Over the weekend a new scandal developed in the US Senate, as a video began circulating which allegedly shows a senator's former staffer having sex in a senate hearing room.
The video was published on Friday night on the Daily Caller. It had been initially shared in a private group chat for gay men in politics, according to the conservative media website.
The video purports to show a senate staffer having sex in a senate hearing room in the Hart Senate Office Building, which the Daily Caller claims is Room 216. The storied room played host to many historic events from Supreme Court nominations to the 9/11 Commission to former FBI Director James Comey's testimony against former President Donald Trump in 2017.
The alleged staffer can be seen receiving anal sex from his partner while bent over a desk in the room, before the video pans to show the Seal of the United States Senate hanging on the back wall of the room.
The Daily Caller did not identify the staffer, although he was later identified due to a series of photos he himself had shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Several American publications identified the staffer as a legislative aide to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland). Cardin announced his retirement from politics earlier this year, after a long career in both Houses of Congress.
Cardin's office told Politico on Friday night that "Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the US Senate. We will have no further comment on this personnel matter."
Alleged staffer denies involvement in sex tape scandal
Maese-Czeropski seemed to deny the accusations in a LinkedIn post saying: "This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda. 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 and I will be exploring what legal options are available to me in these matters."
In the same post, he denied a separate allegation of yelling "Free Palestine" at Jewish Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio, 7th District) in a government building on Wednesday.
Walla reported that the former staffer had deleted all social media accounts and refused to respond for comment.
Capitol Police refused to confirm details but said they were aware of the video and were investigating.