US Capitol Police officer suspended after anti-Semitic book discovered

WASHINGTON: A US Capitol Police officer was suspended Monday after anti-Semitic reading material was found near where he works, two months after hundreds of extremists stormed the legislative building, a spokesman confirmed to AFP.

A copy of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion," a fictional book from the early 1900s claiming to document a Jewish plan for global domination that allegedly inspired Hitler, was discovered by a congressional aide at a security gate at one of the congressional buildings, The Washington Post reported.

"We take all allegations of inappropriate behavior seriously. Once this matter was brought to my attention, I immediately ordered the officer to be suspended" until an internal investigation was completed, Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said in a statement.

The force has been under intense scrutiny since the January 6 assault on the Capitol by thousands of former president Donald Trump's supporters.

The Capitol Police, who are supposed to protect lawmakers, have been widely criticized for their unpreparedness after they were overwhelmed by rioters, hundreds of whom broke into the congressional building.

The violence left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.

Several of the force's members have been suspended, and a dozen are under investigation after images were released showing them opening doors for the attackers or posing for selfies with them.