House censures Rep. Edwards after a bipartisan investigation found he engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his office.
The House voted 413-2 on Tuesday to formally rebuke Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., following a House Ethics Committee report that detailed behavior creating a hostile work environment. A censure signals deep disapproval by the chamber, short of expulsion.
House censures Rep. Edwards amid ethics findings
Committee Chair Rep. Michael Guest said the case did not involve quid pro quo sexual harassment. He said the lawmaker’s conduct, including lavish gifts, comments on appearance, affectionate notes, and invitations to intimate dinners and trips, would lead a reasonable person to interpret it as romantic or sexual in nature. Guest said Edwards knew the women were uncomfortable. Both staffers have since left his office.
On the House floor, Edwards apologized to the two women for putting them in an uncomfortable position and also to his wife and family. He said his intentions were based on what he understood to be friendship. Edwards disputed the panel’s most damaging conclusions and the censure recommendation, stressing the report found no evidence of sexual activity or explicit propositions. “I am imperfect. I have made mistakes, but I do not believe I committed sexual harassment,” he said.
Edwards is in his second term representing a district in western North Carolina and chose not to seek reelection after the committee issued its report.
Broader scrutiny of conduct on Capitol Hill
The censure comes as the House confronts multiple cases involving behavior toward female staffers. Earlier this year, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales faced expulsion calls before stepping down. Last month, the Ethics Committee said it is reviewing allegations that Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., may have engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with a staffer. Gomez pledged to cooperate, said his actions were consensual and did not violate law or House rules, and apologized to his family and constituents.
House rules bar sexual harassment or unwanted advances toward subordinates. The Ethics Committee said that even without an explicit proposition, a reasonable person could view Edwards’ intimate and effusive attention, prioritizing the personal over the professional, as thinly veiled advances.
Ranking member Rep. Mark DeSaulnier said the probe lasted more than four months, included interviews with 16 people, and examined nearly 1,500 pages of documents. He said Edwards gave the women jewelry, designer purses, shoes, and flowers, commented on their appearance, sent deeply personal letters, and even skipped a vote series to decorate a Christmas tree at one staffer’s home. “These are not innocuous, isolated instances,” DeSaulnier said, calling the conduct sustained and inappropriate.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., described the behavior as outlandish and disturbing. “If we don’t take action today, there is no opportunity for these women to receive justice,” she said.
