ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — Ross County resides in the foothills of Appalachia. Small rural towns blanket the landscape. Sprawling hills and dales bring timeless backdrops of beautiful sunsets.
Tucked far away from Main Street, USA, in the rural hills of southern Ross County resides pure hate and evil.
He called himself a preacher and a “Man of God,” but those that associate with Paul Mullet, of Bainbridge, only hear white supremacy propaganda from his pulpit.
Advocates say Mullet is no stranger to controversy. He has been under the radar of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Anti-Defamation League for many years.
According to the SPLC, “Mullet is a neo-Nazi and Christian Identity. He has been involved with the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Nations.”
Mullet was born in 1973 in Chillicothe, and has been a part of the far-right white supremacy movement since the early 1990s. In a report, SPLC went on to say that Mullet first was associated with Thom Robb’s Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Thom Robb took over the KKK in the 1980s after the infamous David Duke left the group. Since that time Mullet has formed many splinter groups, all with ties to Ross County and Southern Ohio.
Mullet has written several books that are used for recruiting purposes. These books spew antisemitism and hate but are still permitted to be sold on eBay, and Amazon, SPLC says.
In 2012, Mullet and his associates founded the Neo-Nazi lobbying group called “Crusaders for Yahweh-Aryan Nations LLC.” According to the group’s mission statement, “We lobby against activities that adversely affect the White Race.” The organization had several chapters across the country.
Reports state that Mullet did not have much success in the early years, but gained a following during the resurgence of white supremacy groups under the administration of former President Donald Trump, and in the aftermath of the deadly Charlottesville riot.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, Mullet founded Divine Truth Ministries in 2015.
In 2019, a report by SPLC said white supremacy groups and related crimes increased by 55% during the Trump presidency. Many neo-nazis saw the former president as an ally.
It was during this time Mullet took to white supremacy social platforms such as Stormfront and Eurofolk Radio to promote and recruit those who shared his extremist beliefs. A supporter of Mullet posted in an online group forum, “Paul is dedicated to serving the white race.”
Mullet’s author profile on Amazon says, “I have made it my mission to bring forth a Christian Identity, and White Nationalism unification.”
During an online address, Mullet said that Bainbridge will be the doorway to a “New White America.”
“We’re ready to risk everything to defend what’s right and what’s white in this world. We’re waking up white America,” Mullet said while speaking at a rally at Gettysburg National Military Park in 2010.
Recently, the majority of the websites belonging to Mullet have since been removed from internet search engines. The search engine giants said they would not broadcast such hate.
The group has used several different addresses and post office boxes around the Ross County area in attempts to stay under the radar, instead of using a physical address.
In 2014, multiple Ross County residents reported receiving racist propaganda in baggies that were thrown onto their driveways in the middle of the night. According to one home owner, many of the baggies also contained membership information for groups associated with Mullet.
Since 2018, the self-proclaimed white leader has been silent. Though he has been quiet, his followers and extremist ideology remain in the shadows of rural America.
