Alex Brandon/AP
- Sen. Ben Cardin said he was angry after an aide was accused of filming a sex tape in a hearing room.
- The staffer was identified by conservative media as 24-year-old Aidan Maese-Czeropski.
- Maese-Czeropski, who no longer works for Sen. Cardin, said he felt "attacked for who I love."
Sen. Ben Cardin said he felt betrayed and angry after his legislative aide was accused of filming himself having sex in a congressional hearing room.
"It's a breach of trust," CBS News quoted the Maryland Democrat as saying. "It's a tragic situation, and it's presented a lot of anger and frustration. I'm concerned about our staff and the way that they feel about this."
He was referring to a video published by the Daily Caller on Friday, showing what it described as a congressional staffer having sex with an unknown man.
The staffer was later identified by conservative media as 24-year-old Aidan Maese-Czeropski.
Cardin's office released a statement saying: "Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the US Senate."
It did not explain who instigated his departure or why.
Business Insider has not independently verified the video or confirmed the identity of the individuals involved.
In a now deleted statement on his LinkedIn account, Maese-Czeropski said: "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," he said.
"Any attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated, and I will be exploring what legal options are available to me in these matters."
Hart 216, the judiciary room where the footage appears to have been filmed, has been the setting for several notable moments, including the former FBI director James Comey's testimony about Donald Trump in 2016 and the 9/11 commission hearings.
US Capitol Police told The Hill it was investigating the tape but had "nothing new to report" as of Monday night.
The former congressman George Santos, who's also gay, commented on Maese-Czeropski's statement in a post on X.
"Having sex in a United States government building and filming it is the reason you got heat," he wrote. "You being gay and having gay sex NO BODY gives a rats ass."
No charges have been filed. BI contacted US Capitol Police and Sen. Cardin for comment.