Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) spoke with the press on Monday about an ex-staffer who was linked to an explicit video hat emerged Friday of two men having sex in a congressional hearing room.
READ MORE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/12/16/porn-scandal-roils-capitol-democratic-staffer-out-after-being-linked-to-video/?sh=57a87f3485b5
READ MORE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/12/16/porn-scandal-roils-capitol-democratic-staffer-out-after-being-linked-to-video/?sh=57a87f3485b5
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00:00 I'm not going to comment on the personnel issue and it's under investigation.
00:05 >> What do you mean you're terribly angered?
00:06 Can you explain how you came to learn this and your emotions in seeing this?
00:12 >> I learned it over the weekend.
00:13 >> Are there any internal investigations happening in your office to figure out
00:18 what went on here, any hiring practices?
00:22 >> These are personnel issues that I won't talk about publicly
00:26 as to how we handle personnel.
00:28 >> Did your office book the room at the time?
00:31 >> I don't know the details.
00:32 >> Yeah, how did he get in there?
00:33 >> I don't know the details.
00:35 >> What was this staffer like?
00:36 >> My knowledge of this was over the weekend when I learned about it.
00:42 Made sure that he was separated, so he left the Senate appointment.
00:47 And that the appropriate steps were taken from the point of view of our office.
00:54 >> Did he exhibit any unusual behavior while he was working in the office?
00:57 >> I would not be the right one.
00:59 >> Do you know him very well?
01:00 >> I would have to ask, these are personnel issues and
01:04 I would not be the right person.
01:06 I'm just not gonna get into personnel issues.
01:09 >> Do you think there will be criminal charges pressed?
01:11 >> I'm not gonna get into personnel investigations.
01:13 >> But your office is what, cooperating with the Capitol Police on this?
01:18 And have they contacted you to look into this?
01:20 >> They haven't contacted me, but
01:22 I'd have to check to see if someone in my office was contacted.
01:25 >> So is this a staffer, just following up on your question,
01:27 that you knew personally, that you worked with personally?
01:30 >> I know all my staff people, so I know them.
01:32 >> Were you particularly close to the staffer?
01:34 Do you know him well?
01:35 >> I can't tell you that I know him.
01:38 >> I'm not gonna get into my relationship with the staffer.
01:41 >> The video, that looks like a legit video, right?
01:45 >> I don't know.
01:47 I'm not gonna get into that cuz that's something that'll be investigated,
01:52 I guess, I don't know.
01:53 I'm not gonna get into the specifics, it's not what I know.
01:57 >> You met with Senator Schumer today, was this part of the discussion with him?
02:00 >> I don't know.
02:01 >> Thank you.
02:02 >> Thanks.
02:03 >> So it's a breach of trust.
02:05 It's my understanding the Capitol Police is doing the investigation,
02:08 it's a personnel issue.
02:09 So we clearly will be, I'm not gonna comment on the personnel issue,
02:15 and it's under investigation.
02:16 >> But even you're terribly angry, can you explain how you came to learn this,
02:20 and your emotions and so on and so forth?
02:23 >> I learned it over the weekend, and it's brought to my attention.
02:26 >> Are there any internal investigations happening in your office to figure out
02:29 what went on here, any hiring practices?
02:34 >> These are personnel issues that I won't talk about publicly,
02:38 as to how we hand personnel.
02:39 >> Had your office booked the room at that time?
02:42 >> I don't know the details.
02:43 >> Yeah, how did he get in there?
02:44 >> I don't know the details.
02:46 >> What was the staffer like?
02:48 >> My knowledge of this was over the weekend.
02:52 When I learned about it, made sure that he was separated.
02:56 So he left the Senate employment, and
02:59 that the appropriate steps were taken from the point of view of our office.
03:06 >> Did he exhibit any unusual behavior while he was working in the office?
03:09 >> I would not be the right one.
03:10 >> Do you know him very well?
03:12 >> I would have to ask, these are personnel issues, and
03:15 I would not be the right person.
03:17 I'm just not gonna get into personnel issues.
03:20 >> Do you think there will be criminal charges pressed?
03:22 >> I'm not gonna get into personnel investigations.
03:25 >> But your office is cooperating with the Capitol Police, right?
03:28 >> Absolutely, absolutely.
03:29 >> And have they contacted you to look into this?
03:31 >> They haven't contacted me, but
03:33 I'd have to check to see if someone in my office was contacted.
03:36 >> Was this a staffer, just following that earlier question,
03:39 that you knew personally, that you worked with personally?
03:42 >> I know all my staff people, so I know-
03:43 >> Well, were you particularly close to the staffer?
03:45 >> I can't tell you that I, I'm not gonna get into my relationship with our staff people.
03:53 >> The video is, that looks like a legit video, right?
03:56 >> I don't know, I'm not gonna get into that,
04:00 cuz that's something that'll be investigated, I guess.
04:04 I don't know, but I'm not gonna get into the specifics, cuz I don't,
04:07 it's not what I know.
04:08 >> You met with Senator Schumer today, was this part of the discussion with him?
04:11 >> No, not at all.
04:12 >> Thank you. >> Thank you.