Senate Sex Tape Investigation Closes Without Charges
A criminal investigation into a sex tape that was recorded inside a Senate hearing room is being closed due to a lack of evidence that any crime was committed, the U.S. Capitol Police announced Thursday.
Aidan Maese-Czeropski, then a legislative aide to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), left his job after a graphic video of two men having sex in the room was posted online in December. Police say that while there was a “likely violation of Congressional policy” involved in the incident, “there is currently no evidence that a crime was committed.”
Staffer Accused of Filming Sex Tape in Senate Hearing Room Is Out of Job
The federal law enforcement agency said the video was recorded inside the Hart Senate Office Building on the morning of Dec. 13. “Although the hearing room was not open to the public at the time, the Congressional staffer involved had access to the room,” the Capitol Police said.
The two people of interest in the investigation “were not cooperative,” authorities said. After consulting with federal and local prosecutors about potential charges, “the elements of any of the possible crimes” were not met.
“The Congressional staffer, who has since resigned from his job, exercised his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and refused to talk to us,” police said. “Our investigators are willing to review new evidence should any come to light.”
Conservative news site The Daily Caller first shared footage from the explicit video hours after another right-wing outlet revealed the video’s existence, alleging that the clip had been shared on a public Twitter account. The first report identified a “staffer for Senator Ben Cardin” as being responsible, adding that the images “conspicuously and deliberately contain the staffer’s face.”
“Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate,” a Cardin spokesperson said amid the uproar. “We will have no further comment on this personnel matter.”
“This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda,” Maese-Czeropski wrote in a LinkedIn post. “While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgement, I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace.” He added that any “attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated and I will be exploring what legal options are available to me in these matters.”
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