NBC News has exonerated Aidan Maese-Czeropski, a legislative aide to Senator Ben Cardin, from having anything to do with the gay sex porn tape that surfaced 48 hours ago on a “private group for gay men in politics” chat and was posted by the Daily Caller.
After a long, exhausting investigation, NBC News's Amanda Terkel concluded that Cardin staffer Maese-Czeropski was not even involved in the making of the gay sex tape. Everyone who identified Maese-Czeropski as the "bottom man" in the tape was a conservative operative trained to "pounce" when they get a whiff of scandal.
Maese-Czeropski may be entirely innocent but his boss, Senator Cardin, didn't think so. The budding gay porn producer was summarily fired from his job on Saturday.
"Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate," Cardin's office said in a statement. "We will have no further comment on this personnel matter."
That didn't stop Terkel from advancing the story that it was conservative outlets that were at fault.
The former Cardin staffer was also accused of a bizarre confrontation in a hallway where Rep. Max Miller was accosted by a congressional staffer he says was Maese-Czeropski. The staffer came up and said “Free Palestine” at him last week.
"We're just having a casual conversation, and out of nowhere, this guy beelines up to me visibly shaking—he's very upset in my presence because he's a snowflake," Miller told the Washington Free Beacon in a Wednesday interview. "And he just comes right back up to me and was like, ‘Free Palestine.’ And I was like, ‘Okay.’ … I'm not going to give him a reaction because that's what he wants."
The NBC News article by Terkel and Thorp said the outlet was “not able to identify the staffer in the interaction.”
That’s somehow despite the fact that Miller was being interviewed by NBC News when the staffer approached and made the comment.
The article did not offer any reason for framing the story as doubtful other than to say it was reported by conservative outlets.
Snapshot from the halls of the Hill: a House staffer just passed by GOP Rep. Max Miller —who is Jewish and has been supportive of sending aide to Israel— and said “free Palestine.” Pretty rare and stunning to see staff challenge members to their faces this way.
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) December 13, 2023
Vitali is a reporter for NBC News.
This "made for Twitter" moment elicited a ton of snarky comments from the right.
Conservatives seized, pounced, and weaponized!
— JWF (@JammieWF) December 16, 2023
At one point do you feel embarrassed? Who cares who reported on it? He admitted it. It was posted to his account. A Democrat Senator fired him for it. But somehow conservatives are to blame for it? The media is beyond broken. It's actually sad.
— Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) December 16, 2023
Not alleged. It's on video, @frankthorp and @aterkel. And whether it's from "conservative news outlets" is irrelevant.
— Jackson Richman (@jacksonrichman) December 16, 2023
Video proof.
— Courtney (@crystalandqueue) December 16, 2023
Admission of guilt on his own LinkedIn.
His entire IG page full of nudity.
Own boss confirms and terminates.
“Conservatives alleged”
Sit down.
The whining welp posted to his LinkedIn account and caused a collective hurl from almost anyone who read it.
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 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.
No one is attacking "who you love." Few people anymore care whom or what you love. The "political agenda" is a perfectly legitimate one: don't let gay staffers desecrate the halls of Congress, especially if you make the same point about the January 6 rioters.
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