Overview

• A screenshot from an Oct. 14 virtual meeting showed an American flag with stripes forming a swastika pinned behind staffer Angelo Elia in Rep. Dave Taylor’s Cannon Building office, first reported by Politico.
• Taylor condemned the image as a vile symbol and initially described the episode as foul play or vandalism while initiating a review with U.S. Capitol Police.
• On Thursday he said multiple Republican offices received similar flags in a coordinated ruse, claimed the swastika was not obvious at first glance, and stated an internal probe cleared his staff of knowingly displaying it.
• Other GOP offices told reporters they had also received comparable flags, with at least one staffer saying the swastika was plainly visible and the item was discarded.
• Capitol Police involvement has been reported with limited public detail during the shutdown, and Speaker Mike Johnson publicly condemned the symbol while noting an ongoing investigation; the incident follows a Politico exposé on racist and antisemitic messages by Young Republican leaders.