Editing Jason Kessler (section)

===Early years===
Jason Kessler graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor of arts in psychology in 2009. Prior to his involvement in political extremism, Kessler has written that he was employed in various working class jobs as a dishwasher, gym technician, truck driver and handyman.

Up to 2008, Kessler was a supporter of Democrats and held avid liberal views. He'd worked for Secrest Strategic Services and had voted for Barack Obama during his presidential run. He also engaged in activism with the Occupy movement before being dismissed for attempting to register homeless individuals. In a public Facebook post by former college friend, Jenny Rebecca, Kessler lived for a time in government-subsidized housing with a roommate who was described as an African Muslim.<ref>[https://dailyprogress.com/kessler-tagged-a-wannabe-liberal/article_ac89c68e-9d99-5830-9839-40d37ee09945.html Kessler tagged a wannabe liberal], ''The Daily Progress''</ref>

In late 2015, Kessler began his original blog JasonKessler.net. The site was used to publish a noir crime novel, Badland Blues, as well as a work of poetry, Midnight Road.<ref name = Kessler></ref>

In November 2016, he revealed lewd and offensive tweets made by Charlottesville vice-mayor and councilman Wes Bellamy, who is also a teacher at Charlottesville's Albemarle High School. Bellamy first drew criticism from Kessler when he called a press conference to call for the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville in March 2016. In December, Kessler began circulating a petition demanding that Bellamy resign or be removed from office. During the ensuing investigations, Bellamy voluntarily resigned from his teaching position at Albemarle High School in December 2016.

In January 2017, while attempting to gain signatures for his petition, Kessler was arrested for misdemeanor assault after punching a man in the face. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and 30 days of suspended sentence. A charge of perjury was filed but subsequently dropped.<ref name = Kessler></ref>

In April 2017, Kessler was contracted to write two pieces for the ''Daily Caller''. He wrote another piece in May about the first protests in Charlottesville over the statue of Lee. Kessler has also written several posts for the anti-immigrant white nationalist site [[VDare]]. One of Kessler's posts claimed that the government was waging [[genocide]] against white people by policies that cause low Caucasian birth rates.<ref>[https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/05/29/daily-caller-exposed-publishing-prolific-antisemite-still-employs-editor-white-nationalist ''The Daily Caller'' exposed for publishing prolific antisemite; still employs editor with white nationalist ties], ''SPLC Hatewatch''</ref><ref>[https://www.mediamatters.org/daily-caller/right-wing-media-provided-home-white-supremacist-he-organized-charlottesville-rally Right-wing media provided home for white supremacist before he organized Charlottesville rally], ''Media Matters for America''</ref>

After ''ProPublica'' contacted the ''Daily Caller'' pointing out Kessler's ties to white supremacist groups, the outlet severed its ties with Kessler, and its Executive Editor Paul Conner defended his editorial judgment.

Kessler was sworn in as a member of the far right organization the Proud Boys. Proud Boys founder [[Gavin McInnes]] said that he kicked Kessler out of the group once his views on race became know, but later invited him back in.