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IBT Pres Sean O'Brien Adds Racist & Insurrectionist to Staff "We Want Answers" Says IBT VP
Teamsters VP At Large John Palmer has sent a letter to Teamsters International president Sean O'Brien question about why his administration has hired an open Christian national racist who participated in the Charlotte events that led to the death of a anti-racist protester. Peter Cvjetanovic was hired as an organizer and Palmer also reports that an Jan 6 insurrectionist who was a Qanon supporter was also hired on the staff.
IBT Pres Sean O'Brien Adds Racist & Insurrectionist To Staff "We Want Answers" Says IBT VP Palmer!
IBT VP John Palmer as sent a letter to IBT president Sean O'Brien demanding information about the hiring of Peter Cvjetanovic as an organizer. Cvjetanovic was openly involved in the Charlotte, South Carolina Nazi rally that ended up in the murder of an anti-racist protester. He is an open racial nationalist who supports racist policies.
The letter sent to SOB on July 15, 2025 called on Trump to explain
1. How and when did the IBT receive Peter Cvjetanovic’s job
application and resume? Was it sent directly to the IBT by him or
through a hiring service?
2. Who did Peter Cvjetanovic list as references and what were his past
job experiences?
3. Who at the IBT was responsible for verifying Peter Cvjetanovic’s
references, previous employers, and conducting a basic background
check (e.g., a Google search)?
4. Was the IBT aware of Peter Cvjetanovic’s expulsion from the
National Guard due to his “racist, extremist ideology”?
5. Who at the IBT granted final approval for his hiring?
6. What date was Peter Cvjetanovic officially hired by the IBT?
On behalf of the membership of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, I expect a prompt and thorough written response to this
urgent matter.
Palmer reported that Cvjetanovic had been rejected by the Nevada National Guard because of his racist Nazi ideology and this information was easily available to the staff of the IBT and SOB.
Additionally Palmer reported that an January 6 insurrectionist who was also a QAnon supporter was also hired to the staff by the SOB administration. The growing racist incidents and attacks on immigrants have been met by silence by the SOB leadership and most of the IBT executive board.
Palmer called on IBT members to demand that these individuals be removed from the staff and that members contact SOB and the Executive Board members to demand action. This follows his visit to MarOLago to visit Trump and the invitation for Trump to come to the IBT headquarters where he used the lobby to give a speech attacking immigrants including members of the IBT. He and the IBT Executive Board cut a check to the Republican National Committee which supports the right to work or open shop. He also went to the Republican convention despite their open racist and anti-labor agenda.
This interview was done on 7/15/25
Additional Media:
UNR Student Talks After Marching in Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally
https://www.2news.com/unr-student-talks-after-marching-in-charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally/article_d0b28b0c-b36a-5ad4-a1d0-dc08b1bc6433.html
“Face” of white nationalist rally expelled from Nevada National Guard
https://thisisreno.com/2021/04/face-of-white-nationalist-rally-expelled-from-nevada-national-guard/
Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.labormedia.net
IBT VP John Palmer Wants Some Answer From SOB
July 15, 2025
General President Sean O’Brien
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20001
July 15, 2025
President O’Brien,
I am compelled to address a serious issue regarding an employee of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters who was hired in 2025. This matter raises significant concerns about our hiring practices.
The employee in question, Peter Cvjetanovic, is recognized as a white nationalist and has been labeled by the media as the “face” of white nationalism. You can read more about this troubling connection in the following article: [Face of White Nationalist Rally Expelled from Nevada National
Guard](https://thisisreno.com/.../face-of-white-nationalist.../).
As members of the General Executive Board, it is our obligation to investigate this alarming situation without delay.
I request written answers to the following questions, along with all paperwork, documents, and expenses (either charged to him or included in any other IBT employee's expense accounts), both electronic and otherwise, to be provided to the GEB. I also request all emails sent to and from Peter Cvjetanovic’s IBT email account, as well as a list of all projects and communications assigned by his Department Director.
