Republican North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards is pushing back against allegations of sexual misconduct, sending congressional colleagues a lengthy letter defending his behavior as he remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
Edwards, 65, denied numerous accusations in the 22-page letter, which was obtained by NOTUS and detailed in a report published Thursday.
“An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition. A gift is not sexual misconduct,” Edwards wrote. “A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct. Socializing with a colleague is not sexual misconduct.”
The congressman continued by arguing that caring deeply for someone he had worked with and known for years also did not amount to sexual misconduct.
NOTUS reporters Reese Gorman and Oriana González reported that Edwards submitted the letter to members of Congress through several group chats.
The report said one female staffer had described Edwards as her “second dad.” Edwards also claimed that a witness told the House Ethics Committee that his relationship with one employee was comparable to a “father-daughter” relationship and that of a “mentor-mentee.”
The Ethics Committee opened its investigation into Edwards in April. Axios reporter Kate Santaliz subsequently reported that the congressman’s behavior toward at least two female staffers in their 20s crossed “professional boundaries.”
One incident described as “uncomfortable” reportedly occurred during a staffer’s farewell party at Edwards’ office. According to the report, the congressman became “choked up” and teary-eyed while reading a poem he had written for the departing employee.
A slideshow featuring photographs of Edwards and the staffer reportedly played behind him as he recited the poem.
Additional scrutiny emerged in July when Santaliz reported that Edwards had given two young female staffers personalized handguns in 2024 while they were working in his congressional office. That report cited two sources who were described as having direct knowledge of the gifts.
Edwards did not deny giving the firearms to the female employees. Instead, he argued in his letter that his generosity was not limited to women working in his office.
The North Carolina Republican said he had also given gifts to male staff members, including at least one male employee who received a firearm.
Edwards’ effort to rebut the allegations comes after he announced in August that he would not seek another term in Congress. His decision to forgo reelection was made public while the House Ethics Committee’s investigation remained underway.
The committee’s inquiry and the reported accusations have continued to follow Edwards, prompting his detailed defense to fellow lawmakers. His letter maintains that the friendships, compliments, gifts, poetry and social interactions at issue should not be characterized as sexual misconduct.
