The U.S. Capitol Police said Thursday that they will not bring charges against a former congressional staffer who was filmed having sex in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room in December.
“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 law enforcement agency said in a statement.
The Capitol Police said it was officially “closing the investigation into the facts and circumstances.”
The video, which was first reported by the Daily Caller, featured a male staffer of Democratic Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin having sex with another male in the hearing room, including on senators’ seats and desks.
The staffer, Aidan Maese-Czeropski, quickly left his job following the video’s publication, blaming his ouster on his sexuality.
“This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda,” he wrote on LinkedIn at the time. “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 Capitol Police said Mr. Maese-Czeropski “exercised his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and refused to talk to us” during their investigation.
“Although the hearing room was not open to the public at the time, the congressional staffer involved had access to the room,” Capitol Police said. “The two people of interest were not cooperative, nor were the elements of any of the possible crimes met.”
Mr. Cardin, who is retiring this year, told reporters after the incident came to light that he was “angry” and “disappointed” with his onetime aide.
“It’s a breach of trust,” he said.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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