WASHINGTON – In a rare bipartisan rebuke, members of Congress formally condemned a Republican lawmaker after a GOP-led ethics panel accused him of a yearslong pattern of inappropriate behavior toward two young female staffers.
The House of Representatives voted 413-2 on Sept. 1 to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards
. Only Edwards himself and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-South Carolina, opposed the censure resolution.Though it was only symbolic, the official reprimand was an embarrassing political rebuke for the North Carolina congressman, who deliberately campaigned in 2022 as an alternative to his scandal-plagued predecessor.
The vote also marked the latest battle in a Capitol Hill ethics crusade that's reshaping the makeup and work of the legislative branch
as the midterm elections approach. It comes as a pair of leading female lawmakers, a Democrat and Republican, is preparing to unveil new legislation as soon as this month aimed at cracking down on misconduct among members.
A damning report released earlier this summer by the House Ethics Committee showed that Edwards, over years, repeatedly put two young female staffers in an "untenable position" and that any "reasonable observer" would interpret his pattern of behavior as romantic or sexual in nature.
He consistently bought them lavish and recurring gifts, the committee found, while inviting them to intimate dinners and on vacations and sending them "deeply personal and seemingly romantic thoughts." The report included evidence of creepy poems and consistent messages to both employees, neither of whom are named in the panel's findings. The report additionally alleges Edwards discussed plans of going to a strip club with one staffer. At one point, in June 2024, he sent to the other staffer's home 30 different types of ice cream just to "cheer (her) up."
"The committee found that Representative Edwards was, at a minimum, blind to the reality and at worst, dismissive of the impact his conduct had on the career and wellbeing of the women on his staff," said Rep. Michael Guest, R-Mississippi, the chairman of the Ethics Committee.
Edwards has denied any impropriety in his intraoffice relationships. He has stressed that none of the relevant staffers filed a formal complaint against him, and his lawyers say the Ethics Committee bypassed typical procedures that would’ve allowed him to challenge certain evidence. Still, just days after the ethics report was published, he announced that he wouldn't seek reelection and would leave Congress in January.
'I am imperfect,' Edwards says
Ahead of the censure vote, Edwards defended himself on the House floor. He argued that congressional investigators found no evidence of sexual activity, explicit proposition, quid pro quo harassment or violation of federal sexual harassment law. He said they took years of friendships, reciprocal gifts and communications out of context.
“I am imperfect. I have made mistakes," Edwards said. "But I do not believe I committed sexual harassment, and the factual findings of this investigation do not justify branding me as though I did."
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-New Mexico, head of the House Democratic Women's Caucus, criticized Edwards for showing little remorse, accusing him of continuing to minimize his conduct. She pointed in particular to a letter Edwards circulated among colleagues before the vote, calling it "basically a rant defending his actions."
Leger Fernández said she believed that censure was an inadequate response and called on Congress to impose stronger consequences when alleged misconduct drives employees from their jobs.
“These women lost their jobs because of Mr. Edwards’ behavior," she said. "He should lose his."
Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
Cory Vaillancourt is the Helene Recovery/Investigations Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House censures GOP congressman over creepy behavior toward staff
