A bipartisan House Ethics Committee has recommended that North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards be formally censured after concluding he engaged in 'persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct' towards two young female staff members, marking one of the most serious disciplinary recommendations issued against a sitting lawmaker this Congress.
While investigators found no evidence that Edwards made explicit sexual propositions or engaged in sexual contact, they determined that the pattern of his behaviour would reasonably be interpreted as romantic or sexual in nature. The committee concluded that Edwards' repeated actions left both women feeling uncomfortable because of the power imbalance inherent in the employer-employee relationship.
