Banjo’s Surveillance Systems Grind to a Halt After CEO’s KKK Past Revealed

Government agencies in Utah and Indiana have suspended their contracts with Banjo

Matt Stroud
OneZero
Published in
5 min readApr 29, 2020

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In the wake of a OneZero investigation that revealed Banjo CEO Damien Patton’s association with the Ku Klux Klan and participation in the shooting of a synagogue in his youth, government agencies are suspending and reassessing their contracts with the surveillance company. That includes the Utah attorney general, the state of Utah, the University of Utah, and the city of Goshen, Indiana.

“The Utah attorney general’s office is shocked and dismayed at reports that Banjo’s founder had any affiliation with any hate group or groups in his youth. Neither the AG nor anyone in the AG’s office were aware of these affiliations or actions. They are indefensible,” said Richard Piatt, the director of communication at the Utah attorney general’s office, in an emailed statement to OneZero about the office’s decision to suspend its agreement with Banjo.

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OneZero
OneZero

Published in OneZero

OneZero is a former publication from Medium about the impact of technology on people and the future. Currently inactive and not taking submissions.

Matt Stroud
Matt Stroud

Written by Matt Stroud

Matt Stroud is an investigative reporter and the author of Thin Blue Lie: The Failure of High Tech Policing. Email: stroudjournalism AT gmail

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