Capitol Hill police have been looking into a case of anti-Semitic vandalism, after a Jewish congressional messenger found a swastika painted on the door of his dormitory.
The House page, who is from New York, reported the incident to police Nov. 30, the morning after he and a group of pages had argued.
The 17-year-old page, whose family asked that he not be identified, is sponsored by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.)
Eight male pages have been questioned in the incident, according to Rall Call, a weekly political newspaper that first reported the incident.
“We feel that the individual responsible should certainly be expelled from the page program and should face prosecution because it is hate crime,” a spokesman for Ackerman said.
The same morning, another page found a message on his door containing a crude anatomical reference, but no ethnic slurs.
The House page program consists of 62 high-school juniors, who are appointed by members of Congress and who run errands and attend school on the Hill.
The positions are highly coveted, and selection is considered an honor.
They live on two floors of a House office building, where access is restricted and visitors must sign in.
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