The House voted to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards on Tuesday following a House Ethics Committee report that determined there was “substantial evidence” that the North Carolina Republican engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young staffers.”
The measure passed 413-2, with Edwards and another Republican voting against censure. The Ethics Committee recommended the move after its investigation this year concluded that “there was substantial reason to believe Representative Edwards violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.”
“The Committee therefore has recommended that the House of Representatives adopt the Report, and with it, a censure of Representative Edwards for the conduct described therein,” the committee wrote in an August press release.
The resulting scandal led Edwards to end his reelection bid earlier this year following mounting pressure from House Republicans.
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Tuesday’s measure does not strip Edwards of his committee assignments or restrict his voting abilities, but is the highest form of discipline a member can receive short of expulsion. It requires Edwards to stand in the chamber as the resolution condemning his behavior is read aloud.
Edwards spoke on the House floor shortly before the vote, apologizing to the two female staffers at the center of the allegations as well as his wife and family.
“Regret is not an admission of sexual harassment,” Edwards said. “I can acknowledge poor judgment, regret the discomfort that some of my actions may have caused and apologize to those who were hurt by this episode, while still disputing a conclusion that the evidence just simply does not support.”
Edwards has maintained that he did not engage in sexual misconduct, sending lawmakers a 22-page letter defending his actions last week. In the letter, the Republican said that there is “no House rule prohibiting members and staff from being friends.”
Edwards told reporters ahead of the censure vote on Tuesday that “House members should look closely at the process and how the Ethics Committee has chosen to abandon its own rules and make up the rules as they go.”
Sources told NOTUS in May that the committee had launched an investigation into allegations that Edwards had an affair with his former deputy chief of staff, who left his office earlier this year.
Multiple sources told NOTUS that Edwards and the former deputy chief of staff were not entirely private and the relationship became well-known among staff. The rules of the House of Representatives prohibit members from having romantic or sexual relationships with employees under their supervision.
The committee’s report found that Edwards was aware his conduct toward staffers had generated “rumors” and lists instances of alleged inappropriate conduct with staffers. The report found that Edwards went beyond the norms of professional behavior by giving two staffers “lavish gifts.”
“Both women received numerous gifts from Representative Edwards, including jewelry totaling over $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop and cell phone, KitchenAid mixer, robotic vacuum, vacations, tickets to performances, and one-on-one dinners,” the report said.
Lawmakers have employed censures more frequently to target their rivals in recent years, though most recent votes have largely fallen along partisan lines. Edwards was the first Republican to be censured under GOP leadership in decades.
The case is also one in a series of recent high-profile incidents involving lawmakers and staffers. Former Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Tony Gonzales of Texas both resigned after ethics investigations into sexual misconduct allegations.
NOTUS reported that the Ethics Committee also investigated another North Carolina member, Rep. Alma Adams, for an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Adams’ office said the panel did not find an improper relationship.
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