The Capitol Police say that no criminal charges will be filed against the men accused of having sex on video in a U.S. Capitol Senate hearing room.
That’s according to a statement the U.S. Capitol Police Public Information Office emailed to Heavy on February 1.
Aidan Maese-Czeropski, a former legislative aide for United States Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), was identified by many news outlets as one of the men in the video after he wrote a statement on LinkedIn that said he was being “attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda.” CBS News and the Baltimore Banner were among the prominent news outlets that reported that Maese-Czeropski was the aide accused in the scandal.
The widely circulated video appears to show a man having sex with another unidentified man in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room in Washington D.C. Important hearings are conducted in that room; FBI Director Christopher Wray recently appeared during an FBI oversight hearing, and a hearing on gun violence was held in the room, for example. Heavy is not sharing the video because of its graphic nature.
Here’s what we need to know:
Capitol Police Say That ‘There Is Currently No Evidence That a Crime Was Committed’
LinkedIn (Aidan Maese Czeropski.)Aidan Maese Czeropski.
In the statement, Capitol police said that they believe there is “no evidence that a crime was committed” during the incident.
“For now, we are closing the investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding a sex video that was recorded inside the Hart Senate Office Building on the morning of Wednesday, December 13,” they said.
“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. Although the hearing room was not open to the public at the time, the Congressional staffer involved had access to the room. The two people of interest were not cooperative, nor were the elements of any of the possible crimes met.”
Capitol Police Said the Congressional Staffer Resigned & Refused to Talk to Authorities
GettyThe Senate Judiciary Committee’s room is seen on Capitol Hill September 26, 2018 in Washington, DC, during preparations one day before the hearing with Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. – University professor Christine Blasey Ford, who is set to testify before the Senate committee, claims Kavanaugh attacked her at a party when they were both teenagers.
According to Capitol Police, the staffer in the video, who was not named, has resigned and declined to speak to police.
The Congressional staffer, who has since resigned from his job, exercised his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and refused to talk to us. Our investigators are willing to review new evidence should any come to light.” – The United States Capitol Police.
Ben Cardin office
Cardin’s office told Heavy in an email Saturday after the video went viral that Maese-Czeropski is no longer working for the U.S. Senate, declining further comment.
After the video first circulated, Maese-Czeropski wrote a statement on LinkedIn.
“This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda,” he wrote.
“While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgement, 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,” he continued.
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