Wyden Aide's Suicide Sparks Lawsuit; Theft Probe Dropped

A lawsuit filed by Thomas Maltezos alleges his husband, 35-year-old Brandon O’Brien — who worked for Nancy Bass Wyden from June 2022 to September 2024 — was driven to suicide after two years of verbal abuse, sexualized behavior and homophobic taunts by Sen. Ron Wyden’s children while performing duties that included driving and caring for the couple’s young kids. Court papers say the then‑10‑year‑old daughter exposed herself and made sexually explicit comments at school drop‑offs and that the teenage son repeatedly hurled homophobic slurs — including “faggot” and “zest kitten” — threatened rape by teammates and threw objects; in one incident Bass Wyden accidentally pepper‑sprayed O’Brien while trying to restrain her son. O’Brien resigned in September 2024, and Bass Wyden reported him to police the following day, accusing him of stealing roughly $650,000 and hiring a private investigator who, the complaint says, spread damaging rumors. O’Brien died by suicide in May 2025 and, according to the complaint, the theft probe was later dropped. Bass Wyden’s lawyers have moved to dismiss the suit as baseless and say the claims reflect an alleged pattern of misconduct; the case has drawn attention because it contrasts with Senator Wyden’s long record of LGBTQ advocacy and presents sharply conflicting accounts.