House Ethics Committee investigating sexual harassment allegations against Rep. Chuck Edwards
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.”
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The announcement follows reports that Edwards was under scrutiny due to his interactions with much younger female employees, which made them uncomfortable.
Edwards previously called the allegations “baseless” and said in a statement to NBC News on Thursday that he welcomed an investigation.
“As I have said, I welcome any investigation and plan to fully comply with the Committee’s recommendations,” he said. “I am confident that the investigation will expose the facts, not a politically motivated fiction. »
A report in Axios this week, citing four sources familiar with their interactions, said a former staffer had complained to others that the married Edwards was pressuring her to go out to dinner and drinks with him. She then expressed her concerns to her chief of staff.
When the employee left, the website reported, Edwards wrote her a note telling her that she had “written a complex chapter in my heart.”
He also gave her a personalized puzzle revealing an image of Adam Sandler, as well as a handwritten note inviting her to attend one of Sandler’s shows with him, the site reported.
Politico, citing two people with knowledge of the investigation into Edwards, reported earlier this month that he was under investigation over an alleged relationship he had with a subordinate and allegations of sexual harassment against staff.
NBC News has not independently confirmed these allegations.
NBC News asked Chairman Mike Johnson, R-La., about the allegations in the Axios reports, and he called them “serious” and “concerning” but added that Edwards says they are “all false.”
“I will say that I am consistent: Whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat, a friend or a foe, we must allow due process to take place. We cannot allow mere allegations to be a determining factor here,” Johnson said.
Democrats have targeted Edwards in the midterms, seeking to unseat the two-term Republican from North Carolina’s 11th District seat.
The Ethics Committee is a bipartisan committee, made up of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and it “noted that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations and publicly disclosing its review does not in itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”
The investigation comes at what has been a busy period for the committee. He was investigating both Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, over allegations of sexual misconduct last month when they both resigned. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
The panel is also investigating Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., over allegations of “sexual misconduct and/or dating violence” and campaign finance violations. Mills has denied any wrongdoing.
