{"id":27262,"date":"2026-08-04T12:12:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T07:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27262"},"modified":"2026-08-04T12:12:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T07:12:50","slug":"gop-rep-chuck-edwards-faces-house-censure-over-sexual-harassment-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27262","title":{"rendered":"GOP Rep Chuck Edwards faces House censure over sexual harassment probe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div data-layout-index=\"4\" class=\"featured featured-video video-ct\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\"><!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"contain\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">  <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"info\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">\n<div class=\"caption\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">\n<h4 class=\"title\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6401295694112\" data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_featured-video_5_1\" data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">Kat Timpf: America needed Schumer&#8217;s fart to replace Swalwell<\/a><\/h4>\n<p data-v-7b1896ea=\"\">Kat Timpf delivers a humorous take on the alleged Sen. Chuck Schumer fart incident. She asserts that America desperately needed a new &#8216;farter&#8217; to restore levity after former Rep. Eric Swalwell&#8217;s previous allegations, which had tainted the humor of such jokes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">A House GOP lawmaker is accused of <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_652543\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/crime\/sex-crimes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sexually harassing<\/a> two &#8220;young female staffers&#8221; in his office in an explosive report that details lavish gifts, trips, and even reciting a poem for one of the aides in an incident that made others in his office uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">The House Ethics Committee is recommending a censure for Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., after an extensive probe found that he violated the House of Representatives&#8217; code of conduct with repeated incidents targeting the two staffers.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Specifically, the Committee found that Representative Edwards engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers. While Representative Edwards denied that any of his conduct was intended as a sexual or romantic advance, his pattern of behavior would lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such, including providing the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, sending notes regarding his effusive affection, and inviting them to other activities as a way to spend time together,&#8221; the report said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The committee also said Edwards sought to cooperate with the panel, but that some messages deemed relevant to the probe were &#8220;omitted and\/or seemingly deleted from his phone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_652544\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/republican-lawmaker-welcomes-house-ethics-probe-sexual-misconduct-allegations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><u>REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER WELCOMES HOUSE ETHICS PROBE INTO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Chuck Edwards walks down Capitol Steps\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., departs from the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C.<\/span> <span>(Graeme Sloan\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;An example of Representative Edwards\u2019 unprofessional conduct was commenting on the two women\u2019s appearance in the congressional office, telling them when they looked &#8216;pretty&#8217; or &#8216;breathtaking,&#8217; and even remarking on one staffer\u2019s weight,&#8221; the report said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Edwards told the committee he only commented on staffers&#8217; clothing and said &#8220;it\u2019s almost an insult if you don\u2019t make some comment about [one another\u2019s clothing],&#8221; according to the report.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">While sexual harassment allegations are detailed regarding both staffers, the report goes into significant detail about Edwards&#8217; alleged entreaties to the aide referred to as &#8220;Staffer 2.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_652545\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/resignation-new-escape-hatch-lawmakers-face-expulsion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><u>RESIGNATION IS THE NEW ESCAPE HATCH AS LAWMAKERS FACE EXPULSION<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">That includes that Edwards &#8220;wrote poems for Staffer 2, including one that he read at her going away party in the congressional office accompanied by a slideshow, during which he cried.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Several staffers present testified that they felt uncomfortable, and Representative Edwards acknowledged in his own testimony that he could tell the staff felt uncomfortable,&#8221; the report said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Edwards also &#8220;arranged for a singer to go to Staffer 2\u2019s birthday party to sing Ed Sheeran\u2019s Hills of Aberfeldy and say that it was \u2018from a special someone,\u2019&#8221; according to the findings.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">That staffer confided in a friend after the ordeal that it left her &#8220;scared lowkey,&#8221; the report said.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/chuck-edwards-congress-april-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., sits during a House Budget Committee hearing.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Edwards, R-N.C., during a House Budget Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.\u00a0<\/span> <span>(Al Drago\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The congressman also went to her home &#8220;to perform chores like yard work, pick her up and drop her off for events and activities with his driver.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">He also missed House votes to help Staffer 2 decorate her Christmas tree, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The findings also state he &#8220;Took Staffer 2 to the casino, bought her drinks and paid for her to gamble. Staffer 2 texted <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_652546\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/southeast\/north-carolina\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Representative Edwards<\/a> after one such outing to thank him for a fun night.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">He printed that text message on paper and drew a heart next to it, the report said, and handwrote, &#8220;Perhaps my proudest personal moment!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Edwards is also accused of booking and paying for spa treatments for that staffer and sending both staffers &#8220;personal texts late in the evening.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Later, when &#8220;Staffer 2&#8221; told Edwards that she received another job offer, Edwards told her he cried and then proceeded to &#8220;repeatedly&#8221; ask her to dinner for the next several days, the report said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">She told the congressman that it was not &#8220;a great idea&#8221; after a friend asked her about rumors of an affair between Edwards and a staffer, to which the report said Edwards responded, &#8220;It\u2019s disappointing to feel something that used to be easy has gotten complicated. Whether we were talking about cat poop, crime plots, or thoughts more meaningful\u2014I\u2019ve always valued the time we shared, and the money we won \ud83d\ude42 and I thought you might too. I didn\u2019t expect outside chatter to change that. Still, I understand. You get to set the boundaries, and I get to respect them. If you ever feel easy again, I hope you\u2019ll give me the signal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Edwards told the committee that he &#8220;suppose[d]&#8221; his response could seem intended to make someone feel guilty, but that was not his intent.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;That was my way of saying \u2013 I ain\u2019t asking again because part of harassment is, when an interaction is not wanted and repetitive, and I was just trying to set the groundwork for \u2018I\u2019m going [] to respect that,&#8221; he apparently told the committee.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Edwards also said the text showed he allowed those staffers to set boundaries on what they were comfortable with, but the committee noted it &#8220;received evidence that Staffer 1 and Staffer 2 did not always feel free to reject Representative Edwards\u2019 attentions without fear of professional consequences.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">With &#8220;Staffer 1,&#8221; Edwards is also accused of leaving an event early and telling her it was because she &#8220;brought a date,&#8221; but he told the committee &#8220;that he told Staffer 1 that he did not want to be \u2018in the way or something to that effect.\u2019&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_652548\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/gop-lawmaker-under-house-ethics-review-blasts-baseless-investigation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">House Ethics Committee<\/a> is chaired by Edwards&#8217; fellow Republican Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., but acts on a bipartisan basis to investigate lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The explosive report comes after a string of high-profile sexual harassment allegations against House members including now-former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, both of whom have since resigned amid the blowback.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.<\/p>\n<p>Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kat Timpf: America needed Schumer&#8217;s fart to replace Swalwell Kat Timpf delivers a humorous take on the alleged Sen. Chuck Schumer fart incident. She asserts that America desperately needed a new &#8216;farter&#8217; to restore levity after former Rep. Eric Swalwell&#8217;s previous allegations, which had tainted the humor of such jokes. NEWYou can now listen to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Chuck-Edwards.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27262"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27262\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}