It’s only been a few weeks since two members of Congress — Democrat Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas — resigned in disgrace, though the scope of the broader problem on Capitol Hill continues to come into focus. In fact, just this week, Politico reported that the federal government paid out more than $338,000 to settle allegations of sexual harassment on behalf of House members since 2004.
The report was based on data provided to the House Oversight Committee, and as Politico noted, the total was “far more than had been previously known.” This came on the heels of the House Ethics Committee for the first time publicly requesting information from people who know about sexual misconduct from members of Congress.
It’s against this backdrop that yet another incumbent lawmaker is facing related allegations. The Washington Post reported:
A spokesman for the campaign of Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina) acknowledged Tuesday that the congressman is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and said he welcomes a chance to dispute allegations regarding his conduct toward female staffers.
A person familiar with the investigation confirmed Tuesday that staff members on the panel have reached out to at least two former Edwards staffers who said they felt uncomfortable with the way the congressman interacted with them.
Axios, which was the first to report on the ethics probe, further reported that the North Carolina Republican, who is married, gave a handwritten letter to a young female staffer as she was set to leave his office, telling her that she had “written a complex chapter in my heart.” The same report added that Edwards “also bought the staffer personal gifts while she was employed by him, including jewelry.”
None of these details has been independently verified by MS NOW, and a spokesperson for the congressman dismissed the claims as “baseless allegations designed to impact the campaign driven by those who want to settle old political scores.”
The spokesperson added that the GOP lawmaker and his team “welcome” the ethics panel’s probe.
Time will tell what, if anything, comes of the burgeoning controversy, though it was of interest to see that two of Edwards’ GOP colleagues — Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Nancy Mace of South Carolina — played a key role in helping oust Gonzales and Swalwell last month, and they weren’t exactly eager to defend the North Carolinian this month.
When asked about the Edwards matter, Luna told Politico, “ANY member of congress engaging in an inappropriate relationship with staff needs to go.” Mace added, “We stand with those who came forward and we expect the Ethics Committee to move swiftly and hold those who committed wrongdoing fully accountable. We have said it from the beginning, if you are abusing your power in Congress it does not matter if you have an R or a D beside your name, there needs to be consequences for your actions.”
Edwards is running for re-election in North Carolina’s most competitive congressional district, which Democrats are targeting in the 2026 cycle. Watch this space.
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