Amid what it said was an ongoing investigation, the Ohio National Guard released the name of a member facing removal from the organization after allegedly expressing white supremacist views.
A National Guard spokesman said Pfc. Shandon Simpson “has been processed for separation,” but would not elaborate, citing the investigation.
The organization also would not release his age or hometown, but previously identified him as a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment in Tiffin since May 2018.
Public records show he’s 24 and registered to vote at an address in Huber Heights, outside Dayton.
Gov. Mike DeWine revealed earlier this month that a member of the Ohio National Guard who had been deployed to Washington to provide security during anti-racism demonstrations was being investigated by the FBI for allegedly expressing white supremacist views online. Mr. Simpson was one of 100 Ohio National Guard members who were sent to the nation’s capital at the request of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
The National Guard had said the individual was removed from the Washington mission “after allegations of ties to an extremist organization.”
Mr. DeWine said on June 5 the state was cooperating with the investigation and looking into how to identify members who might hold extremist views.
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