Sen. Lamar Alexander's ex-chief of staff commits suicide after child-porn charges

GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander’s former chief of staff (center) was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 10. He was found dead on Thursday.

Tennessee senator Lamar Alexander’s ex-chief of staff committed suicide by hanging himself on Thursday.
Ryan Loskarn was a rising star on Capitol Hill until he was arrested last month for possessing and distributing child pornography. Family members found the 35-year-old unconscious in the basement of his parents’ house, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s office.
The suicide was confirmed on Friday by the office of Maryland's chief medical examiner.

The Sykesville resident had been released on his own recognizance and was living in his parents’ home ever since his arrest in December. He was forced to wear an electronic monitor on his ankle and banned from using the Internet.
During a Dec. 16 detention hearing in Washington, assistant U.S. Attorney Mi Yung Park argued against releasing Loskarn from police custody. The man had apparently told officials that his life was over.
Defense lawyer Pamela Satterfield dismissed these claims, stating that suicide was “not a concern.”

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Law enforcement officials reportedly found 200 child-porn videos on Loskarn's hard drive.

He was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 10. If convicted, Loskarn had faced up to 10 years on the possession charge and a minimum of five and maximum of 20 years on the distribution charge.
Loskarn’s fall from grace came as a surprise to many of his close acquaintances on the Hill. According to Politico, the man regularly brushed elbows with GOP senators, other political aides, and members of the media. Prior to his arrest, his criminal record was clean.
In court documents, prosecutors allege that between November 2010 and March 2011, Loskarn made numerous purchases from a website that was selling child pornography DVDs. The man was also accused of allowing others to download the sickening files from his own computer.

When federal agents raided his Washington, D.C., home last month, Loskarn reportedly tried to hide a portable hard drive by placing it outside his window. Officers later found 200 child-porn videos on that drive.
That same day, Loskarn lost his job as Alexander’s chief of staff.

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Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., fired Loskarn immediately after the man's arrest. 

"For everyone involved, this is a sad and tragic story from beginning to end," Alexander said in a statement.

According to Loskarn’s LinkedIn account, he graduated from Tulane University in 2000. He worked as a legal assistant for retired Republican U.S. Rep. Wally Herger of California.
He later was the communications director for U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, and eventually became staff director for the Senate Republican Conference.
Loskarn was well versed in Senate procedure and was considered a sharp prognosticator of how debates and standoffs would play out. He was known to share colorful anecdotes and keen observations about body language and mood in the Senate.
In a statement released to the Washington Post, Loskarn's parents Chuck and Gay Loskarn said, "We loved our son very much, and we’re devastated by his death. Please respect our privacy at this difficult time and let us grieve in peace. Pray for him, his family and friends.”