Greater Cincinnati’s newest congressman condemned a “vile” symbol at his Washington, D.C. office.
Rep. Dave Taylor, a Republican whose district includes Clermont and other southern Ohio counties, reacted in an emailed statement on Wednesday, Oct. 15 to an “inappropriate” symbol found in his office.
“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,” the statement read. “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 press release from Taylor’s office said the congressman was responding to “vandalism” at his office. The release did not describe what the symbol looked like, and his office did not provide a photo.
Around 10 minutes after Taylor’s office emailed the release, the left-leaning Ohio politics blogger D.J. Byrnes posted a photo on X. The photo showed a screenshot from a video call with one of Taylor’s staffers, with a swastika American flag in the background. The person at the desk was Taylor’s legislative correspondent, according to the post.
The staffer, Angelo Elia, is listed as Taylor’s legislative correspondent on LegiStorm, a website that publishes congressional data and contact information.
The Enquirer emailed Taylor’s spokesperson twice asking whether the purported photo of the office is connected to Taylor’s statement about the “vandalism.”
Who is Rep. Dave Taylor?
Taylor won a crowded Republican primary last year and went on to succeed former Rep. Brad Wenstrup to represent Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District. He began his first term in January.
Raised in Amelia, Ohio, Taylor also runs his family’s concrete company, Sardinia Ready Mix.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Republican congressman condemns ‘vile’ symbol at his DC office
