Senate Staffer No Longer Employed Amid Sex Scandal

by Sharelle Burt

December 21, 2023

The staff member to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), who was accused of filming sex acts in a hearing room, no longer has a job.

Conservative news outlets dropped a bombshell on Dec. 15, alleging Aidan Maese-Czeropski was featured in a leaked video having sex in a Senate hearing room. The Daily Caller published the video, which described a congressional staffer having “sex with an unknown man in the Senate hearing room.” The publication claimed the video was shared “in a private group for gay men in politics.” A statement from the Democratic congressman’s office said simply, “Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate.” “We will have no further comment on this personnel matter,” the statement continued.

Maese-Czeropski, a legislative aide for Cardin, released a statement on LinkedIn saying that while he has made mistakes of “poor judgment,” he would “never disrespect my workplace.” “This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda,” he wrote. “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 addressed accusations made by Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) that the former staffer shouted “Free Palestine” towards the Jewish lawmaker in a Capitol hallway, according to Politico. “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 wrote.

The hearing room in question is the Hart Senate Office Building that has hosted some of the country’s most essential hearings, including Supreme Court nominees, 9/11 Commission meetings, and former FBI Director James Comey’s 2017 testimony on Donald Trump.

The accused has worked for Cardin since October 2021 and previously worked as an intern for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2018.