Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander announced today that he’s placed his Washington chief of staff on administrative leave without pay after learning that the top aide’s home had been searched by authorities as part of a child pornography investigation.
“I was just informed by the United States Senate legal counsel’s office that law enforcement agents are conducting a search of the personal residence of Ryan Loskarn, the chief of staff of my Washington, D.C., office regarding allegations involving child pornography,” Alexander said in a statement. “I am stunned, surprised and disappointed by what I have learned. Based on this information, I immediately placed Mr. Loskarn on administrative leave without pay. The office is fully cooperating with the investigation.”
At the moment, we don’t know much else about the investigation. The Postal Inspection Service, which is heading up the operation, has so far declined to comment. Prior to becoming Alexander’s chief of staff, Loskan served as the staff director for the Senate Republican Conference. In 2009, he was named as one of Roll Call’s “Fabulous 50,” a list of the top staffers on Capitol Hill.
