US Capitol Police investigating American flag reportedly altered to include swastika found in Ohio GOP Rep. Dave Taylor's office
U.S. Capitol Police are investigating "a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol" found in GOP Rep. Dave Taylor's office, the congressman said in a statement.
The congressman's office has not confirmed to CNN what the symbol was, but Politico reported that USCP was called after an American flag altered to include a swastika was found inside the Ohio Republican's office in Washington, DC.
"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 the 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. Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing. No further comment will be provided until it has been completed."
The congressman's office referred to the incident as "vandalism" in a release with Taylor's statement.
When CNN reached out to USCP for comment, the agency sent an autoreply that its public information office is closed for routine business during the government shutdown.
Republican Rep. Dave Taylor said Thursday that his office was targeted as part of an elaborate "ruse" after an American flag reportedly altered to include a swastika was found in his Washington, DC, office earlier this week and that similar flags have been found in other Republican offices.
"Numerous Republican offices have confirmed that they were targeted by an unidentified group or individual who distributed American flags bearing a similar symbol, which were initially indistinguishable from an ordinary American flag to the naked eye. My office was among those that were subjected to this ruse," the Ohio congressman said in a statement Thursday.
Taylor did not provide any evidence or name the other offices he said were affected. No other GOP offices had come forward publicly as of late Thursday to report similar incidents.
He said he is "confident" that none of his staffers "would knowingly display such a despicable image."
The congressman on Wednesday said his office was conducting an internal investigation into the incident alongside US Capitol Police.
CNN reached out to Capitol Police for additional details. In response, the agency sent an autoreply that its public information office is closed for routine business during the government shutdown.
The congressman has refrained from identifying the symbol on the flag as a swastika, instead describing it as a "vile" symbol. But Politico reported Wednesday that USCP was called after an American flag altered to include a swastika was found inside Taylor's office in Washington, DC.
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