Capitol Police Officer Suspended for Anti-Semitic Materials

(Photo : Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: Members of the U.S. Capitol Police are seen exiting the U.S. Capitol at sunrise on March 4, 2021 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives canceled plans to vote today as a precaution after talk surfaced online of possible protest or violent unrest in Washington.

A Capitol police officer was suspended after anti-Semitic materials were discovered by a congressional staffer near his work area. The discovery was made while the staffer was leaving the Capitol Hill office building on Sunday.

Anti-Semitic Materials Found in Capitol Hill

Zach Fisch was leaving the Longworth House Office Building on Sunday when he noticed something unusual, a printed copy of an anti-Semitic text. Based on the photograph published by a news outlet, the printed copy of the text sat on a table near the building entrance and was bound by a single binder clip, with the portions of the title written in large red capital letters.

According to POLITICO, Fisch photographed the document and sent the evidence to The Washington Post, which provided the photo to the Capitol Police on Monday morning. The U.S. Capitol Police Department later announced an officer's suspension, but the department did not reveal his identity.

The department's acting chief, Yogananda Pittman, said that they are taking all the inappropriate allegations seriously. She also added that she immediately ordered the officer's suspension when the matter was brought to her attention. Pittman mentioned that the officer would be suspended while the Office of Professional Responsibility investigation is ongoing.

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Meanwhile, Fisch recounted his experience in a Twitter thread on Monday evening after the announcement. The congressional staffer shared that as he left his office, he discovered something that, as a Jew, horrified him. At the United States Capitol Police security checkpoint, someone left anti-Semitic propaganda in plain sight.

Based on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the text, with the title of 'The Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion,' is entirely a work of fiction intentionally written to blame Jews for numerous ills. The museum also shared that the exact origins of the work were unknown, but it was introduced to Adolf Hitler while developing his worldview and referenced by him in early speeches, Forbes reported.

Fisch also tweeted that the text is evidence that not much had changed since the Capitol riot on January 6, where at least one man was photographed wearing a sweatshirt that read 'Camp Auschwitz,' which is in reference to the concentration camp where not less than 1 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Fisch also mentioned in his post the document's description, which was tattered and over two years old, Reuters reported.

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In his tweet, Fisch pointed out that it is both a national security problem and a workplace safety problem as their office is full of Black, Jewish, Brown, Queer, who have the reason to fear white supremacists. He also added that they are very concerned about their safety.

On the other hand, despite the Capitol's praises for their response to the riots and the award introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a bill with Congressional Gold Medal, concerns were also pointed out over the actions of numerous officers. Videos showed that some officers were pulling down barricades and even stopped to take a photo with a rioter.