US Capitol police called to investigate Swastika flag displayed in GOP Congressional office

The US Capitol police were called after a swastika flag was seen on a congressional staffer’s wall during a virtual call. According to Politico, the flag was behind one of the staff members of Republican House Representative Dave Taylor.

As per the photo obtained by the American news outlet, the flag was pinned to what appears to be a cubicle wall behind Angelo Elia, one of Taylor’s staffers. It was an altered American flag with red and white lines in the shape of a swastika. Apart from this, the background also featured a pocket US Constitution and a congressional calendar. The matter is under investigation, and it is unclear what role, if any, Elia had in the incident.

“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,” Taylor said in a statement. “The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.” Taylor maintained that he “immediately” directed a thorough investigation alongside the Capitol Police, adding, “No further comment will be provided until it has been completed.”

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The controversial group chat

As per the report, the flag was found inside Taylor’s office in the Cannon Building in Washington, DC, on Tuesday afternoon. Taylor believes it is the result of “foul play or vandalism,” a spokesperson from Taylor’s office noted.

Interestingly, the incident took place days after Politico reported on an explosive Telegram group chat in which Young Republican group leaders traded racial epithets, joked about the Holocaust and praised Adolf Hitler.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Elia has worked as a legislative correspondent in Taylor’s office since January. When Politico asked for a comment, a US Capitol Police spokesperson sent an automatic reply saying the office is closed due to the shutdown and “will re-open when the federal government is funded.”

The photo was taken during a virtual meeting that Angelo Elia, a legislative correspondent for Representative Dave Taylor, was on, according to Politico. Taylor is a first-term congressman representing Ohio’s second district, east of Cincinnati. He is part of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.

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It is pertinent to note that while the swastika, which has been around for 5,000 years, eventually became the symbol of the Nazi Party, is banned in Germany and Europe, but it is legal to display it in the US due to the freedom of speech protection.

In June 2024, neo-Nazis in South Dakota waved a swastika flag outside the state capitol building. Then-South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who later became President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary, condemned the extremist rally at the time.