A lawsuit alleges that the children of Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) subjected their mother’s former personal assistant to sustained harassment, contributing to his suicide. Brandon O’Brien, 35, a former executive assistant to Nancy Bass Wyden, died by suicide in May after a prolonged period of alleged mistreatment.
According to court documents, O’Brien worked for Bass Wyden, owner of Manhattan’s Strand Bookstore, from June 2022 to September 2024. His husband, Thomas Maltzeos, filed a lawsuit against Bass Wyden and her company, Bass Real Estate LLC, alleging the family’s children engaged in abusive behavior. The suit claims the couple’s then-10-year-old daughter made “sexually explicit” remarks and asked about O’Brien’s personal life during school drop-offs. It also alleges the teenage son used homophobic slurs, threatened violence, and threw objects at O’Brien.
The lawsuit further states that Bass Wyden allegedly intervened when her son was maced but accidentally maced O’Brien instead. Some incidents reportedly occurred at Disney in front of Maltzeos and his mother.
Bass Wyden’s legal team has dismissed the claims as “baseless” and accused O’Brien of theft, citing allegations he stole $650,000 from her. A spokesperson for Bass Real Estate stated the lawsuit was an attempt to deflect attention from O’Brien’s alleged misconduct.
O’Brien resigned in September 2024, and his husband described him as a devoted employee who “made every space better with his quiet grace.” After O’Brien’s death, Maltzeos shared an emotional tribute, calling his loss “shattering.” NYPD investigators dropped their theft case against O’Brien following his suicide.
Maltzeos’ lawyers condemned the alleged behavior, calling it “shocking, disturbing, and cruel,” while Bass Wyden denied the allegations and reiterated her claims of O’Brien’s dishonesty.