After Kyle Bristow walks away, FMI’s future is in question as online presence disappears
Following the resignation of its founder, the future of the racist “alt-right” Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas appears to be in question.
The website and Facebook page of the foundation, created by Michigan attorney Kyle Bristow, are offline, with no indication that either will be returning anytime soon.
“Website Expired. This account has expired,” was all that appeared Friday morning on the foundation’s page.
The deletion of the online presence comes two weeks after Bristow, known for his representation of white nationalist figures and sometimes obscene rants at perceived opponents, publicly broke with alt-right front man Richard B. Spencer and said he was walking away from politics.
After quitting the foundation, Bristow said the group would come under new leadership soon, and the last thing posted on the foundation’s website on Wednesday also made mention of new leadership.
The deletion of the online presence comes amid turmoil on the alt-right.
Spencer’s scheduled March 5 appearance at Michigan State turned into a disaster, with only about 12 people making their way to an agricultural pavilion for the speech. Spencer’s backers couldn’t give tickets away at mall near the campus, while outside, white nationalists and protestors fought, yelled and threw rocks at each other before police stepped in.
Spencer has since announced a pause in his college speaking tour to rethink what he’s doing and how to do it. He gave no indication if or when it would resume.
And, on Tuesday, Spencer ally Matthew Heimbach, the leader of the Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP), was arrested in southern Indiana and charged with attacking his wife and father-in-law, Matt Parrott, who was also his mentor and benefactor.
The alleged attack followed the revelation that Heimbach was involved in an affair with Parrott’s wife.
Since then, the TWP website has also come down.
