The House Ethics Committee on Monday released its report detailing its investigation into Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C. The committee concluded that there is “substantial reason to believe” he violated House rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces, according to the report.
The committee recommended censuring Edwards for his conduct and said it would bring a resolution before the House for a full vote.
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The report comes after the committee announced in May that it had opened an investigation into Edwards’ conduct following an Axios article that alleged Edwards had singled out two young female staffers and lavished them with expensive gifts, trips and personal notes.
What was Edwards accused of?
In its May article, Axios spoke to three anonymous sources who said they witnessed Edwards act in inappropriate ways toward two female staffers, both in their 20s. The witnesses told the outlet that one staffer had told those around them that they were uncomfortable with Edwards’ conduct. They declined to speak to Axios.
The outlet said Edwards bought the staffers’ personal gifts, like purses, jewelry and a custom puzzle that, once assembled, revealed an image of comedian Adam Sandler, with a note inviting the staffer to attend one of Sandler’s comedy shows with him.
Axios later reported that Edwards gave the staffers each a personalized handgun while they worked in his office in 2024. The article stated that Edwards gave one staffer a blue handgun with her name engraved on it, while the other received a pink one.
Axios also said that Edwards sent one of the staffers a note shortly before she left her role. The note featured several compliments, including Edwards saying “You are the most amazing woman,” Axios reported.
“I only wish I could explain the joy and meaning to me for the time we spent together at the office — but especially away from it,” the letter read, according to the outlet.
Following its investigation, the committee said that Edwards engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.” But he told the committee that his conduct was not sexual or romantic.
The committee said that it found no evidence that Edwards engaged in any sexual activity or “explicitly propositioned any individual under his employ.” But the report states that he was aware “that his excessive attention toward the young women had led to rumors and innuendo in the office.”
The report describes Edwards’ conduct towards the young staffers as “increasingly unusual attention” and said it left both of them and their coworkers uncomfortable.
“Both women were uncomfortable with his behavior (which they attempted to communicate) but were put in an untenable position by virtue of his status as their boss and a Member of Congress,” the report stated. “Representative Edwards was at minimum blind to that reality, and at worst, dismissive of the impact his inappropriate conduct had on the careers and wellbeing of two women on his staff.”
The House Ethics Committee’s report concluded that Edwards’ conduct “violated the House Code of Official Conduct by failing to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers.”
What happens next?
The House Ethics Committee voted to recommend that Edwards be censured, a formal rebuke of a member that does not strip lawmakers of their voting rights. The committee additionally did not recommend Edwards be stripped of his committee assignments.
The committee has no authority to punish representatives. It can only recommend punishments. The recommendation would require a majority vote in the House to move forward. The House is on recess until Aug. 31, and a vote isn’t expected until they return, Axios reported.
The report comes as the Ethics Committee has recently faced pressure to improve its transparency around misconduct allegations. In early March, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., forced a House vote on a resolution that would’ve released details from all reports of sexual misconduct and harassment by members of Congress. Her motion followed reports claiming Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
It also came after former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., resigned from office following reports of sexual assault and misconduct. In his announcement, Swalwell apologized for “mistakes” but continued to deny allegations.
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