&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US House votes 413-2 to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards over conduct towards staffers")
The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to censure North Carolina Congressman Chuck Edwards after a bipartisan Ethics Committee investigation found that he engaged in what lawmakers described as persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female staffers. The censure passed by a vote of 413-2, with Edwards and South Carolina Congressman Ralph Norman the only members voting against the measure. Edwards has also ended his bid for re-election.
The House Ethics Committee's investigation detailed thousands of dollars in gifts, late-night text messages, personal notes and unwanted attention directed toward the two staffers. Investigators concluded that the conduct violated House rules concerning sexual harassment and contributed to a hostile work environment. Speaking on the House floor on Tuesday, Edwards apologized to the women and acknowledged that his judgment had been poor, while maintaining that his actions were intended as part of what he believed was a friendship. “I’m sorry that my actions, my judgment, or the way that I expressed a friendship ever put either of you in an uncomfortable position. My intentions were only grounded in what I understood our friendship to be.”
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest said the case did not involve what he described as “quid pro quo sexual harassment.” Instead, he said the investigation found a pattern of behavior that created a hostile work environment. “While Representative Edwards denies that his conduct was intended to be sexual or romantic, his pattern of behavior would lead a reasonable person to interpret it as such,” Guest said.
According to Guest, Edwards gave the staffers lavish gifts, made comments about their appearance and clothing, sent notes expressing affection, and invited them to intimate dinners and vacations. Guest also said Edwards knew that the women were uncomfortable with his conduct but continued the pattern of behaviour. The bipartisan censure marks a significant congressional rebuke for Edwards, who has already withdrawn from the race for another term.
