Dirtbag Climber (Uncover, CBC)

S34 EP3: The Disappearing Nazi | September 22, 2025

Overview of the Episode's Main Theme

In “The Disappearing Nazi,” investigative reporter Stephen Chua traces the dark and twisted reinventions of Davis Wolfgang Hawke—a.k.a. Jesse James, formerly Brit Greenbaum. This episode dives deep into Hawke’s transformation from a Jewish high schooler into a notorious neo-Nazi leader, the explosive unmasking of his true identity, his brief but flamboyant notoriety in the American far-right movement, and his abrupt disappearance from this world before resurfacing under new guises. The story not only examines Hawke’s shocking double life, but also offers a prescient look at how online hate flourished in the early days of the internet.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Washington D.C. Incident — 1999 White Pride Rally That Fizzled

• Opening Scene (01:04–01:59): Stephen Chua visits DC with documentarian Eddie Becker, recalling the heavy police presence during a 1999 white pride rally organized by Hawke.
• Eddie Becker’s Recollection: Highlights chaos and large expenditures of city resources, all stirred up by Hawke, then still in his early 20s.
• Detective Sergeant Richard Banks (03:33–03:59): Emphasizes the disruption caused by “somebody like that” gathering law enforcement from several states, shutting down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Hawke's Origins and Transformation

• Mother’s Perspective (05:02–05:22): Peggy Greenbaum describes her son as “a nice child” who underwent a “metamorphosis” in high school.
  • Quote, Peggy Greenbaum, 05:22: “He’s a big storyteller and all this kind of thing, you know, you can’t believe a thing he says, not a thing.”
• Hawke (born Brit Greenbaum) created the Knights of Freedom (KOF) in high school, then legally changed his name and moved to South Carolina for college, believing his white supremacist ideas might find resonance there.

The Move to Wofford College and Going Online

• Hidden in Plain Sight (06:24–07:26): Hawke stayed undetected at a liberal college, maintaining good grades and relationships.
• He set up the KOF as a web forum, charging $5/month, extending neo-Nazi outreach—featuring chat rooms, membership cards, even poetry.
  • Sample poem, 07:26: “On to the battlefield. We gallop with swastikas raised high...”

Public Unmasking and Fallout

• Exposure via a Student (07:37–08:09): Hawke outed himself by posting a photo in Nazi regalia; local press coverage led to student protests and police vigilance.
• Police and college officials surveilled him as a potential domestic threat (08:36–09:29).
  • Detective Sgt. Banks, 09:29: “And then here comes, of all things, a neo Nazi college student from Wofford… having meetings in the parking lot … with four different extremist groups that don’t get along.”
• Media attention snowballed, from Rolling Stone to a Fox Files interview with Chris Cuomo, which highlighted the burgeoning world of online hate.
• Peggy Greenbaum confronted her son after Columbine, worrying his rhetoric could radicalize others.
  • Quote, Peggy Greenbaum, 13:04: “How do you even know that these two crazed idiots at Columbine didn’t log on to KOF and your website might have spurred them on more…”

Was Hawke a True Believer or a Con Artist?

• Anonymous source: Claims Hawke played the role of Nazi for money and sensation, not out of conviction (14:26–15:20). He considered his followers gullible.
• Hawke’s online persona and real beliefs are debated throughout the episode.

Southern Poverty Law Center Investigation

• Mark Potok’s Perspective (16:36–19:43): The SPLC took a special interest in Hawke for his groundbreaking use of the web for hate-group organizing.
  • Mark Potok, 17:33: “He probably did have 100 to as many as 125 or even 150 people, meaning followers.”
  • Potok dismisses Hawke as a threat for violence, but notes he was “young, quite bright, and represented a real trend.”

The Big Reveal: The Jewish Neo-Nazi

• SPLC broke the story that Hawke—whose original name was Andy (Brit) Greenbaum—came from a Jewish family (19:51–21:57). This revelation spread quickly, shaming Hawke and shocking both the public and the neo-Nazi community.
• Hawke tried to deflect, even claiming his father wasn’t really his father, but the community and his own family reacted strongly.
  • Peggy Greenbaum, 21:57: “I was in such shock because it’s not the child that I knew.”
• The far-right turned on him, notably William Pierce calling him a “Hollywood Nazi” and dangerous groups like the World Church of the Creator threatening him (22:09–23:17).