Questions:
1. How and when did the IBT receive Peter Cvjetanovic’s job
application and resume? Was it sent directly to the IBT by him or
through a hiring service?
2. Who did Peter Cvjetanovic list as references and what were his past
job experiences?
3. Who at the IBT was responsible for verifying Peter Cvjetanovic’s
references, previous employers, and conducting a basic background
check (e.g., a Google search)?
4. Was the IBT aware of Peter Cvjetanovic’s expulsion from the
National Guard due to his “racist, extremist ideology”?
5. Who at the IBT granted final approval for his hiring?
6. What date was Peter Cvjetanovic officially hired by the IBT?
On behalf of the membership of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, I expect a prompt and thorough written response to this
urgent matter.
Fraternally,
John Palmer
VP IBT
Cc: International Brotherhood of Teamsters General Executive Board
UNR Student Talks After Marching in Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally
https://www.2news.com/unr-student-talks-after-marching-in-charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally/article_d0b28b0c-b36a-5ad4-a1d0-dc08b1bc6433.html
Aug 13, 2017 Updated Apr 6, 2022
Thousands gathered to protest in the streets Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month, among them was 20 year-old Reno resident Peter Cvjetanovic.
Cvjetanovic is an undergraduate at the university studying history and political science.
He traveled to Charlottesville to march in the “Unite the Right” rally, a battle over Charlottesville’s ordered removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee.
“I came to this march for the message that white European culture has a right to be here just like every other culture," Cvjetanovic told Channel 2 News on Sunday. “It is not perfect; there are flaws to it, of course. However I do believe that the replacement of the statue will be the slow replacement of white heritage within the United States and the people who fought and defended and built their homeland. Robert E Lee is a great example of that. He wasn’t a perfect man, but I want to honor and respect what he stood for during his time.”
Photos of Cvjetanovic protesting circulated on social media, denouncing Cvjetanovic as a racist.
“I did not expect the photo to be shared as much as it was. I understand the photo has a very negative connotation. But I hope that the people sharing the photo are willing to listen that I’m not the angry racist they see in that photo.”
However, Cvjetanovic, a self-proclaimed white nationalist, defends his beliefs.
"It was on the front page of The Guardian and my heart sank."
The white nationalist, born and raised in Reno, says he was letting some of his anger out during a rally in Virginia when the picture was taken but now he asks himself why.
"I give no excuses for that photograph. That is clearly me…It was kind of a moment-type thing. The torches were lit and there was ANTIFA there. There was lots of cameras and that emotion, it was really starting to build up."
Cvjetanovic says he went to the rally partly to protest the removal of a statue of Lee.
"I think that statue remaining would be the best way to remember their history, the good and the bad."
He's says he's had several death threats since the protest.
He admits, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Neo-Nazis, Klansmen and other white Supremist groups reflects on him -- but says he doesn't identify with them.
"We do not accept national socialism. We do not accept fascism. We do not accept Klansmen. We are truly Identitarian. That symbol is not a symbol of racism."
And while you might associate pro-white with racism he says they're two different things.
"I hope people acknowledge that being a party to the alternative right does not make me an evil Nazi, and that being pro-white right now is dangerous, and being pro-white doesn't mean I'm anti-anyone else."
Cvjetanovich says his trip to Virginia was kind of a test-run in the alt-right.
He says he didn't join until about a month ago and wanted to hear different people speak.
“As a white nationalist, I care for all people. We all deserve a future for our children and for our culture. White nationalists aren’t all hateful; we just want to preserve what we have.”
The University of Nevada, Reno president Marc Johnson released a statement acknowledging that one of the marchers photographed was a University of Nevada, Reno student. They didn't comment on him directly but wrote in part, "Racism and white supremacist movements have a corrosive effect on our society. These movements do not represent our values as a university. We denounce any movement that targets individuals due to the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, political beliefs, sexual orientation, ability/disability, or whether they were born in our country." You can read the full statement at the bottom of this story.
