Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., broke his silence on a since-fired staffer engaging in sexual acts, captured on video, in a Senate hearing room.
Speaking with reporters Monday, Cardin said he's "terribly angered" and "disappointed" by the incident, the Washington Examiner reported.
"It's a breach of trust so all of the above," Cardin said. "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."
The aide, Aidan Maese-Czeropski, 24, was fired after being seen engaged with another man in a graphic sex act recorded in a Senate hearing room. Photos and a video of the act were first reported on by The Spectator and first published by the Daily Caller.
"My knowledge of this was over the weekend. When I learned about it, made sure that he was separated. So he left the Senate employment, and the appropriate steps were taken from the point of view of our office," Cardin said, Politico reported.
Cardin said Capitol Police were investigating the alleged incident, CBS News reported.
In a statement on his since-deleted 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 judgment, I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace," Maese-Czeropski said, the New York Post reported. "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 Daily Caller reported Friday that the video showed a congressional aide having "sex with an unknown man in the Senate hearing room" and that it was posted in a private group for gay men in politics. It's unclear when the incident occurred.
Politico reported the tape appeared to have been filmed in a deserted Hart Senate Office Building room 216, which has hosted blockbuster hearings, including the 9/11 Commission and Supreme Court nominations.
Cardin said he did not know if the staffer had somehow booked the room, Politico reported.
Cardin, who's retiring after this term, refused to elaborate on how well he knew Maese-Czeropski.
"I'm not going to get into my relationship with staff people," he said.
Maese-Czeropski had recently been added as an aide to Cardin's foreign policy, tax, and trade team, the New York Post reported.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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