A U.S. Congressman from Ohio says a photo in his Capitol Hill office of an American flag altered with a swastika image was a "ruse" someone used in an attempt to discredit him and other Republican leaders.
Rep. Dave Taylor is a conservative Republican representing Ohio's 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In an emailed statement Oct. 16, Taylor, whose district includes Clermont and other southern Ohio counties, said multiple Republican lawmakers were "targeted" with the flags, altered to include the Nazi symbol.
"New details have emerged from a coordinated investigation into the vile symbol that appeared in my office," Taylor's statement read. "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. My office was among those that were subjected to this ruse."
In photos shared on social media by left-leaning Ohio politics blogger D.J. Byrnes and with Politico, the flag was displayed behind the desk of Taylor's legislative correspondent Angelo Elia. The photo was a screengrab captured during a video call with Elia, according to Byrnes' social media post.