Collapse and Disappearance from the Nazi Scene

• Attempted Damage Control (24:12–24:30): Hawke sent a defiant email to supporters, denying the revelations and attacking his accusers, but the damage was irreversible.
• He called for a massive DC rally—which was a spectacular failure.
  • Event Recap (26:08–30:28): Police outnumbered Nazis; basically none of Hawke’s followers showed up, while thousands of counterprotesters dominated the scene.
    • Eddie Becker, 28:44: “And none of the Nazis, Neo Nazis showed up.”
  • The city considered suing Hawke for the million-dollar security bill.
    • Det. Sgt. Banks, 29:53: “I even think he filed suit against him for the cost of the security.”
• Hawke sent an online resignation letter, abdicating his “leadership” and effectively vanishing from the movement.
  • Letter excerpt, 31:12: “Almost all of you have let down the party and the white race itself… I must therefore resign my position.”

Endings and New Beginnings

• The radical right ousted Hawke, and he faded from extremist circles—a fugitive shunned by all sides, whose notoriety dogged him for decades.
• Chua muses on Hawke’s inability to fully escape his past in the digital era (32:11), leading straight into the next phase of his life: a pivot to massive internet fraud and spam.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Peggy Greenbaum, on her son's transformation (05:22):

  "He's a big storyteller and all this kind of thing, you know, you can't believe a thing he says, not a thing."

• Detective Sgt. Richard Banks, on the chaos Hawke created (03:33):

  "That young man caused all that ... you got law enforcement agencies from four different states, the District of Columbia, our United States Capitol Police closed down Pennsylvania Avenue for a protest."

• Peggy Greenbaum, confronting her son after Columbine (13:04):

  "How do you even know that these two crazed idiots, that Columbine didn't log on to KOF and your website might have spurred them on more than any other website?"

• Mark Potok (SPLC), on why they focused on Hawke (17:20):

  "He represented something that was really happening at that time...the use of the Internet."

• On Hawke’s dramatic unmasking (20:08):

  "Now, everyone in the US knew this Nazi was Jewish. The story went viral."

• William Pierce, neo-Nazi leader (22:09):

  Described Hawke as a “Hollywood Nazi, a teenage hobbyist.”

• Detective Sgt. Banks, on the planned rally's failure and city's reaction (29:53):

  "I even think he [the police chief] filed suit against him for the cost of the security."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:04–03:23: Setting the stage in DC, with recollections of the failed white pride rally and introduction of Davis Wolfgang Hawke as the elusive provocateur.
• 05:02–06:24: Family background and Hawke’s beginnings with KOF.
• 07:26–08:09: Hawke exposes himself online; student journalists connect the dots.
• 09:29–10:25: Police surveillance and threat monitoring at Wofford College.
• 11:56–12:23: TV interviews, online hate, and the beginnings of media scrutiny.
• 13:04–13:44: Peggy’s emotional phone confrontation with her son after Columbine.
• 16:36–19:43: Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) focus on Hawke as a case study of online extremism.
• 19:51–21:57: Public exposure of Hawke’s Jewish identity and fallout from hate groups and family.
• 24:12–24:30: Hawke’s furious resignation to his followers.
• 28:05–30:28: The non-event in DC; description of the day by Becker and Banks.
• 31:12–31:30: Hawke’s online abdication and disappearance from the Nazi scene.

Episode Flow and Tone

The episode maintains a probing, investigative tone, mixing shock, irony, and incredulity at Hawke’s audacity and tragic delusion. Family members vacillate between grief and harsh disbelief, while law enforcement and anti-hate activists reflect a mixture of professional concern and retroactive astonishment. The narration neatly weaves historical context, personal testimony, and audio from primary sources, creating an engrossing true crime narrative about identity, extremism, and the digital age.

Final Notes

This episode sets up the next chapter in Hawke’s saga: massive internet spam fraud, suggesting that while Hawke the Nazi had disappeared, his compulsions to manipulate and disrupt simply found new venues.