The United States Capitol Police have reportedly launched an investigation after an American flag bearing a swastika was found in the office of Republican House of Representatives member Dave Taylor of Ohio.
The image, obtained by Politico, shows a modified flag featuring red and white stripes arranged in the shape of a swastika – virtually synonymous with the Nazis’ genocidal regime. The flag was displayed on what appears to be a cubicle wall behind Angelo Elia, one of Taylor’s staffers, during a virtual meeting.
Other items pinned nearby include a pocket constitution and a congressional calendar. It is still unclear whether Elia had a connection to the screen.
“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol in the vicinity of an employee in my office,” Taylor said in a statement to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
“The content of this image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or me, and I condemn it in the strongest terms. Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside the Capitol Police, which is ongoing. No further comment will be provided until it is completed.”
According to his office, the flag was discovered Tuesday afternoon in Taylor’s suite in the Cannon Building on Capitol Hill, Politico reported. The congressman suspects the act was “disloyalty or vandalism,” his spokesperson said.
When the Guardian was contacted for comment, an automated response from the US Capitol Police public information office was sent, stating that the office was “closed for routine business” during the funding-related federal government shutdown that began on October 1. “The office will reopen when the federal government is funded,” the response states.
The finding follows a Politico report published Tuesday detailing a Telegram chat in which young Republican leaders exchanged racist comments and slurs, mocked the Holocaust and expressed admiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
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The revealed discussion has since sparked major backlash across the United States, with some of the participants being called to resign and at least one member having a job offer withdrawn.
