House panel seeks censure of Rep. Chuck Edwards over conduct toward female staff

The House Ethics Committee recommended that the chamber censure Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina) for what it characterized in a report released Monday as “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two young female staffers.

Edwards has denied any misconduct. His attorneys accused the committee of reaching an “expeditious and unfounded resolution,” and called the recommended censure “extraordinarily harsh.”

“Representative Edwards emphasizes that he has endeavored to comply with all applicable laws regarding his conduct during his time as a Member of Congress and before,” his attorneys wrote in a statement released by the committee. “Once more, he states his sincere regret if his conduct caused any staff member discomfort or was unwelcome.”

The Ethics Committee - which is made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans - publicly confirmed in May that it had opened an investigation into Edwards after receiving allegations that he “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.”

The committee said it found no evidence that Edwards engaged in sexual activity with or explicitly propositioned any of his staffers. However, he was aware “that his excessive attention toward the young women had led to rumors and innuendo in the office,” the report said.

The committee found that while Edwards believed that none of his conduct was intended as a sexual or romantic advance, his behavior patterns “would lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.”

According to the report, Edwards provided the two staffers “with lavish and recurrent gifts,” made “comments regarding their appearance and dress,” invited them “to intimate dinners and vacations” and sent notes “regarding his effusive affection.”

The women, the panel found, were “uncomfortable” with his behavior and attempted to communicate that to him but were “put in an untenable position by virtue of his status as their boss.”

Documents and text messages included in the report shared by the Ethics Committee show that Edwards repeatedly made grand gestures for the two staffers.

On one occasion, he and a staffer appeared to take a private trip to Las Vegas together, the report said. Edwards booked rooms at the Bellagio for him and the staffer, and also promised to get them tickets to shows in the city.

At one point, after the staffer asked Edwards for ideas on what outfits to pack for the trip, Edwards texted: “A pair of jean shorts and a yellow blouse that you wore to a concert is baked into my memory, and a red dress you wore to a neighboring office event was a SHOW STOPPER!”

Later in the conversation, before the flight, Edwards sent the staffer flowers, which she noted made her “uncomfortable.”

“Just want to make sure this trip isn’t meant to be anything it’s not?” she texted.

“I’m sorry it made you uncomfortable. Nothing was meant by it,” Edwards replied.

On another occasion, Edwards offered to miss a House vote to help one of the staffers set up her Christmas tree, the report said. In another, he offered to reschedule a tele-townhall to meet the staffer for dinner.

Other messages included in the report show that Edwards regularly invited the staffers out for dinner and drinks, as well as outings to casinos, theater, comedy and musical shows.

When one of the staffers left Edwards’s office, the lawmaker sent a lengthy text saying that her absence “leaves a space no one else can fill - professionally or personally.”

“Even at my loss, I promise you will never find anyone that wishes for your happiness more than me. NEVER, ANYONE!” Edwards wrote.

And in a handwritten note to one of the staffers, Edwards described her as “the most amazing woman” who has “written a complex chapter in my heart.”

In their response to the committee, Edwards’s attorneys argued that its findings “exonerate Representative Edwards under House Rules governing sexual misconduct or harassment.”

The attorneys, Stanley M. Brand and Andrew D. Herman, underscored that Edwards “neither engaged in sexual activity with nor explicitly propositioned any individual staff member” and said that “the allegations in this matter do not implicate quid pro quo sexual harassment.”

Edwards is facing a reelection challenge by Democrat Jamie Ager, a farmer from the mountainous swing district that Democrats see as a pickup opportunity as they seek to win back the House majority. This year, House Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, added the district to its “red-to-blue” list, signaling its intention to invest in the race.

“My heart goes out to the young women who took these roles to serve our community,” Ager said in a statement. “We deserve leaders with the moral character Western North Carolina can be proud of.”

The Cook Political Report recently ranked the seat, North Carolina’s 11th District, as a “lean Republican” district - a shift from “likely Republican.”

Censure is one of three ways the House can choose to discipline a member, the other two being a reprimand and an expulsion. If the House adopts the committee’s recommendation to censure Edwards, it also could vote to remove him from his committee assignments. He would still be able to vote on the floor. Republicans hold a razor-thin majority in the chamber.