The incident was rumored online, and Sen. Ben Cardin’s office fired a staffer. A congressional staffer had sex with another man in a Senate hearing room on video that was leaked on Friday, sparking a social media firestorm and rocking Capitol Hill.
The 216th room of the Hart Senate Office Building (Source: Getty Images and Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
Senate Sex Tape Leak
On Friday afternoon, the Daily Caller published a video of two men having sex in Hart Senate Office Building room 216, where several high-profile hearings have taken place, including Supreme Court confirmation hearings. According to The Daily Caller, the video was circulated in a private network for homosexual guys in politics. According to social media posts, the alleged staffer worked for Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. Cardin’s office fired a legislative aide less than a day after the issue broke but did not address reports linking him to the sex tape. Conservatives criticized the media over their treatment of the footage, calling for an investigation and firing of individuals responsible.
According to Fox News contributor and George Washington University Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law Jonathan Turley, the staffer may face criminal prosecution. According to Turley, the question is whether this unapproved use constitutes trespass. It also uses an official location for personal reasons, albeit it is unclear whether any commercial benefits were obtained from the film found on multiple websites. Turley suggested charging under D.C. code section 22-1312, which covers lewd, indecent, and obscene actions. In public, it is illegal to expose genitalia or anus, masturbate, or engage in sexual acts as stated in § 22-3001(8). Making obscene or indecent sexual advances to minors is illegal. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to § 22-3571.01, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both, according to the penal code. Whether hearing room video was utilized for profit could “have bearing on potential charges,” Turley said.
No charges are pending, although a security source did not rule out the possibility. Fox News said that the USCP is investigating significant incidents like legislative threats. “It’s not a case we need to rush,” a source told Fox. “We are taking it seriously.” Fox News Channel’s Chad Pergram and Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes and Chris Pandolfo reported.
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