Gebert joined the State Department in 2013. His brother reported him to the FBI in June 2019 for his activities. As of January 2020, Gebert was being investigated by the State Department,[2] and was also active in the white nationalist movement.[3]
Matthew Gebert is the oldest of two brothers and one sister in his family, and he and Michael grew up in New Jersey. He graduated fromSterling High School inSomerdale, New Jersey. According to his brother, Matthew listened to hip hop, including the rap groupWu-Tang Clan. Voted by his class as "Most Likely to Succeed", Gebert had earlier participated in a student exchange program inUkraine.[4][2]
Gebert and Vuckovic married in 2007, and have children together. In 2012 the couple purchased a home inLeesburg, Virginia (a distant suburb of Washington, D.C.) and lived there until at least 2019.[4][2]
Gebert joined theU.S. State Department in 2013, as a presidential management fellow, a program intended to develop "potential government leaders".[2]
According to his own account in awhite nationalist forum, Gebert became radicalized in 2015. The reasons are unclear, although he had long been interested in Slavic culture and suggested the United States and the Slavic peoples had common interests. Gebert had studied and traveled numerous times in Russia and Eastern Europe since the fall of the Soviet Union.[citation needed]
In a podcast called "The Fatherland" in May 2018, Gebert was quoted as saying: "...[whites] need a country of our own with nukes, and we will retake this thing lickety split."[2][11][12] In 2018, Gebert donated $200 towhite supremacistPaul Nehlen's election campaign.[1][7] He has hosted known white nationalists in his home inLeesburg, Virginia.[13] In 2019, he shared an image of aswastika-shaped cookie with the caption: "From our pool party last night. Plate was stacked."[14][15] The cookies were saved for special guests.[15]
On July 2, 2019, Matthew Gebert's brother reported him to theFBI because: "I saw so much evil in my brother, I could not fucking deal with it".[4] Following an investigation, as of August 8, 2019, Gebert was placed on leave from the State Department.[16][17][18][19]
The State Department officially revoked his security clearance in July 2020, ending his government career.[citation needed] Gebert filed a lawsuit against the DoS demanding financial reparations and restoration of his security credentials in 2024. In March of that year, the U.S. District Court of Washington, DC dismissed all of Gebert's claims for good.[citation needed] (https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2022cv2939-47)
