A devastating lawsuit alleges that the children of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) subjected their mother's personal assistant to relentless harassment that ultimately led to his suicide.
According to the New York Post, Brandon O'Brien, 35, worked for Nancy Bass Wyden, the senator's wife and owner of Manhattan's Strand Bookstore, from June 2022 until September 2024. The lawsuit was filed by O'Brien's husband, Thomas Maltezos, against Bass Wyden and her company, Bass Real Estate LLC, in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The legal action details disturbing allegations about the treatment O'Brien reportedly endured while employed as Bass Wyden's personal assistant, which included childcare responsibilities for the couple's children. According to court documents, O'Brien was frequently tasked with driving the Wyden children to school in New York City and supervising them during family trips to Disney World.
Shocking Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior
The lawsuit claims the troubling conduct began in September 2022 when the Wydens' then-10-year-old daughter allegedly exposed herself to O'Brien and made sexually explicit comments. Court documents state the child also inquired about O'Brien's "intimate life" during school drop-offs, behavior that Bass Wyden allegedly failed to address despite being aware of the situation.
The Wydens' teenage son allegedly directed homophobic slurs at O'Brien, including derogatory terms and threatening comments about rape. According to the lawsuit, the son would throw objects at O'Brien, and in one incident, Bass Wyden reportedly used mace to restrain her son but accidentally sprayed O'Brien in the process.
Maltezos claims in the court filing that he personally witnessed some of the alleged abuse during family trips to Disney World. The lawsuit states that these incidents occurred in front of both Maltezos and his mother, providing potential witnesses to the alleged behavior.
Employment Termination and Theft Allegations
O'Brien resigned from his position on September 30, 2024, reportedly due to the ongoing harassment and lack of intervention. The day after his resignation, Bass Wyden filed a report with the New York Police Department accusing O'Brien of stealing $650,000 through credit card fraud and other means.
The lawsuit alleges that Bass Wyden hired a private investigator to probe into O'Brien's personal and professional life following his departure. By January 2025, Bass Wyden had allegedly spread false rumors about O'Brien to industry contacts and professional colleagues, actions that the lawsuit claims left him deeply distressed.
O'Brien died by suicide on May 26, 2025, approximately eight months after leaving his employment with the Wyden family. Following his death, authorities dropped the theft investigation that had been initiated by Bass Wyden's complaint.
Legal Responses and Family Background
Bass Wyden's legal team has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, with a spokesperson for Bass Real Estate describing the allegations as "baseless and deeply misguided." The spokesperson further stated that the lawsuit is "riddled with false accusations" and suggested it was an attempt to deflect attention from O'Brien's alleged misconduct.
Attorneys representing Maltezos, Eric Baum and Reyna Lubin, issued a statement condemning the alleged behavior, saying: "The allegations against the senator's wife are shocking, disturbing, and cruel — no person should ever be subject to this level of harassment, much less in the workplace."
Senator Ron Wyden, 76, has served in Congress since 1981, first as a Representative before being elected to the Senate in 1996. The progressive Democrat married Nancy Bass Wyden in 2005, and the couple has three children together in addition to Wyden's two adult children from a previous marriage.
