‘Vile’ American flag spotted in Republican’s office sparks Capitol investigation

An investigation has been launched after an image of a swastika on an American flag was spotted in a Republican Congressional office during a video call on Tuesday.

Angelo Elia, an aide for Ohio Republican Dave Taylor, was on a Zoom call when the defiled Stars and Stripes was seen behind him.

US Capitol Police are now investigating what Taylor believes to be an act of ‘foul play.’

The congressman said in a statement: ‘I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office.

‘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 flag, which contains a warping of the red and white lines in the American flag into a swastika, was spotted in Taylor’s office in the Cannon House Office Building in the US Capitol Complex.

An office spokesman told Politico that ‘Taylor believes it is the result of “foul play or vandalism.”‘

Angelo Elia, aide to Ohio Congressman Dave Taylor, in front of the flag on the call on Tuesday

Ohio Republican Congressman Dave Taylor says he believes the flag to be an act of ‘foul play’

A Capitol investigation has been launched after the call involving Elia

Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, said on X that ‘President Trump and Vice-President Vance’ should be notified ‘immediately.’

‘Isn’t this a mandatory one-year jail sentence — or is this a kind of flag desecration they have no problem with,’ Raskin added.

It comes after the Republican Party was plunged into scandal earlier this week after Politico published 2,900 pages of vile texts, including praise for Adolf Hitler, from members of a New York conservative society.

Vice-President JD Vance was forced to pour cold water on the furor by dismissing it as a ‘college group chat.’

But Democrats have seized on the texts as evidence that the GOP is infected with racism.

Following the January 6 riot at the Capitol in 2021, Congress investigated symbols such as swastikas, Confederate flags, and neo-Nazi insignia.

These investigations aimed to explore the ideology of these symbols, their connection to extremist violence, and the coordination and operations of such groups within America.