WASHINGTON — U.S. Capitol police said Thursday they have closed the investigation A video of people having sex in a Senate hearing room has been leaked after determining that there is no evidence of a crime.
“After consultation with federal and local prosecutors, as well as a thorough investigation and consideration of possible charges, it has been determined that, despite the possibility of a violation of Congressional policy, there is currently no evidence that a crime has been committed,” the agency said. in the statement.
While the hearing room was not open to the public at the time, the congressional staffer present entered the room inside the Hart Senate Office Building while the video was being recorded in the early hours of Dec. 13, police said.
“The two persons of interest were not cooperating, and no elements of possible criminality were encountered,” the statement said. “The congressional staffer, who has since resigned, exercised his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and declined to speak with us. Our investigators are ready to review any new evidence that comes to light.”
The Daily Caller, a conservative outlet, first published the video, saying it showed a congressional staffer “having sex with an unidentified man in a Senate hearing room,” adding that the video was shared “in a private group for gay men in politics.”
Conservative authorities have identified Aidan Maese-Czeropski, who works for Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., as the staffer in the video. NBC News has not confirmed the identity of the participants.
Shortly after the video surfaced and Cardi’s office said Maese-Czeropski would no longer be working, she posted on LinkedIn that while showing “bad judgment” in the past “he would never disrespect my workplace”.
“It’s been a difficult time for me because I’ve been attacked for the person whose political agenda I love to follow,” she said. “While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgment, I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace. Attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fictitious and I will explore what legal options are available to me in these matters.”
Frank Thorpe W contributed.