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 refute 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. Among the actions being scrutinized are Edwards’s remarks, his purchase of gifts and his hiring decisions, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share information the panel has not made public.
Lawmakers on the committee are expected to receive a briefing next week on the case, the person said.
The Washington Post has not independently confirmed the allegations.
“They are baseless allegations designed to impact the campaign driven by those who want to settle old political scores,” said Paul Shumaker, Edwards’s campaign consultant. “We welcome the ethics inquiry because it allows for facts to be entered into the record, not public allegations designed to drive media interests.”
Edwards’s congressional office did not respond to requests for comment this week. When it was reported last week that Edwards faced an ethics investigation involving unspecified allegations, Edwards’s office said in a statement to The Post that the congressman welcomed “any investigation, given the professionalism my staff has demonstrated and my commitment to serving the people of Western NC.”
“Given the current political environment we are facing in our nation, it comes as no surprise that others with their own political agendas will attempt to raise false accusations in order to create news stories,” Edwards said.
The Republican lawmaker is facing a reelection challenge by Democrat Jamie Ager, a farmer from the mountainous swing district that Democrats see as a pickup opportunity as they seek to win back the House majority. Earlier this year, House Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, added the district to its “red-to-blue” list, signaling its intention to invest in the race.
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the seat, North Carolina’s 11th District, as a “likely Republican” district.
In a statement shared Tuesday on social media, Ager said that leaders should be “held to the highest standards” and that Edwards should explain these allegations to his constituents.
The Ethics Committee recently publicly requested information from any victims of sexual misconduct by members of Congress and others aware of such incidents, an unusual move that comes during a spate of high-profile cases.
Last month, two lawmakers facing Ethics Committee investigations related to alleged sexual misconduct — Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) — resigned ahead of possible expulsion votes. Swalwell faces allegations of sexual assault of a former staffer, among other misconduct, which he has denied. Gonzales acknowledged an affairwith a staffer who later set herself on fire and died. House rules prohibit sexual relationships between lawmakers and staff members.
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