House Ethics Committee Investigates GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday that it is investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., over allegations that he “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.”

Edwards responded in a statement provided to The Hill on Thursday afternoon saying, “As I have stated, I welcome any investigation and plan to comply fully with the Committee.”

CNN

NBC News reported that the announcement follows reports that Edwards was scrutinized over interactions with much younger female staffers that left them feeling uncomfortable, and it said Edwards previously called the allegations “baseless.”

The House Ethics Committee said the notification about the investigation “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” and it noted the mere fact of investigating and publicly disclosing its review does not indicate a violation has occurred.

Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement, “To state the obvious, all women should feel comfortable and safe working in the halls of Congress,” as he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries teamed upon Thursday to support a bipartisan effort to address a surge of sexual assault allegations against members.

Jeffries added that the effort has “the complete and unequivocal support of the House Democratic Caucus,” and the chairs of the Republican and Democratic Women’s Caucuses, Rep. Kat Cammack and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, would lead a review of House reporting mechanisms and “workplace culture on Capitol Hill.”

CNN

NBC News reported that it asked Johnson about the Axios reports and he called the allegations “serious” and “concerning,” while adding that Edwards says they are “all untrue.”

In the same NBC News account, Edwards told NBC News he welcomed the investigation and said, “I am confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction.”

Axios reported that the Ethics Committee’s investigation into Edwards is reviewing allegations tied to conduct toward two female staffers in their 20s, including a complaint that Edwards pressured one staffer to go out to dinner and get drinks.

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Axios

Axios also reported that Edwards wrote a note telling her she’d “written a complex chapter in my heart,” and it said he gifted a custom puzzle revealing an image of Adam Sandler with a handwritten note inviting her to go to one of Sandler’s shows with him.

CNN reported that Edwards denied having any inappropriate relationship with staff, telling the network, “I think you’re gonna find that when Ethics completes their investigation that the facts will have caught up with all the gossip and the rumor.”

POLITICO described the Edwards probe as less formal than an inquiry by an investigative subcommittee, and it said the panel must announce the formation of an investigative subcommittee under committee rules, while investigations conducted at the discretion of leadership can operate in secret.