North Carolina Republican Chuck Edwards has been censured by the US House after an ethics investigation found that he subjected two young female staffers to persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct.
The measure passed by an overwhelming 413 votes to two on Tuesday, September 1, after Edwards, 65, apologised to his wife, Teresa, and his family in a speech from the House floor. He had abandoned his bid for re-election last month, shortly after the Ethics Committee recommended that he be punished. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/7cd5aa1f9d249d2c59b5ae7a149c0e7d?utm_source=openai))
Edwards said his family had been forced to carry a “burden they did not create” because of his actions. He also apologised to the two former aides, saying he had misunderstood the nature of their relationships and had exposed them to public scrutiny.
But he rejected the suggestion that his behaviour amounted to sexual harassment, defending the gifts, compliments and poetry he had given the women.
“Generosity is not sexual harassment. Caring deeply about the people with whom you’ve worked for years is not sexual harassment,” he told colleagues.
The bipartisan House Ethics Committee concluded that Edwards had failed to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment and unwanted advances towards House staff. It said the women had been made uncomfortable by his behaviour while occupying an inherently vulnerable position because he was their employer and a member of Congress. ([ethics.house.gov](https://ethics.house.gov/press-releases/statement-of-the-chairman-and-ranking-member-of-the-committee-on-ethics-regarding-representative-chuck-edwards-2/?utm_source=openai))
Gifts, personal messages and invitations
Investigators found that Edwards repeatedly commented on the aides’ appearance, clothing and weight, and described them as “pretty” or “breathtaking”. He also sent messages expressing what the committee called “effusive affection”, and invited the women to private dinners and holidays.
The report said the gifts included jewellery worth more than $1,000, designer handbags, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop and mobile phone, a KitchenAid mixer, a robotic vacuum cleaner, theatre tickets and holidays. ([ethics.house.gov](https://ethics.house.gov/committee-reports/in-the-matter-of-allegations-relating-to-representative-chuck-edwards/?utm_source=openai))
On one occasion in June 2024, Edwards arranged for about 30 tubs of ice cream to be delivered to an aide’s home after believing she was upset. The woman replied that the gesture appeared excessive, according to the committee’s findings.
Investigators also raised concerns about missing messages, including the exchange about the ice cream. Edwards said he deleted messages “at a whim”.
The committee found no evidence that Edwards had engaged in sexual activity with either woman or explicitly propositioned them. However, it concluded that his conduct crossed professional boundaries and contributed to a hostile workplace.
Teresa Leger Fernandez, chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, described Edwards’s conduct as “disgusting and horrible” and urged every member of Congress to support the censure.
Edwards had mounted a final effort to avoid the punishment, circulating a 22-page letter to fellow lawmakers in which he argued that the committee had made an “extraordinary leap” in treating his conduct as sexual harassment. His appeal failed, and he was required to stand in the House chamber for the formal reading of the censure resolution. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/01/chuck-edwards-censure-sexual-harassment-female-staff?utm_source=openai))