A petition is circulating on Change.Org calling for Cvjetanovic's firing and expulsion from the university.
At a press conference, university officials said that they will not fire or expel Cvjetanovic, saying they do not agree with him but he has a First Amendment right to assemble and free speech. They also say Cvjetanovic has a clean record with the university after three years. (Read President Johnson's statement below)
As classes at UNR began on Monday, Cvjetanovic decided to resign from his on-campus job as a driver for the university's escort service. "I did not want to pick at the scab of Charlottesville," Cvjetanovic tells us, "I want peace at UNR and I believe my leaving is a good step to ensure that. I just want to not be expelled and graduate in May.” Cvjetanovic says that his resignation was his own decision and the university sis not pressure him to leave.
A Twitter account, "Yes You're Racist" posted a photograph of Cvjetanovic with Senator Dean Heller.. Later Senator Heller responded on Twitter saying, "I don't know this person & condemn the outrageous racism, hatred and violence. It's unacceptable & shameful. No room for it in this country.
The Charlottesville protests left 3 people dead and several injured, click here for the full details.
“Face” of white nationalist rally expelled from Nevada National Guard
https://thisisreno.com/2021/04/face-of-white-nationalist-rally-expelled-from-nevada-national-guard/
By: Kristen Hackbarth
Date:
April 28, 2021
White Supremacists March with Torches in Charlottesville.jpeg
CHARLOTTESVILLE, USA - AUGUST 11: Peter Cvjetanovic (R) along with Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists encircle and chant at counter protestors at the base of a statue of Thomas Jefferson after marching through the University of Virginia campus with torches in Charlottesville, Va., USA on August 11, 2017. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The blowback from becoming the angry face of the 2017 “Unite the Right” white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, continues for University of Nevada, Reno alumnus Peter Cvjetanovic. The Huffington Post today reported that Cvjetanovic, 24, who also goes by Peter Cytanovic, was expelled from the Nevada National Guard in December after a background check revealed his extremist past.
Cvjetanovic had yet to attend basic training.
The Huffington Post reported, “A spokesman for the Nevada National Guard confirmed that Cytanovic enlisted on Nov. 22, 2019, but that his stint in the U.S. armed forces lasted only a little over a year — and that he was ejected because of his ‘affiliations.’”
According to the report, the military’s initial criminal and fingerprint check didn’t turn up anything that might exclude Cvjetanovic from serving. He was able to enlist as a Specialist E-4–the highest rank available to junior enlisted recruits–because of his four-year degree, and attended monthly drills to prepare for basic training.
Lt. Col. Mickey Kirschenbaum, a public affairs officer for the Nevada National Guard, told the Post that as routine processing progressed Cjvetanovic was unable to obtain security clearance. That’s when a Defense Department background check revealed Cvjetanovic had been the subject of an FBI investigation.
“The Nevada National Guard does not tolerate racist, extremist ideology,” Kirschenbaum told the Post. “The Nevada National Guard took action immediately after discovering Mr. Cytanovic’s affiliations.”
A photo of Cvjetanovic angrily yelling among a crowd of demonstrators carrying tiki torches at the “Unite the Right” rally quickly went viral in August 2017, spurring outrage across the country, and eventually in other countries. Hundreds of marchers chanted at the rally, “Jews will not replace us.”
This Is Reno reported on the local outrage at the time, which included calls for Cvjetanovic to be expelled from the university. University officials condemned the violence of the rally, which included one death and 19 injuries after James Fields, Jr., 20, of Maumee, Ohio, drove through a counter protest.
Jade: The Premier Cannabis Dispensary In Reno.png
However, then-UNR President Marc Johnson said the school had no legal basis for an expulsion.
Cvjetanovic quit his job on campus.
