Congressional Aide Who Taped Sex Romp in Senate Hearing Room Will Not Be Charged, Capitol Police Say
The Senate staffer, who has since left his job, repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during interviews with law enforcement.
The infamous video leaked last year showing two men having sex in a Senate hearing room will not result in criminal charges for either of the men, the United States Capitol Police says.
“For now, we are closing the investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding a sex video that was recorded inside the Hart Senate Office Building on the morning of Wednesday, December 13,” the law enforcement agency says in a statement.
“After consulting with federal and local prosecutors, as well as doing a comprehensive investigation and review of possible charges, it was determined that — despite a likely violation of Congressional policy — there is currently no evidence that a crime was committed,” the statement reads.
The Senate staffer, Aidan Maese-Czeropski, who was employed as a low-level aide to the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Cardin, said after the incident that he was being unfairly attacked.
“This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda,” he wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “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.”
The USCP say Mr. Maese-Czeropski was uncooperative with the investigation and that he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination throughout their investigation. The other man in the video, who has not been identified, was also uncooperative.
Mr. Cardin’s office swiftly fired the aide, saying in a statement the morning after the video was leaked that Mr. Maese-Czeropski was “no longer employed by the U.S. Senate.” He was also accused of yelling “Free Palestine” at a Jewish Republican lawmaker, Congressman Max Miller, which the USCP said it was also investigating in December.
The amateur video, first reported by the Daily Caller, was initially posted on a social media account that Mr. Maese-Czeropski maintained using an alias and was circulated in a chat room used by gay Capitol Hill staffers. According to the Spectator, Mr. Maese-Czeropski reportedly reserved the Senate committee room under the name of Mr. Cardin, who is retiring next year.
