Richard Spencer’s Think Tank Ordered to Pay $2.4M to Man Injured at Charlottesville Rally

A federal judge has ordered Richard Spencer’s far-right think tank, the National Policy Institute, to pay $2.4 million to an Ohio man who was badly hurt at a 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia that the group helped promote, according to the Associated Press. The man, Bill Burke, was hit by the same car that struck and killed counter-protester Heather Heyer during the infamous event. He suffered head and knee injuries, a crushed left arm, and ongoing “severe psychological and emotional suffering,” his 2019 lawsuit said.

The damages awarded to Burke include $217,613 for medical expenses, $350,000 in punitive damages, $500,000 for pain and suffering, and $1 million for emotional distress. After the attack, Burke reportedly split with his wife, couldn’t work for more than a year, and now suffers from survivor’s guilt. Spencer and his organization never officially acknowledged Burke’s lawsuit, making it unclear if he will ever get the money.