The US House of Representatives has censured Republican congressman Chuck Edwards after an ethics investigation found that he engaged in persistent inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.
The resolution passed by 413 votes to two on Tuesday, September 1, with only Mr Edwards and fellow Republican Ralph Norman of South Carolina voting against it. Mr Edwards then stood in the well of the House chamber while the formal rebuke was read aloud.
The bipartisan House Ethics Committee concluded that there was “substantial reason to believe” Mr Edwards had breached rules covering sexual harassment and hostile workplaces. Its chairman, Michael Guest, said the case did not involve “quid pro quo sexual harassment”, but that the congressman’s behaviour had helped create a hostile working environment. ([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/))
The inquiry found that Mr Edwards repeatedly commented on the women’s appearance and clothing, sent notes expressing his affection and invited them to private dinners and holidays. He also gave them gifts including jewellery worth more than $1,000, designer handbags, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop, a mobile phone and a KitchenAid mixer.
Investigators said the conduct also included poems written for one of the women, yard work carried out at her home, paid-for massages and spa treatments, and large deliveries of ice cream. The committee said the women had been placed in “an untenable position” because Mr Edwards was both their employer and a member of Congress.
The report did not find evidence that Mr Edwards had engaged in sexual activity with either woman or explicitly propositioned them. But Mr Guest said the pattern of behaviour could reasonably be interpreted as sexual or romantic advances, despite Mr Edwards’s denials. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/7cd5aa1f9d249d2c59b5ae7a149c0e7d))
Mr Edwards, 65, apologised to the women during remarks on the House floor, saying he was sorry that his actions, judgement or attempts to express friendship had made either of them uncomfortable. He also apologised to his wife and family.
At the same time, the North Carolina Republican rejected the committee’s central conclusion. “I am imperfect. I have made mistakes, but I do not believe I committed sexual harassment,” he said, adding that “regret is not an admission of sexual harassment”. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/7cd5aa1f9d249d2c59b5ae7a149c0e7d))
In a 22-page letter sent to colleagues last week, Mr Edwards argued that the committee had drawn an unjustified conclusion by assembling a series of otherwise permissible interactions and viewing them “through the darkest possible lens”. He said the evidence did not support branding him as someone who had committed sexual harassment.
The ethics investigation, completed in just over four months, involved interviews with 16 people and a review of almost 1,500 pages of documents, according to the committee’s ranking Democrat, Mark DeSaulnier. The women had previously worked for Mr Edwards when he was a state senator before joining his congressional office. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/7cd5aa1f9d249d2c59b5ae7a149c0e7d))
Mr Edwards announced in August that he would not seek re-election, shortly after the committee recommended that he be censured. The House Ethics Committee said on August 3 that he had agreed to waive some procedural steps, while continuing to dispute its findings. ([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/))
A censure is a public reprimand and one of the House’s most serious disciplinary measures short of expulsion. The punishment has become increasingly common in recent years, although the Edwards vote was notable for the overwhelming support it received from members of both parties.
