On 1 February, US Capitol Police released a statement concluding that, although there was “likely violation of Congressional policy,” there was “no evidence that a crime was committed”.

“For now, we are closing the investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding a sex video that was recorded inside the Hart Senate Office Building on the morning of Wednesday, December 13,” the statement reported according to CBS.

Last December, The Daily Caller published snippets of a leaked video appearing to show two men having sex in the dais of the Hart Senate Office Building. The origin of the video was confirmed to have been shared in a private group chat for gay men in politics.

What followed the release of the video was an online hunt to find the unidentified top, but little was discussed about the lack of consent in the video being circulated on social media.

“Although the hearing room was not open to the public at the time, the Congressional staffer,” who was not named in the statement “had access to the room.”

The statement continued: “The two people of interest were not cooperative. The Congressional staffer, who has since resigned from his job, exercised his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and refused to talk to us. Our investigators are willing to review new evidence should any come to light.”