Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards is asking fellow House members to reject a recommendation that he be censured, arguing in a newly circulated letter that the House Ethics Committee went beyond what its own evidence established.
Edwards’ team confirmed to News 13 on Thursday that the Aug. 25 letter is authentic.
The document, titled “Before You Accept the Ethics Committee’s Conclusion,” asks lawmakers to review the committee’s findings, the evidence Edwards says was left out, and his attorneys’ response before voting on censure.
“Before voting for my censure, I am asking you to do something both simple and important: look beyond the conclusion of the Ethics Committee's report against me, then examine the evidence,” Edwards wrote.
The bipartisan Ethics Committee announced Aug. 3 that it found substantial reason to believe Edwards violated House rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces. It recommended that the full House censure him.
Edwards disputes both the committee’s interpretation of his conduct and the process that led to that recommendation.
His team told News 13 the congressman sent the letter because he wants the full House membership to hear his position directly.
The office pointed to several findings Edwards emphasizes in the letter: The committee did not find that he engaged in sexual activity with a staff member or explicitly propositioned one, and it found the allegations did not involve quid pro quo sexual harassment or a violation of federal sexual harassment law.
Edwards’ team called the committee’s broader conclusion a “wild leap,” arguing that reciprocal acts of friendship with longtime co-workers were interpreted in a way the evidence did not support.
The committee, however, did not base its recommendation solely on whether Edwards violated federal sexual harassment law.
Its report found substantial reason to believe his conduct violated broader House standards governing member behavior. The committee said Edwards agreed to waive certain procedural steps after reviewing a draft of the report, allowing it to recommend a House-level sanction.
That distinction is at the center of Edwards’ new appeal.
He argues that investigators combined gifts, compliments, social interactions and personal communications that were not individually prohibited and used them to support a broader conclusion about his conduct.
“A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct,” Edwards wrote.
Edwards also argues the committee did not adequately account for evidence he believes showed the relationships were reciprocal.
He says he provided investigators approximately 186,000 emails, text messages, voicemails and other documents, and questions how the communications included in the committee report were selected. He points to examples of staff members initiating dinners and activities, giving him gifts and continuing contact outside the workplace.
#congressnews #ethicscommittee #politics
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WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954.
This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information contact us at contentsales@sbgtv.com
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards is asking fellow House members to reject a recommendation that he be censured, arguing in a newly circulated letter that the House Ethics Committee went beyond what its own evidence established.
Edwards’ team confirmed to News 13 on Thursday that the Aug. 25 letter is authentic.
The document, titled “Before You Accept the Ethics Committee’s Conclusion,” asks lawmakers to review the committee’s findings, the evidence Edwards says was left out, and his attorneys’ response before voting on censure.
“Before voting for my censure, I am asking you to do something both simple and important: look beyond the conclusion of the Ethics Committee's report against me, then examine the evidence,” Edwards wrote.
The bipartisan Ethics Committee announced Aug. 3 that it found substantial reason to believe Edwards violated House rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces. It recommended that the full House censure him.
Edwards disputes both the committee’s interpretation of his conduct and the process that led to that recommendation.
His team told News 13 the congressman sent the letter because he wants the full House membership to hear his position directly.
The office pointed to several findings Edwards emphasizes in the letter: The committee did not find that he engaged in sexual activity with a staff member or explicitly propositioned one, and it found the allegations did not involve quid pro quo sexual harassment or a violation of federal sexual harassment law.
Edwards’ team called the committee’s broader conclusion a “wild leap,” arguing that reciprocal acts of friendship with longtime co-workers were interpreted in a way the evidence did not support.
The committee, however, did not base its recommendation solely on whether Edwards violated federal sexual harassment law.
Its report found substantial reason to believe his conduct violated broader House standards governing member behavior. The committee said Edwards agreed to waive certain procedural steps after reviewing a draft of the report, allowing it to recommend a House-level sanction.
That distinction is at the center of Edwards’ new appeal.
He argues that investigators combined gifts, compliments, social interactions and personal communications that were not individually prohibited and used them to support a broader conclusion about his conduct.
“A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct,” Edwards wrote.
Edwards also argues the committee did not adequately account for evidence he believes showed the relationships were reciprocal.
He says he provided investigators approximately 186,000 emails, text messages, voicemails and other documents, and questions how the communications included in the committee report were selected. He points to examples of staff members initiating dinners and activities, giving him gifts and continuing contact outside the workplace.
#congressnews #ethicscommittee #politics
MORE: wlos.com/news/local/chuck-edwards-censure-house-ethics-committee-letter-congress-response-conduct-north-carolina-district-11
_______________
Follow WLOS on social media:
WLOS ABC 13 News on Facebook: facebook.com/News13
WLOS ABC 13 News on X: https://x.com/WLOS_13
WLOS ABC 13 News on Instagram: instagram.com/wlos_13
Subscribe to WLOS on YouTube: youtube.com/user/ABC13Channel/?sub_confirmation=1
For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit wlos.com
Stream our newscasts LIVE: wlos.com/watch
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@wlos.com
Call the Newsroom: 828.684.1340
--
WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954.
This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information contact us at contentsales@sbgtv.com
