NBC News frames leaked video of gay sex in Senate hearing room as 'conservative' allegations
NBC News framed a recent story about a leaked video of a Senate staffer engaging in homosexual sex in a Senate hearing room as an allegation by "conservative media outlets."
The Spectator World first reported and The Daily Caller first published a graphic, eight-second video Friday reportedly depicting Aidan Maese-Czeropski, 24, a former staffer for Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., having gay sex on the dais in Hart 216, a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
The room has served as the location for multiple U.S. Supreme Court justice confirmation hearings and other historic congressional hearings, including the 9/11 Commission and former FBI Director James Comey's testimony about then-President Donald Trump in 2017.
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The video leaked after being "shared in a private group for gay men in politics," according to The Daily Caller, which did not report on the identity of the staffer, but whose identity was later revealed on social media.
Hours after the story broke and went viral, Maese-Czeropski released a statement on LinkedIn that did not deny or directly address the allegations, but implied that he was the victim in the situation, claiming he was being "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. 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 wrote.
Maese-Czeropski also addressed a separate allegation that he yelled "Free Palestine" at Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, in a hallway of the Cannon Office Building last Wednesday. Miller, who is Jewish, confirmed to The Daily Caller that Maese-Czeropski was the staffer who allegedly accosted him.
“As for the accusations regarding Congressman Max Miller, I have never seen the congressman and had no opportunity or cause to yell or confront him,” Maese-Czeropski said.
Maese-Czeropski has a history of making other explicit posts on social media, according to The Post Millennial. Maese-Czeropski had also briefly appeared in a 2020 campaign video with President Joe Biden, and was photographed with him that same year.
Another banner day for “Evangelicals for Biden.”
— Tom Buck (Five Point Buck) (@TomBuck) December 16, 2023
This pervert was featured in Joe Biden campaign ads.
Aidan Maese-Czeropski Senate Staffer of Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) Caught Filming Gay Sex Tape In Senate Hearing Room.
*Beware of google searching this story. You’ll see… pic.twitter.com/HVDzr5b9KK
Cardin's office later confirmed to Politico on Saturday that Maese-Czeropski had lost his job, saying in a statement: "Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate. We will have no further comment on this matter." Cardin's office did not confirm that Maese-Czeropski was the staffer in the video.
NBC News drew widespread scorn on social media for their headline on the story about the scandal, which read: "Senate staffer alleged by conservative outlets to have had sex in a hearing room is no longer employed."
NBC's post on X about the story prompted a "Community Note," which clarified that the claims were "not alleged," pointing out that he said in his statement that he exhibited "poor judgment." The network did not respond to The Christian Post's request for comment about its headline and coverage of this story.
"These headlines are insane! We published the damn video … What is this garbage?" tweeted Daily Caller reporter Henry Rodgers, who broke the story.
"I would love to see some media reporters cover the way the MSM has handled this Senate sex tape. Imagine the coverage would be A LOT different if this were a GOP staffer," he also wrote of the NBC headline.
"The only reason the middle of this headline exists is for [NBC] to signal to its audience, as if there are sides to this story," tweeted Daily Caller Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Ingersoll.
The only reason the middle of this headline exists is for nbc to signal to its audience, as if there are sides to this story pic.twitter.com/vuTXAXTXJQ
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) December 16, 2023
