A Capitol Hill staffer accused of filming himself having gay sex in a congressional hearing room has been separated from his job in Sen. Ben Cardin’s office.
A spokesman for Mr. Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said it was a personnel matter.
“Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate. We will have no further comment on this personnel matter.”
The pornographic video was posted online Friday, showing two men having sex on the dais of a Senate hearing room. According to The Daily Caller, which first reported the footage, a congressional staffer shot the act inside the Senate Judiciary Committee room located inside of the Hart Senate Office Building.
The room is known for hosting Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Supreme Court justices, lower court appointments, and Justice Department and FBI oversight hearings.
The incident reportedly took place on the dais between where Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Chris Coons of Delaware sat at a recent committee hearing.
Additionally, Mr. Maese-Czeropski had previously appeared in a 2020 Biden campaign ad with the president.
The scandal rocked the office where Mr. Cardin, 80, is retiring at the end of 2024.
Mr. Maese-Czeropski also has threatened to take legal action after he was identified on social media as the staffer in the video.
Mr. Maese-Czeropski released a statement on his LinkedIn page that did not talk explicitly about the video.
“This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda,” he said. “While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgment, I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace. Any attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated and I will be exploring what legal options are available to me in these matters.”
He also disputed a separate allegation that he confronted Rep. Max Miller, Ohio Republican, over the lawmaker’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas.
“As for the accusations regarding Congressman Max Miller, I have never seen the congressman and had no opportunity or cause to yell or confront him,” he said.
The outlet never identified Mr. Maese-Czeropski. His name was posted throughout social media only after the video was widely shared online. The Washington Times has not independently verified the video.
The U.S. Capitol Police has opened an investigation into the matter.
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