The House Ethics Committee announced that it is recommending a formal censure for Rep. Thehill (R-N.C.) following a months-long investigation into his conduct with two young female staff members. According to the bipartisan panel’s report, the married congressman engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate behavior that violated the spirit of chamber rules against sexual harassment and unwanted advances.
House Ethics Committee Recommends Censure for Rep. Chuck Edwards
The investigation, led by Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Rep. Mark DeSalnier (D-Calif.), detailed numerous allegations and released a 60-page appendix containing messages and photos of gifts. Among the committee’s findings, Edwards’s conduct included:
- Traveling to Las Vegas with an employee 40 years his junior and taking another staffer on an extended birthday trip to New York City featuring a helicopter ride and a Broadway show.
- Sending a three-letter note stating an employee had written a complex chapter in his heart, along with writing poems and sending personal texts late at night.
- Purchasing gifts such as jewelry, a designer bag, and a pink and a blue gun for employees.
- Paying for massages, spa treatments, personal vacations, and a singer to perform Ed Sheeran’s “Hills of Aberfeldy” at a staffer’s birthday party with the message that it was “from a special someone.”
- Sending an employee a puzzle to invite her to an Adam Sandler comedy show, crying during a slideshow at a going-away party, and commenting on staffers’ appearance, weight, and dress.
Defense Arguments and Committee Findings
The committee countered that Edwards’s repeated actions over a sustained period went far beyond appropriate boundaries, noting that the staffers feared professional consequences if they rejected his advances. The report stated that Edwards mistakenly believed he was immune to charges of sexual harassment simply by avoiding inappropriate physical touch, explicit sexual comments, and occasionally telling employees they could establish boundaries.
Next Steps and Potential Sanctions
The recommended censure resolution adopts the findings of the Ethics panel’s report but does not explicitly accuse Edwards of sexual harassment, nor does it call for his removal from committees or other penalties beyond a formal reprimand. Because the House is currently on its summer recess, a floor vote on the censure resolution cannot take place until September at the earliest.
Edwards cooperated with the investigation according to the report, consistently denying any wrongdoing and waiving parts of the investigative process to allow the committee to proceed. Edwards previously called the allegations “baseless” and welcomed the inquiry.
Worth a look
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.