House Ethics recommends censure for GOP lawmaker in sexual harassment probe

The House Ethics Committee has recommended that Representative Chuck Edwards, a Republican from North Carolina, be censured by the full House. According to the committee, Edwards engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers in his congressional office. This conduct included providing lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments about their appearance and dress, and inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations.

The committee's report found no evidence that Edwards explicitly propositioned any person under his employ or engaged in any sexual activity with them. However, the panel concluded that his pattern of behavior would lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as a sexual or romantic advance. Edwards has denied that any of his conduct was intended as a sexual or romantic advance.

A censure would register the House's deep disapproval of Edwards' conduct, which the committee said violated the House Code of Official Conduct by failing to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers. The House is set to return from recess late this month, at which point it will consider the committee's recommendation.

Brief written by urgent.news from NPR, Associated Press, The Hill, CBS News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.