A member of Irving’s environmental Green Advisory Board resigned in the days after being identified by the Texas Observer as linked with the white nationalist group Patriot Front, according to internal emails obtained by KERA News.
Joshua James Berkau, 28, served in Place 3 on the board since November of 2024. He was re-appointed to the position in 2025, with his second term expected to last through 2027.
But Berkau abruptly resigned Jan. 21. In an email obtained through a public records request, which he sent to city officials six days after the Texas Observer published its article, Berkau referenced the story as a contributing factor.
“In light of this harassment and the non-political nature of the board, I am resigning to avoid causing division on the board,” Berkau wrote. “I appreciate the support I received in the appointment and look forward to helping Irving in the future.”
In his resignation note, Berkau wrote that he joined the board, “because I have a strong conviction for conservation and passing the land on down to the next generation.”
KERA was unable to reach Berkau for comment after multiple attempts to contact him.
As first reported by the Observer, Berkau was identified in a 2024 police report as having rented a vehicle used to transport Patriot Front demonstrators in West Virginia. He was also photographed next to Patriot Front founder Thomas Rousseau and other group members at a 2024 white nationalist conference in Tennessee.
Patriot Front is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “one of several hate groups that sought to recast itself as mainstream, patriotic Americans by dressing up their propaganda and rhetoric in Americana.”
It broke off from another organization, Vanguard America, following the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia that ended in the murder of counter-protestor Heather Heyer.
In an email sent to KERA, Irving City Secretary Shanae Jennings said there isn't one person who nominates board members.
"It is discussed as a group like most cities," Jennings wrote.
City officials did not clarify if Berkau underwent a background check before being appointed to the board.
The Green Advisory Board, according to the city website, “provides recommendations to the City Council on matters of sustainability and ecological significance to ensure that the City of Irving promotes environmental stewardship.”
Two years ago, the Huffington Post identified Berkau as a donor to the campaign of Judd Blevins, a since-ousted Enid, Oklahoma city council member who was affiliated with white nationalist groups and attended the 2017 Charlottesville rally. Berkau, then 26 years old, donated $1,944 to Blevins’ campaign.
The Huffington Post also noted Berkau has apparent business ties with Robert Whitted, a known Patriot Front member.
Got a tip? Email Andy Lusk at alusk@kera.org.
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