Nancy Bass Wyden, wife of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and owner of the Strand bookstore in Manhattan, has filed a lawsuit alleging that her late assistant, Brandon O’Brien, embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from her. The suit claims O’Brien stole rare books, family heirlooms, and designer clothing, which he sold online, and used her credit cards to fund a lavish lifestyle.
According to the complaint, O’Brien purchased items such as an annual Disney Incredi-Pass and gym memberships, and stole Amazon rewards points and an emerald pendant belonging to Bass Wyden’s late mother. The thefts allegedly began in August 2022 and were discovered after O’Brien’s death by suicide last spring.
Bass Wyden reported the theft to police, but the case was dropped following O’Brien’s death. The lawsuit comes weeks after O’Brien’s husband, Thomas Maltezos, sued Bass Wyden, claiming her children subjected O’Brien to homophobic slurs and inappropriate behaviour, contributing to his suicide.
Attorney Reyna Lubin, representing Maltezos, called Bass Wyden’s lawsuit “baseless” and a retaliation for the wrongful death claim. Bass Wyden denied the allegations, stating she is seeking accountability for O’Brien’s misconduct and emphasising the need for mental health support.
