A newly filed civil lawsuit accuses the family of U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) of subjecting a gay employee to years of abuse before his death by suicide in May.
Thomas Maltezos, the widower of Brandon O’Brien, filed the suit. O’Brien worked as a personal assistant to Nancy Bass Wyden, the senator’s wife, from 2022 until late 2024.
According to the complaint, O’Brien faced repeated harassment from the Wyden children while employed by the family.
The Wyden daughter, a minor at the time, allegedly made sexually explicit remarks and asked O’Brien personal questions about his intimate life.
More serious allegations are directed at the Wyden son, a teenager, who reportedly used anti-gay slurs, made threats of violence, and once claimed his football team would “rape” O’Brien.
As the New York Post reports:
The disturbing behavior began in September 2022 when the couple’s then-10-year-old daughter allegedly exposed herself to O’Brien, making “sexually explicit” comments and asking about his “intimate life” during school drop-offs, O’Brien’s husband, Thomas Maltezos, alleged in court papers he filed against Bass Wyden and her company, Bass Real Estate LLC.
But the mom — whose family founded the East Village bookshop nearly a century ago — allegedly did nothing about the behavior, Maltezos contended.
Meanwhile, the Wydens’ teenage son berated O’Brien with homophobic slurs such as “f—-t” and “zest kitten,” and the boy said “his football team ‘would rape him,”‘ the suit claimed.
The boy allegedly threw things at O’Brien and the mom once “maced her son to restrain him but inadvertently maced Mr. O’Brien,” according to the Manhattan Supreme Court papers.
The lawsuit says O’Brien resigned in September 2024 due to the constant mistreatment.
After he left, Nancy Bass Wyden allegedly accused him of stealing more than $650,000, hired private investigators, and, according to court papers, “spread false rumors … to industry contacts and [his] professional colleagues.”
O’Brien died by suicide on May 26, 2025. His widower alleges the mental toll of the abuse and defamation contributed directly to his death.
Authorities in New York dropped the theft case after his suicide.
Ron Wyden, Oregon’s senior senator, has long held a powerful position in Washington. He’s currently the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which he previously chaired. He also sits on the Energy and Natural Resources, Budget, and Intelligence committees.
The Wyden family denies the allegations. None of the claims have been proven in court.
At this point, there is no independent corroboration of key details, such as the language used or how frequently the alleged abuse occurred. The case is still in early stages, and the facts will be tested in court.
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