Rep. Dave Taylor says U.S. flag with 'hidden' swastika was distributed to GOP offices

Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) says he and other GOP Congressmen were given American flags with a hidden swastika by an unknown person or group.

Taylor released a new statement Thursday saying no employee in his office would knowingly display the "vile symbol."

An image posted to social media by The Rooster, and later published in Politco, is reported to be a screenshot of a Zoom call with a staffer in Taylor’s office. Behind him, pinned to the wall, is an American flag with the stripes manipulated in a way that looks like a swastika. Other items pinned to the wall include a calendar, a copy of the U.S. Constitution, and memes about Ohio.

Taylor initially called the flag vandalism, saying Wednesday the symbol "does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms."

The new statement Thursday includes "new details" from a "coordinated investigation" by Taylor's office and Capitol Police.

"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," the statement reads. "My office was among those that were subjected to this ruse. After a full-scale internal investigation, I am confident that no employee of this office would knowingly display such a despicable image, and the flag in question was taken down immediately upon the discovery of the obscured symbol it bore."

Taylor says he will continue working with Capitol Police and the Committee on House Administration as they investigate the source of the flags.

The photo came out a day after Politico reported on a group chat by Young Republican group leaders that contained racial slurs and proclamations like "I love Hitler."

Taylor represents Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District in southern Ohio, with all or part of 16 counties including Clermont, Brown, and Adams.

The district was represented by Republican Brad Wenstrup for 12 years, but he decided not to run for re-election in 2024. That prompted 11 Republicans to join the primary election; Taylor won, all but guaranteeing him a seat in Congress to represent the deeply Republican district. He went on to win the general election and was sworn in less than a year ago.

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