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The Militia of Montana (MOM) has catered to the needs of the so-called "patriot movement" through its preparedness catalog since starting in 1994. It offers everything from dehydrated food and gas masks to videos outlining one-world-government conspiracy theories. MOM sells all these items at gun shows and over the Internet. However, business must not be too good, because MOM is now demanding $15 a year to be on its e-mail alert list. This list sends newspaper articles, "patriot" meeting notices and MOM's commentary on current events to subscribers.

An initial message about the policy change was issued in early January. This message claimed the charge was due to "costs involved in maintaining an e-mail list." However, a subsequent message revealed more about MOM's financial situation. It said the families comprising MOM live on about $800 a month, and that's only "whenever MOM can spare it." It also addressed the misconception concerning MOM's appearances at gun shows. MOM claims it doesn't go to load up on guns and ammunition, because "we did that many years ago." Instead, it educates people on the battle raging between the United States and United Nations over one-world government.

The message also outlined the costs associated with keeping the militia's pickups and computers running, and how MOM hardly breaks even with the merchandise it sells. MOM has already experienced one casualty due to finances. One of the group's founders, Randy Trochmann, left the group in March 2000 because he could not support his family.

Even though MOM is experiencing financial problems, another of its founders, John Trochmann, was recognized in a "Friends of The Spotlight and Liberty Lobby" published on December 31, 2000. The Spotlight is a weekly anti-Semitic tabloid published by the Liberty Lobby. The Spotlight described John Trochmann as the founder of MOM and "a principled freedom fighter."

The Liberty Lobby was founded by Willis Carto. Carto has been a major player in the racist right since the 1960s. Along with the Liberty Lobby, he founded the Institute for Historical Review and the Populist Party. The Institute for Historical Review is one of the leading Holocaust denial groups in the country. Carto himself claims the Holocaust is "atrocity propaganda." The Populist Party tried to bring the "patriot" movement into the political mainstream. Both militia icon Bo Gritz and white supremacist David Duke ran for the presidency on the party's ticket.