A former US political staffer who was embroiled in a controversy over sexually explicit video that was allegedly filmed in room used by US senators for political hearings has shared that he’s built a new life in Australia.
Aidan Maese-Czeropski, who was dubbed the ‘Senate Twink’ during the scandal gave an exclusive interview to Ben Grubb at Gay News Sydney.
Back in late 2023 an explicit video emerged online that showed a young man engaging in an intimate sexual act, and people quickly recognised it as a room used for political hearings.
At the time Maese-Czeropski was an aide to then Democrat Senator Ben Cardin. He resigned as the video became public, but never confirmed it was him in the video. He posted a statement to his LinkedIn account claiming he was being attacked over who he loved.
Now in his first interview about the incident he’s shared how he coped with the media onslaught, detailed how it affected his mental health, and shared that he’s now living in Australia, working fulltime he’s also launched an OnlyFans account.
The news outlet interviewed the former political staffer on the steps of the Sydney Opera House where he referred to himself as “allegedly” being the person in the videos, but he seems to have embraced the nickname of Senate Twink.
Maese-Czeropski said a week after the scandal broke in the media, he had a total mental breakdown and bought a one-way ticket to South Africa. There he met a girl from New Zealand who became his new best friend and the pair then spent some time backpacking across Sub-Saharan Africa, Portugal, the Canary Islands, Spain and England.
Finally, he decided to move to Australia to make a fresh start, and he now plans to stay here permanently.
The former political staffer said he never wanted to be in the public spotlight and after the accusations had been levelled at him, he couldn’t get a job in Washington D.C.
“Mentally I spent a little bit in the Psych Ward after the fact, because it’s just, it’s overwhelming to know that tens of millions of people literally despise you.” he said. “I was a catatonic mess.”
He revealed that he’s now receiving treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and has blocked out of what happened in the weeks and months after the incident. He also shared that the vague response posted on his LinkedIn profile had been written by a communications staffer and he’d been ordered to post it.
In the video interview Maese-Czeropski said he’d reflected on the incident and other sex scandals in politics and realised that it’s “always the passive partner that tends to take more of the blame.”
“I do think there is a difference in how people are judged if they are the submissive partner versus the dominant partner.” he said, comparing himself to Monica Lewinsky, the intern who revealed that she had been involved in a sexual relationship with US President Bill Clinton.
Maese-Czeropski said his long-term goal was to open a pigeon sanctuary, and he now spends his time enjoying the outdoors and living his best life.