In an interview with KTVN, news channel 2, following the August 2017 rally, Cvjetanovic said, “I hope people acknowledge that being a party to the alternative right does not make me an evil Nazi, and that being pro-white right now is dangerous, and being pro-white doesn’t mean I’m anti-anyone else.”
Since then, Cvjetanovic has tried to walk back some of his white nationalist rhetoric and activities.
IBT VP John Palmer as sent a letter to IBT president Sean O'Brien demanding information about the hiring of Peter Cvjetanovic as an organizer. Cvjetanovic was openly involved in the Charlotte, South Carolina Nazi rally that ended up in the murder of an anti-racist protester. He is an open racial nationalist who supports racist policies.
The letter sent to SOB on July 15, 2025 called on Trump to explain
1. How and when did the IBT receive Peter Cvjetanovic’s job
application and resume? Was it sent directly to the IBT by him or
through a hiring service?
2. Who did Peter Cvjetanovic list as references and what were his past
job experiences?
3. Who at the IBT was responsible for verifying Peter Cvjetanovic’s
references, previous employers, and conducting a basic background
check (e.g., a Google search)?
4. Was the IBT aware of Peter Cvjetanovic’s expulsion from the
National Guard due to his “racist, extremist ideology”?
5. Who at the IBT granted final approval for his hiring?
6. What date was Peter Cvjetanovic officially hired by the IBT?
On behalf of the membership of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, I expect a prompt and thorough written response to this
urgent matter.
Palmer reported that Cvjetanovic had been rejected by the Nevada National Guard because of his racist Nazi ideology and this information was easily available to the staff of the IBT and SOB.
Additionally Palmer reported that an January 6 insurrectionist who was also a QAnon supporter was also hired to the staff by the SOB administration. The growing racist incidents and attacks on immigrants have been met by silence by the SOB leadership and most of the IBT executive board.
Palmer called on IBT members to demand that these individuals be removed from the staff and that members contact SOB and the Executive Board members to demand action. This follows his visit to MarOLago to visit Trump and the invitation for Trump to come to the IBT headquarters where he used the lobby to give a speech attacking immigrants including members of the IBT. He and the IBT Executive Board cut a check to the Republican National Committee which supports the right to work or open shop. He also went to the Republican convention despite their open racist and anti-labor agenda.
This interview was done on 7/15/25
Additional Media:
UNR Student Talks After Marching in Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally
https://www.2news.com/unr-student-talks-after-marching-in-charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally/article_d0b28b0c-b36a-5ad4-a1d0-dc08b1bc6433.html
“Face” of white nationalist rally expelled from Nevada National Guard
https://thisisreno.com/2021/04/face-of-white-nationalist-rally-expelled-from-nevada-national-guard/
Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.labormedia.net
IBT VP John Palmer Wants Some Answer From SOB
July 15, 2025
General President Sean O’Brien
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20001
July 15, 2025
President O’Brien,
I am compelled to address a serious issue regarding an employee of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters who was hired in 2025. This matter raises significant concerns about our hiring practices.
The employee in question, Peter Cvjetanovic, is recognized as a white nationalist and has been labeled by the media as the “face” of white nationalism. You can read more about this troubling connection in the following article: [Face of White Nationalist Rally Expelled from Nevada National
Guard](https://thisisreno.com/.../face-of-white-nationalist.../).
As members of the General Executive Board, it is our obligation to investigate this alarming situation without delay.
I request written answers to the following questions, along with all paperwork, documents, and expenses (either charged to him or included in any other IBT employee's expense accounts), both electronic and otherwise, to be provided to the GEB. I also request all emails sent to and from Peter Cvjetanovic’s IBT email account, as well as a list of all projects and communications assigned by his Department Director.
Questions:
1. How and when did the IBT receive Peter Cvjetanovic’s job
application and resume? Was it sent directly to the IBT by him or
through a hiring service?
2. Who did Peter Cvjetanovic list as references and what were his past
job experiences?
