House votes 413-2 to censure NC Rep. Chuck Edwards over harassment claims

The House voted 413-2 to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards after the House Ethics Committee found a years-long pattern of inappropriate behavior toward two young female staffers, including lavish gifts, intimate dinners, and personal messages that created a hostile work environment. Edwards apologized on the House floor to the staffers and his family but said his conduct did not constitute harassment, describing his actions as misunderstood friendship. The committee’s findings described a pattern that included expensive jewelry, designer purses, trips, personalized notes, and a poem for one staffer, with at least one instance involving discussions of strip club plans. The censure, a symbolic but significant rebuke, came as Edwards had already withdrawn his reelection bid, and followed broader ethics debates on Capitol Hill. Only Rep. Ralph Norman opposed the measure, and critics framed the vote as necessary to uphold workplace standards while Edwards’ allies argued about due process. The action reflects ongoing ethics scrutiny on Capitol Hill ahead of midterm elections.