A former U.S. Senate staffer, known widely online as the “Senate Twink,” is speaking out for the first time since a sex scandal involving a viral video forced him out of politics and into a mental health crisis.
Aidan Maese-Czeropski, 24 at the time of the incident, was working for U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, when a right-wing media outlet published a video in December 2023 allegedly showing Maese-Czeropski engaging in sexual activity with another man in a Senate hearing room. The video, released by the Daily Caller — a site founded by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson — quickly spread online, sparking outrage and leading to his termination.
Now living in Sydney, Australia, Maese-Czeropski opened up about the aftermath of the scandal in a recent interview with Gay Sydney News. He revealed that the exposure of the video and the wave of public backlash triggered a mental health breakdown that required hospitalization. “Mentally, I spent a little bit in the psych ward after the fact because it was just… it’s overwhelming to realise and to know that tens of millions of people literally despise you,” Maese-Czeropski said. “I was a catatonic mess.”
The video, reportedly shared within a private group of gay political staffers, was filmed inside an official Senate chamber. The footage showed two men on a dais — where lawmakers typically conduct government business — in a compromising position. The fallout was immediate and severe.
Sen. Cardin swiftly fired Maese-Czeropski, citing the incident as a “breach of trust.” At the time, Cardin expressed concern for his staff and called the situation “tragic,” telling reporters, “It’s presented a lot of anger and frustration.”
Maese-Czeropski, who had been employed in Cardin’s office for roughly 14 months, said he could no longer find work in Washington, D.C., after becoming “so infamous so quickly.” He shared that the intense public scrutiny and media firestorm forced him to flee the United States. He first traveled to South Africa, where he met a New Zealand backpacker who encouraged him to start over in Sydney. “She told me, ‘Aidan, you should move to Sydney. You would love it there, you would fit right in, you could get a fresh start,’” he recalled. “I took a risk… I love it here and I’m glad that I took that jump.”
Following his relocation, Maese-Czeropski launched an OnlyFans account to support himself financially. Despite his new beginning in Australia, the former staffer said he continues to grapple with the long-term emotional impact of the incident. According to his therapist, he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “I don’t have any shame in that,” he said of the diagnosis, adding that therapy has helped him process the trauma.
Maese-Czeropski also reflected on how his portrayal in the scandal was affected by homophobia, noting that he received disproportionate backlash because of his role in the video. “I got all these death threats, hatred. And the guy who was the top didn’t,” he said, referring to the sexual dynamic shown in the leaked footage. “The hatred came because I was bottoming — that’s just the ugly truth.”
Shortly after the video was made public, Maese-Czeropski published a now-deleted statement on LinkedIn. In it, he claimed he was being targeted not because of his actions but because of his sexuality. “This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love, to pursue a political agenda,” he wrote at the time. “While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgment, 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.”
Though the statement has since been removed, Maese-Czeropski has not ruled out taking legal action against those he believes unfairly exploited his identity and vilified him for political purposes.
In his interview, he described the experience as both humiliating and deeply traumatic. Despite that, he said he is trying to reclaim agency over his life and narrative. “Everyone in D.C. knew me, and it was kind of gross and horrifying because I’m not someone who likes to be in the public spotlight at all,” he said. “Now, I’m trying to live for myself, not the opinions of strangers on the internet.”
The case sparked wider debates on privacy, consent, queer visibility in politics, and the weaponization of personal behavior for political gain. Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights criticized the right-wing media’s handling of the story, accusing outlets like the Daily Caller of perpetuating stigma against gay individuals and selectively targeting them for scandal.
Although Maese-Czeropski has not returned to politics, his story continues to circulate across social media, often cited in discussions about ethics in digital journalism, political smear campaigns, and mental health support for public figures.
While he says he regrets the fallout, Maese-Czeropski maintains that his actions were private and not meant for public consumption — and that their exposure was driven by agendas larger than himself. “I’m not proud of what happened,” he admitted, “but I also don’t believe I deserved to be vilified like that. People make mistakes — and mine was turned into a national circus because I’m queer.”
Maese-Czeropski is currently focusing on rebuilding his life in Sydney, away from the U.S. political spotlight. He said he hopes his story will eventually become more than just a scandal — but a cautionary tale about media exploitation, mental health, and queer resilience.