3. Who at the IBT was responsible for verifying Peter Cvjetanovic’s
references, previous employers, and conducting a basic background
check (e.g., a Google search)?
4. Was the IBT aware of Peter Cvjetanovic’s expulsion from the
National Guard due to his “racist, extremist ideology”?
5. Who at the IBT granted final approval for his hiring?
6. What date was Peter Cvjetanovic officially hired by the IBT?
On behalf of the membership of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, I expect a prompt and thorough written response to this
urgent matter.
Fraternally,
John Palmer
VP IBT
Cc: International Brotherhood of Teamsters General Executive Board
UNR Student Talks After Marching in Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally
https://www.2news.com/unr-student-talks-after-marching-in-charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally/article_d0b28b0c-b36a-5ad4-a1d0-dc08b1bc6433.html
Aug 13, 2017 Updated Apr 6, 2022
Thousands gathered to protest in the streets Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month, among them was 20 year-old Reno resident Peter Cvjetanovic.
Cvjetanovic is an undergraduate at the university studying history and political science.
He traveled to Charlottesville to march in the “Unite the Right” rally, a battle over Charlottesville’s ordered removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee.
“I came to this march for the message that white European culture has a right to be here just like every other culture," Cvjetanovic told Channel 2 News on Sunday. “It is not perfect; there are flaws to it, of course. However I do believe that the replacement of the statue will be the slow replacement of white heritage within the United States and the people who fought and defended and built their homeland. Robert E Lee is a great example of that. He wasn’t a perfect man, but I want to honor and respect what he stood for during his time.”
Photos of Cvjetanovic protesting circulated on social media, denouncing Cvjetanovic as a racist.
“I did not expect the photo to be shared as much as it was. I understand the photo has a very negative connotation. But I hope that the people sharing the photo are willing to listen that I’m not the angry racist they see in that photo.”
However, Cvjetanovic, a self-proclaimed white nationalist, defends his beliefs.
"It was on the front page of The Guardian and my heart sank."
The white nationalist, born and raised in Reno, says he was letting some of his anger out during a rally in Virginia when the picture was taken but now he asks himself why.
"I give no excuses for that photograph. That is clearly me…It was kind of a moment-type thing. The torches were lit and there was ANTIFA there. There was lots of cameras and that emotion, it was really starting to build up."
Cvjetanovic says he went to the rally partly to protest the removal of a statue of Lee.
"I think that statue remaining would be the best way to remember their history, the good and the bad."
He's says he's had several death threats since the protest.
He admits, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Neo-Nazis, Klansmen and other white Supremist groups reflects on him -- but says he doesn't identify with them.
"We do not accept national socialism. We do not accept fascism. We do not accept Klansmen. We are truly Identitarian. That symbol is not a symbol of racism."
And while you might associate pro-white with racism he says they're two different things.
"I hope people acknowledge that being a party to the alternative right does not make me an evil Nazi, and that being pro-white right now is dangerous, and being pro-white doesn't mean I'm anti-anyone else."
Cvjetanovich says his trip to Virginia was kind of a test-run in the alt-right.
He says he didn't join until about a month ago and wanted to hear different people speak.
“As a white nationalist, I care for all people. We all deserve a future for our children and for our culture. White nationalists aren’t all hateful; we just want to preserve what we have.”
The University of Nevada, Reno president Marc Johnson released a statement acknowledging that one of the marchers photographed was a University of Nevada, Reno student. They didn't comment on him directly but wrote in part, "Racism and white supremacist movements have a corrosive effect on our society. These movements do not represent our values as a university. We denounce any movement that targets individuals due to the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, political beliefs, sexual orientation, ability/disability, or whether they were born in our country." You can read the full statement at the bottom of this story.
A petition is circulating on Change.Org calling for Cvjetanovic's firing and expulsion from the university.
