Contractor Hired White Nationalist Performed $1M+ Security Work in Humboldt, Del Norte

Federal records show Knight Division Tactical was paid more than $1 million to provide security and patrol services processed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Eureka office during wildfire responses in the Six Rivers National Forest. Reporting in The Guardian and records cited by the Lost Coast Outpost identify two contracts that together are listed at about $1,031,506 for work tied to the Dillon and Orleans Complex wildfires that affected Humboldt and Del Norte counties.

The two line items in federal records list a contract for $350,275.48 covering security services in Eureka from 17 July to 8 August 2025 and a contract for $681,230.50 for security services in Eureka from 28 August to 16 October. The Guardian reported that a LinkedIn image shared in September by one of Knight Division Tactical’s executives showed Ian Michael Elliott as part of the company’s crew during last year’s wildfire work.

Ian Michael Elliott is described in the reporting as a senior figure in Patriot Front and variously as a prominent white nationalist leader. The Guardian noted that images posted on Telegram show Elliott training fellow white nationalists at Patriot Front’s Tennessee compound, and that a Russian street fighting promoter posted to Instagram that Elliott is joining its stable of fighters under the alias Norman. Attempts to reach Elliott via Telegram were reported as viewed but unanswered.

The presence of an individual described by major outlets as a leader in an extremist group on federally contracted wildfire security missions raises questions about contractor vetting and operational oversight. A federal spokesperson told The Guardian, “Companies contracted by the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service manage their own hiring, background checks and oversight of personnel, independent of the agency.” The Guardian also observed, “How a prominent white supremacist leader came to work for a federal security contractor is unclear.”

Knight Division Tactical has received broader USDA work beyond the Eureka office, with The Guardian reporting $1.8 million in USDA contracts in fiscal year 2024 and $2.1 million in 2025. Local work documented in the Eureka office contracts supplied security presence around critical fire operations and infrastructure during the Dillon and Orleans Complex responses, roles that directly touch community safety, access to fire lines, and protection of evacuated properties.

For Humboldt and Del Norte residents who relied on those operations, the story underscores the limits of federal oversight when private firms provide on‑the‑ground security during disasters. Evidence cited in reporting rests in part on social media posts and a company LinkedIn photograph, which point to the need for public access to contract files, staffing records, and statements from Knight Division Tactical and the Forest Service’s Eureka office to clarify employment status, vetting, and accountability.

This reporting opens immediate lines of inquiry for local officials and residents: obtain the full Eureka contract files, ask Knight Division Tactical to confirm who worked the deployments and under what terms, and seek clear policy answers from the Forest Service on how contractor personnel are screened for wildfire deployments. For a county that has seen repeated fire seasons and depends on contractors in the field, transparency about who is protecting homes and infrastructure will be central to restoring public trust.