Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican from North Carolina, is making a last-minute appeal to his House colleagues to reject a resolution that would censure him for his conduct toward two female staffers. Ahead of the vote, Edwards circulated a six-page letter defending his actions, stating that while some may interpret his interactions differently, "context matters."
"An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition," Edwards wrote in the letter dated Aug. 25. "A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct. Socializing with a colleague is not sexual misconduct. Caring deeply about someone with whom you have worked and come to know for years is not sexual misconduct."
The 65-year-old lawmaker highlighted that a House ethics panel report concluded he had "neither engaged in sexual activity with nor explicitly propositioned any individual staff member" and had not violated federal sexual harassment law, nor did the allegations implicate quid pro quo sexual harassment. Edwards asserted in his letter that his behavior toward the two staffers was consistent with how he treated other staff, including gifts and trips.
The ethics panel's report detailed instances where the two women, who previously worked with Edwards when he was a state senator, "were subject to increasingly unusual attention from the Congressman while they worked for him, creating an environment where both they and their coworkers felt uncomfortable." The report cited examples such as Edwards telling a staffer in her early 20s that it was "disappointing to feel something that used to be easy has gotten complicated" after she declined a dinner invitation due to rumors. He also reportedly gave the staffers gifts including jewelry over $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, flowers, electronics, a KitchenAid mixer, a robotic vacuum, and paid for vacations and tickets to performances. Edwards also allegedly performed yardwork at one staffer's home, drove her to events, and decorated her Christmas tree, skipping House votes to do so. He also read a poem for one staffer at her going-away party.
The report concluded that 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." Current House rules prohibit members from engaging in "unwelcome sexual advances or conduct" toward employees. Edwards maintained in his letter that he does not seek approval for his behavior but argued that "many of the activities emphasized by the report are not themselves prohibited."
Censure is one of the strongest forms of public rebuke in the House, requiring a majority vote for passage, though it does not result in removal from office. Edwards had previously withdrawn his bid for re-election.
Condemnation of Edwards' actions has come from both sides of the aisle. Rep. Kat Cammack, chair of the Republican Women's Caucus, posted on X that "Members of Congress hold extraordinary power over their staff. With that power comes a responsibility to exercise sound judgment and maintain appropriate boundaries." Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, referred to Edwards' letter as "22 pages of ramblings by someone who refuses to understand sexual harassment or his abusive power over the women who worked for him."
The House ethics panel is also investigating allegations against other members, including Rep. Cory Mills of Florida and Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California.