Senator Ben Cardin has expressed disappointment over reports that a former staffer engaged in filmed sexual activity in a Senate hearing room.
The Maryland senator spoke two days after 24-year-old Democratic congressional aide Aidan Maese-Czeropski was fired over the emergence of the tape – which was reportedly filmed in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building.
The video shows a graphic sex act between two men and was reportedly leaked after it was “shared in a private group for gay men in politics.”
Although Maese-Czeropski has not been confirmed to be one of the men, she was publicly linked to the congressional hearing clip and is no longer employed by the Senate. In a post on social media, he admitted he had shown “poor judgment”.
The 80-year-old Democrat, spoken to for the first time since Capitol Police launched a sweeping investigation Monday night, said he was “terribly upset” and “disappointed” by the reports.
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Sen. Ben Cardin expressed disappointment Monday night over reports that a former staffer engaged in filmed sexual activity in a Senate hearing room
The video shows a graphic sex act between two men and was reportedly leaked after it was “shared in a private group for gay men in politics.”
The Maryland senator spoke two days after his old congressional aide Aidan Maese-Czeropski, 24, was fired over the emergence of the tapes
“I understand that the Capitol Police are investigating,” Cardin told reporters in D.C. on Monday night, saying his office was “absolutely” cooperating with local law enforcement.
“I just found out about this over the weekend,” Cardin added, as the scandal continues to roil the House of Representatives.
“When I found out about it, [I] “I made sure he was separated,” he continued, without mentioning Czeropski by name.
He also expressed confusion that the staffer — who appeared in a 2020 campaign video with Joe Biden — had somehow booked the room, but reiterated that he was no longer in the senator's office.
“He has resigned from his position in the Senate and, from our office’s perspective, the appropriate steps have been taken,” said the veteran official, who plans to retire after this term.
When asked not to elaborate on how well he knew the employee, Cardin declined, claiming it was a personnel issue.
When asked how he felt when he first heard the news – which was first reported by the Daily Caller – Cardin admitted: “I was angry. I was disappointed.”
He called the ill-advised flick a “breach of trust.”
Asked how he felt when he first heard about the ill-advised amateur company in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, Cardin admitted, “I was angry. I was disappointed.”
Hours before the story broke, reports surfaced that an unnamed Cardin employee had posted a social media photo showing himself naked in a hearing room in Hart
Cardin expressed confusion Monday that the staffer — who appeared in a 2020 campaign video with Joe Biden (seen here) — had somehow booked the room, but reiterated that he was no longer in the senator's office
“I was angry, disappointed. It's a breach of trust. “All of the above,” he said. “It's a tragic situation that brings a lot of anger and frustration.” “I'm worried about our staff and the way they feel about it, and about the Senate staff.”
Meanwhile, the scandal first broke on Friday when The Caller posted the clip of the two men's blurred faces having sex in room 216.
The historic site has been the site of several high-profile hearings over the years.
It was the site of a series of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court justices that shaped America's legal landscape and was the meeting site of the 9/11 Commission.
But last week, as Fox News confirmed, it was the setting for something much less stately – a dirty sex scene filmed from the perspective of one of the participants.
The clip quickly spread on social media, and people quickly began accusing Czeropski — who Cardin said Monday had not yet apologized — as being responsible. These claims, as Capitol Police have since confirmed, are still unproven.
Hours later, on Friday evening, Maese-Czeropski published a post on his now-private LinkedIn account in which he explained that while he had shown “poor judgment,” he would “never show respect for my workplace.”
Hours later, on Friday evening, Maese-Czeropski published a post on his now-private LinkedIn account in which he explained that while he had shown “poor judgment,” he would “never show respect for my workplace.” He was released on Friday
“This has been a difficult time for me as I have been attacked for who I love for pursuing a political agenda,” the statement said.
“Although some of my actions in the past have demonstrated poor judgment, I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace.”
“Any attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated and I will explore what legal options are available to me in these matters.”
Maese-Czeropski's mother, Magdalena Rivera Maese, contacted on Saturday morning and said her son was distraught by the scandal.
“They don’t want to know how he’s doing,” Maese said in an interview.
In a statement Monday evening, Capitol Police told that they are “still investigating” the sex tape and that there is “nothing new to report” at this point in their investigation.
Hours before the caller published the story, the Spectator reported that an unnamed Cardin employee posted a social media photo showing himself naked in a Hart hearing room.
These reports have not been confirmed as Capitol Police continue to investigate.
Cardin's office, meanwhile, issued the following statement on Friday, citing a series of reports from “right-wing” media outlets.
“As this is a personnel matter and is under review, we will not comment further at this time,” the office said.
Cardin, meanwhile, announced his resignation at the end of his current term in May. As for Maese-Czeropski, he did not immediately respond to 's attempts to contact him.