The U.S. House on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted 413-2 to excoriate North Carolina Republican Representative Chuck Edwards, 65, after an investigative panel found “substantial reason to believe” his conduct towards two female staffers was inappropriate.
Before the vote, Mr Edwards, who strongly denied the sexual harassment allegations, asked his colleagues to “judge me on the facts, not on the inference, insinuation or headlines”.
Censure is a serious disciplinary measure in the House and only a step below expulsion. The vote ended 413-2 with only Mr Edwards and Ralph Norman (Republican, South Carolina) dissenting.
Michael Guest (Republican, Mississippi), who chaired the Ethics committee, said the panel did not find “evidence that Mr Edwards engaged in sexual activity or that he explicitly propositioned any individuals under his employment”.
Still, he said investigators found that his “conduct toward two young female staffers was inappropriate and violated rules prohibiting sexual harassment”.
Mr Edwards said his generosity towards the women was misinterpreted.
“I recognise now that my understanding of those relationships may not have always matched yours,” he insisted while stating that “regret is not an admission of sexual harassment”.
“I am imperfect. I have made mistakes, but I do not believe I committed sexual harassment,” Mr Edwards said on the House floor. “The factual findings of this investigation do not justify branding me as though I did.”
The report’s findings recommended a rebuke for his conduct.
“A member of Congress should not single out a staffer and isolate them from other staff, make frequent comments regarding that person’s appearance and weight, send messages in the middle of the night, text staff deeply personal and seemingly romantic thoughts, intrude on personal occasions without invitation, pay for personal vacations, and spend thousands of dollars on gifts for staffers,” the report said. “That Representative Edwards did all these things to two young staffers, repeatedly over a sustained period, was beyond inappropriate.”
The Republican representative was asked to stand in the well of the House floor, where he was officially reprimanded on Tuesday. He previously contested the censure, denying the allegations and writing a 22-page letter to dispute the decision.
“A censure by this House holds its weight in history,” Mr Edwards said. “What will remain is the word censured, which will be attached to my name.”
His case follows those of other lawmakers, including Eric Swalwell (Democrat, California), who ended his governorship ambition amid claims of sexual harassment, which he strongly denied.
Texas Republican Tony Gonzales similarly resigned his position in the House following his admission to having an affair with a woman who took her life.
