DHS Investigates Hand Drawn Swastika Found In DC Headquarters

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 21: The Department of Homeland Security seal on the podium. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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The Department of Homeland Security is conducting an investigation into a hand drawn swastika that was discovered on the third-floor of the Washington, D.C. headquarters on Friday, CNN reported.

CNN obtained a copy of the email circulated by Principal Deputy Undersecretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis Brian Murphy in response to the incident, informing employees about what happened and how the department intended to handle the issue.

“Unfortunately, today a hand drawn swastika was located on the third floor,” Murphy wrote in the email, according to CNN. “First, I want to repeat what (Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis David Glawe), the Secretary, and many others in the Department have said in the past: there is no room in the workplace for such symbols of hate. And there is no room in the workplace for those who ascribe to such a thing. I have communicated with USIA Glawe, who is currently in Israel, and he is disgusted by what has happened.”

Murphy told employees the Nazi hate symbol would be removed and staff and cleaning personnel would be questioned about whether they saw anything related to the incident. Murphy also laid out next steps– the department’s inspector general would be notified, the DHS Insider Threat Program would be asked to “take steps as appropriate” and the department’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties would be contacted for advise.

Read the full CNN report here. 

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Notable Replies

  1. Oh great let’s start with the cleaning crew. Then when that doesn’t turn anything up they’ll start on the interrogations of the lower level staff, never mind if they don’t work on the 3rd floor.

  2. Who let Stephen Miller out of his coffin again?

  3. Avatar for fess fess says:

    … staff and cleaning personnel would be questioned about whether they saw anything related to the incident.

    I was thinking more along the lines of asking the cleaners if they’d been washing off other “art work” and just hadn’t reported it. It’s possible. It could also narrow the time frame for this deed to have been done which could maybe be useful.

    Overall though, I think you’re right about going after the flunkies before looking at the bosses.

  4. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    Was this done as an act of resistance, of condemnation, of DHS policies? Speaking truth to power? I’m not sure from the article the rationale of the perpetrator.

  5. “There is no room in the workplace for such symbols of hate. And there is no room in the workplace for those who ascribe to such a thing.”

    I might believe that if you hadn’t found a swastika. As it is, I’m inclined to believe that, in fact, there is room in your workplace for such things.

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