Republican congressman Chuck Edwards has dropped his bid for reelection two days after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured for unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his office.
The embattled North Carolina lawmaker announced his decision in a 3:30 a.m. post on X, stating, “After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign.”
Edwards, 65, said he will complete his current term and that serving Western North Carolina was “the honor of my life,” adding, “Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America.”
The Ethics Committee launched an investigation in May into "allegations that Representative Chuck Edwards may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment in violation of the Code of Official Conduct," committee chairman Republican Michael Guest wrote in a statement at the time.
The investigation came after three sources told Axios that they witnessed conduct by Edwards toward two female staffers in their 20s that they described as inappropriate.
Edwards’ behavior crossed professional boundaries and created an uncomfortable work environment, the sources said.
“I am confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction,” Edwards said at the time.
On Monday, the committed recommended Edwards face censure, an act registering its deep disapproval of a lawmaker’s conduct that does not meet the threshold for expulsion.
The panel detailed numerous examples of actions it considered improper, including Edwards giving the young women lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments about their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, and sending notes regarding his affection.
Edwards, who is in his second term, denied that his conduct was intended as a sexual or romantic advance but the committee said his behavior would “lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.”
The Ethic Committee described Edwards' actions as “beyond inappropriate” but said it found no evidence that he explicitly propositioned any person under his employ or engaged in any sexual activity with them.
In a response to the Ethics Committee's report, Edwards’ attorneys argued that the committee’s findings “exonerate” the congressman.
His attorneys said the recommendation of censure was an “extraordinarily harsh and infrequent punishment” based on vague standards and adherence to the spirit of House rules, “not based on a direct violation of House rules addressing sexual misconduct.”
