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Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin's office says the man no longer works in the U.S. Senate after video allegedly showing him having sex in a hearing room went viral.
A 24-year-old U.S.Senate staffer who is allegedly in a video showing two men having sex in a Senate hearing room has been fired. A video of the incident in a Senate hearing room was reported on Friday and quickly went viral online.
Maryland Democratic U.S. Senator Ben Cardin's office released a statement about the legislative aide who was allegedly in the video's employment.
"Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate," a spokesperson said. "We will have no further comment on this personnel matter."
Maese-Czeropski's LinkedIn profile shows he had worked for the 80-year-old senator since October 2021.
In his defense earlier on Friday, when allegations began to swirl that he was involved, Maese-Czeropski addressed the incident on the platform. He didn’t specifically deny the allegations. "This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda," he wrote.
"While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgement, I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace. Any attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated," he said, adding that he would seek legal counsel to address false allegations against him.
Related: U.S. Capitol Police Investigating Video of 2 Men Having Sex in Senate Hearing Room
The Advocate has attempted to contact Maese-Czeropski for additional comments but has not yet received a response.
The U.S. Capitol Police, in a statement to The Advocate Friday evening, confirmed that they are aware of the incident and are conducting an investigation. "We are aware and looking into this," a spokesperson said.
The Advocate was first to confirm the incident with U.S. Capitol Police and Cardin’s office.
The footage in question, first released by the far-right outlet Daily Caller, founded by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, shows two men in a sexual act in what appears to be a Senate hearing room, a space typically reserved for legislative proceedings including confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court justices.
The video has sparked widespread controversy and attention, highlighting concerns about conduct and security within government buildings.
The reaction online has been mixed but vigorous.
While many on the right are calling attention to the unprofessional behavior and complaining of depravity and sexual deviancy, others are pointing out the hypocrisy of conservatives glossing over their own sex-related scandals like Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert's recent public groping scandal in a theater with children present or the Florida GOP chairman, Christian Ziegler and his wife, Sarasota County Public Schools board member and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget, whose own sexual escapades recently came to the forefront after Christian Ziegler was accused of raping a woman with whom the married couple had a sexual relationship.
Christian Ziegler denies the allegations and has not been charged. Bridget Ziegler is not accused of any involvement in the sexual assault. Both have refused to resign from their positions. Bridget Ziegler's involvement in a secret same-sex sexual relationship was condemned as hypocrisy as she had advocated for Florida's "don't say gay" law and promoting bans of books about LGBTQ+ people and topics in schools.
This story is still developing.