At a press conference, university officials said that they will not fire or expel Cvjetanovic, saying they do not agree with him but he has a First Amendment right to assemble and free speech. They also say Cvjetanovic has a clean record with the university after three years. (Read President Johnson's statement below)
As classes at UNR began on Monday, Cvjetanovic decided to resign from his on-campus job as a driver for the university's escort service. "I did not want to pick at the scab of Charlottesville," Cvjetanovic tells us, "I want peace at UNR and I believe my leaving is a good step to ensure that. I just want to not be expelled and graduate in May.” Cvjetanovic says that his resignation was his own decision and the university sis not pressure him to leave.
A Twitter account, "Yes You're Racist" posted a photograph of Cvjetanovic with Senator Dean Heller.. Later Senator Heller responded on Twitter saying, "I don't know this person & condemn the outrageous racism, hatred and violence. It's unacceptable & shameful. No room for it in this country.
The Charlottesville protests left 3 people dead and several injured, click here for the full details.
“Face” of white nationalist rally expelled from Nevada National Guard
https://thisisreno.com/2021/04/face-of-white-nationalist-rally-expelled-from-nevada-national-guard/
By: Kristen Hackbarth
Date:
April 28, 2021
White Supremacists March with Torches in Charlottesville.jpeg
CHARLOTTESVILLE, USA - AUGUST 11: Peter Cvjetanovic (R) along with Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists encircle and chant at counter protestors at the base of a statue of Thomas Jefferson after marching through the University of Virginia campus with torches in Charlottesville, Va., USA on August 11, 2017. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The blowback from becoming the angry face of the 2017 “Unite the Right” white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, continues for University of Nevada, Reno alumnus Peter Cvjetanovic. The Huffington Post today reported that Cvjetanovic, 24, who also goes by Peter Cytanovic, was expelled from the Nevada National Guard in December after a background check revealed his extremist past.
Cvjetanovic had yet to attend basic training.
The Huffington Post reported, “A spokesman for the Nevada National Guard confirmed that Cytanovic enlisted on Nov. 22, 2019, but that his stint in the U.S. armed forces lasted only a little over a year — and that he was ejected because of his ‘affiliations.’”
According to the report, the military’s initial criminal and fingerprint check didn’t turn up anything that might exclude Cvjetanovic from serving. He was able to enlist as a Specialist E-4–the highest rank available to junior enlisted recruits–because of his four-year degree, and attended monthly drills to prepare for basic training.
Lt. Col. Mickey Kirschenbaum, a public affairs officer for the Nevada National Guard, told the Post that as routine processing progressed Cjvetanovic was unable to obtain security clearance. That’s when a Defense Department background check revealed Cvjetanovic had been the subject of an FBI investigation.
“The Nevada National Guard does not tolerate racist, extremist ideology,” Kirschenbaum told the Post. “The Nevada National Guard took action immediately after discovering Mr. Cytanovic’s affiliations.”
A photo of Cvjetanovic angrily yelling among a crowd of demonstrators carrying tiki torches at the “Unite the Right” rally quickly went viral in August 2017, spurring outrage across the country, and eventually in other countries. Hundreds of marchers chanted at the rally, “Jews will not replace us.”
This Is Reno reported on the local outrage at the time, which included calls for Cvjetanovic to be expelled from the university. University officials condemned the violence of the rally, which included one death and 19 injuries after James Fields, Jr., 20, of Maumee, Ohio, drove through a counter protest.
Jade: The Premier Cannabis Dispensary In Reno.png
However, then-UNR President Marc Johnson said the school had no legal basis for an expulsion.
Cvjetanovic quit his job on campus.
In an interview with KTVN, news channel 2, following the August 2017 rally, Cvjetanovic said, “I hope people acknowledge that being a party to the alternative right does not make me an evil Nazi, and that being pro-white right now is dangerous, and being pro-white doesn’t mean I’m anti-anyone else.”
Since then, Cvjetanovic has tried to walk back some of his white nationalist rhetoric and activities.
For more information:
https://youtu.be/gUjlVJBLsDg
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