Sen. Ben Cardin's staffer, who shot video of himself having sex with another man in a Senate hearing room has been fired … after "conservative outlets" alleged that the aide appeared in a leaked video, says NBC News.

So Republicans pounced on the allegations, huh? It's on video. The staffer even tried to play the victim on LinkedIn, arguing that he was "being attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda" and that "I would never disrespect my workplace."

First, you were being attacked for where you chose to love, not whom. And your own boss, a Democrat, has sent you packing.

Always hedging its bets, NBC News reported that conservative outlets had alleged the aide had filmed himself having sex in a Senate hearing room. Alleged? It's on video … that he shot.

Amanda Terkel and Frank Thorp V report:

Sen. Ben Cardin’s office has parted ways with a staffer who conservative news outlets alleged was shown in a leaked video having sex in a Senate hearing room.

…

On Friday, The Daily Caller, a conservative news outlet, published what it said was video showing a congressional staffer having “sex with an unknown man in the Senate hearing room.” It added that the video was shared “in a private group for gay men in politics.”

Conservative outlets then alleged that Maese-Czeropski, a legislative aide for Cardin, was one of the men in the video.

 "Conservative news outlets alleged," The Daily Caller, "a conservative news outlet," "Conservative outlets then alleged" — is this a story about conservative outlets? And the implication, of course, is that liberal news outlets like NBC News would never have reported on it … they would have buried the story.

It's kind of refreshing that NBC News is making conservative outlets the centerpiece of its story, demonstrating that they'll report what the mainstream media would have buried.