his associates under the Anti-Riot Act. He became one of the highest-profile extremists prosecuted under federal law.
Building a Global Network
Even federal charges did not stop Rundo. After an early dismissal of his case, he fled to Eastern Europe and re-emerged with a new model: “White Nationalism 3.0.”
Instead of one visible organization, he built the Active Club Network: small, decentralized cells dedicated to MMA training, “brotherhood,” and preparing for racial conflict. Extremism researchers have described the Active Clubs as a potential “shadow army,” organized through decentralized training groups.
Alongside the clubs, Rundo launched two enterprises:
Media2Rise: A propaganda channel dressed up as journalism.
Will2Rise: A merchandise company selling clothing and gear branded with white-nationalist slogans.
These were not harmless sidelines. They served as recruiting tools and funding streams for his broader movement.
Conviction and Release
After being extradited from Romania in 2023, Rundo finally faced federal prosecution. In December 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to riot and was sentenced to two years in prison. Because he had already served more than 700 days in custody, he walked free immediately.
At sentencing, prosecutors described him as a central figure in violent white-supremacist organizing. The court record in U.S. v. Rundo explicitly labeled RAM as “a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement.”
Despite the conviction, the Active Clubs he founded have spread across the United States, Germany, Australia, and South America. The network continues to grow.
What This Means for Palm Bay
That is the man whose name was printed on City of Palm Bay letterhead.
A convicted rioter.
A man who stabbed a Latino stranger.
A founder of a militant neo-Nazi fight club.
The architect of a global extremist network.
By sending the letter, Langevin blurred the line between his personal ideology and the voice of an entire city. To anyone receiving it - including a sitting Congressman - to any reasonable reader, the letter could appear to say, “Palm Bay stands with Robert Rundo.”
That was never true. But perception matters. The city’s name has now been attached to a cause so toxic it undermines our reputation, our economic future, and the very sense of safety for residents.
This is not about free speech. Langevin is free to hold any opinion he chooses. This is about misrepresentation: one elected official commandeering the voice of the entire city to lobby for clemency for a violent white-supremacist.
The Bottom Line
Robert Rundo is not a misunderstood activist. He is not a free-speech martyr. He is a man whose record is soaked in violence and whose organizations were built on hate.
Palm Bay residents never asked to be tied to his name. Yet through the misuse of official stationery, that tie was forged.
Every resident of Palm Bay was made to stand behind Robert Rundo - without consent, without a vote, without even being asked.
And that should leave every reader asking the same question: How could anyone do this in our name?
Action Box: What You Can Do
Palm Bay citizens do not have to stay silent. You can make your voice heard:
Contact the Governor’s Office: Governor Ron DeSantis has the power to suspend Councilman Langevin under Florida Statute §112.51. Email: GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com
Contact the Florida Commission on Ethics: This state body reviews ethics complaints against public officials. Website: https://www.ethics.state.fl.us
Contact Your State Legislators: Urge them to support accountability and protect Palm Bay’s reputation.
This is not just about politics. It is about the integrity of Palm Bay’s name - and ensuring no one ever again uses it to stand behind hate.
Sources: U.S. v. Rundo (2024 C.D. Cal.); DOJ press release, Dec. 2024; SPLC profile RAM, 2020; Palm Bay City Council meeting transcript, Oct. 2, 2025.
Chandler has abused the power of his elected position. He alone doesn’t represent Palm Bay. This alone should cause him to be removed. I would love for charges to be filed, but on what grounds?