Aidan Maese-Czeropski, the former U.S. Senate aide at the centre of a Capitol Hill sex scandal, has spoken publicly for the first time since a leaked video went viral and upended his life.
Dubbed the “Senate Twink” by social media, Maese-Czeropski was just 24 when a video surfaced in December 2023, allegedly showing him engaged in a sexual act with another man inside a Senate hearing room. Now living in Sydney, Australia, he told Gay Sydney News that he’s focused on healing and rebuilding, following what he described as a “total mental breakdown.”
“I consider myself just a regular guy. However, it is alleged that I had sex in the United States Senate, and that is what I am allegedly known for,” he said. “Mentally, I spent a little bit in the psych ward after the fact because it was just… overwhelming to realise and to know that tens of millions of people literally despise you.”
The video, published by far-right outlet Daily Caller, sparked outrage and immediate media attention. The room, traditionally used for legislative business, became the backdrop for a controversy that led to a Capitol Police investigation. However, no criminal activity was found, and Maese-Czeropski was let go from his role in the office of Maryland Senator Ben Cardin.
He recalls spiralling into emotional distress, unable to find work in Washington D.C. because “everyone knew me,” describing the experience as “gross and horrifying.” In response, he bought a one-way ticket to Cape Town, South Africa, where he travelled with a woman from New Zealand who eventually encouraged him to move to Sydney—a city he quickly fell in love with.
Now diagnosed with PTSD, Maese-Czeropski said he sees a therapist, takes medication, and is slowly reclaiming his life. “I don’t have any shame in that because when you go through something like that, it is just overwhelming and difficult to even comprehend,” he said.
He revealed that his dissatisfaction with life in government—“I hated my job. The pay was shit. I was making $38,000 a year”—helped cushion the emotional blow of losing his career. “I didn’t feel like I lost anything career-wise when the scandal broke.”
These days, he’s employed full-time in a role that pays better than his government position and spends more time offline, enjoying nature and planning for the future. “My dream in life is to open a pigeon sanctuary. I’m very into birds. I love pigeons.”
Reflecting on the scandal’s viral spread, Maese-Czeropski believes some societal bias influenced public reaction. “I don’t think that I was treated differently because it was gay sex,” he said. “But I do think that there is a difference in how people are judged if they are the submissive partner versus the dominant partner.”
He added, “No matter what, when you have something as salacious as sex in the Senate, it’s going to go viral. That being said, I’ve noticed that the passive partner tends to take more of the blame, which is why I got all these death threats, hatred, and the guy who was the top didn’t.”
