A disturbing image of a swastika nestled within an American flag was spotted during a web video call that took place in a Republican Congressional office on Tuesday.
Angelo Elia, who has been working as a legislative correspondent in the office of Ohio Republican Congressman Dave Taylor, was seen with ‘what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background,’ per X user @rooster_ohio, who published the image online, noting that it came from a ‘friend’ who was on call.
US Capitol Police were called about the flag, per a statement from Rep. Taylor.
‘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,’ Taylor noted in a media statement.
‘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,’ Taylor added.
The flag, which contains a warping of the red and white lines in the American flag into a swastika, was discovered on Tuesday in Taylor’s office in the Cannon House Office Building in the US Capitol Complex in Washington, DC.
An office spokesperson told Politico that ‘Taylor believes it is the result of ‘foul play or vandalism.”
Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, joked on X that ‘President Trump and Vice-President Vance’ must notified ‘immediately.’
Angelo Elia, aide to Ohio Congressman Dave Taylor on a video call Tuesday
A page on the government employee database Legistorm that shows Elia’s role and employer
Ohio Republican Congressman Dave Taylor’s official portrait
Angelo Elia, aide to Ohio Congressman Dave Taylor in his LinkedIn profile photo
‘Isn’t this a mandatory one-year jail sentence—or is this a kind of flag desecration they have no problem with,’ Raskin added.
Politico editor Sally Goldenberg tied the release of the image to the outlet’s story about racist and anti-semitic texts from Young Republican leaders that was published Tuesday, writing ‘the blast radius of’ the ‘mega scoop is big.’
The grassroots organization of Young Republicans aged 18-40 was last night plunged into chaos after leaked group chats, where members referred to black people as monkeys and praised Adolf Hitler, were published by Politico.
After the January 6th incident in the US Capitol in 2021, subsequent hearings and reports in Congress have investigated the usage of 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.
