Key takeaways:
- Edwards said Wednesday he is withdrawing from his reelection campaign but will complete his current House term.
- The House Ethics Committee recommended censure after finding Edwards engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two young female staffers.
- The committee said it found no evidence Edwards engaged in sexual activity with or propositioned staffers, and Edwards has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., said Wednesday he will abandon his reelection campaign, days after the House Ethics Committee recommended that he be censured over allegations involving his conduct toward two female staffers.
“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” Edwards wrote in a post on X early Wednesday. “I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support.” CBS News reported that his post also said, “God bless WNC and America.”
The decision followed a monthslong ethics investigation that concluded there was “substantial reason to believe” Edwards violated House rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces. In a 25-page report released Monday, the bipartisan committee said Edwards “engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.”
“The Committee found that Representative Edwards violated the House Code of Official Conduct by failing to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers,” the panel said.
A censure is a formal expression of disapproval by the House. The committee recommended that the full House take that step against Edwards.
Edwards, 65, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. The committee report said he denied that any of his actions were intended to be sexual or romantic, and it said he cooperated with the investigation.
The panel also said it found no evidence that Edwards engaged in sexual activity with staffers or explicitly propositioned them. It concluded that the allegations did not amount to quid pro quo sexual harassment and did not violate “the ‘letter’ of federal sexual harassment law.”
But the committee said Edwards’ conduct still crossed a line under House standards. It said “his pattern of behavior would lead a reasonable observer” to interpret his actions as sexual or romantic, citing “lavish and recurrent gifts,” comments about the women’s appearance and dress, invitations to intimate dinners and vacations, notes expressing “effusive affection,” and other invitations to spend time together.
A statement on behalf of the Edwards campaign, quoted by CBS News, said the findings “completely exonerate Representative Edwards under the House rules governing sexual misconduct or harassment.” The statement said the committee had found that Edwards did not engage in sexual activity with staff members, did not explicitly proposition anyone, did not commit quid pro quo sexual harassment and did not violate federal sexual harassment law. It added that Edwards “looks forward to having his name cleared.”
NBC News reported that Edwards previously called the allegations “baseless” and said in May that he welcomed an investigation. His counsel submitted a 15-page rebuttal to the committee’s findings, calling them “unfounded,” NBC News reported.
Edwards, a former state lawmaker, was first elected to Congress in 2022 after defeating Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. He represents Asheville and other parts of western North Carolina. Democrat Jamie Ager, who won the March primary, is on the ballot, CBS News reported. The district has not elected a Democrat since 2010, though Democrats believe it could be competitive this cycle, according to CBS News.
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