House Ethics Committee investigates Congressman Chuck Edwards over sexual harassment allegations

The House Ethics Committee revealed Thursday that it opened a review into sexual harassment allegations involving North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards. The investigation comes on the heels of an earlier report by Axios media outlet, which detailed that the conservative leader was under scrutiny for possible ethics violations related to allegations brought by two former staffers, who accused Edwards of engaging in conduct uncomfortable and inappropriate enough to end up crossing professional boundaries.

On the committee's decision, Edwards spoke out in a statement sent to The Hill, in which he said, "As I have stated, I welcome any investigation and plan to comply fully with the Committee. I am confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction." For its part, the panel said in another statement that it was "reviewing allegations" that the congressman "may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment," which would constitute a violation of the House code of conduct. The committee emphasized that the announcement "does not by itself indicate that any violation has occurred."

The investigation against Edwards is the latest in a series of committee inquiries linked to allegations of sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill, after then-Representatives Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzalez decided to resign their positions after facing separate allegations of sexual misconduct.

Amid the growing number of allegations, both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday announced their support for a bipartisan initiative aimed at addressing workplace misconduct in Congress. "To state the obvious, all women should feel comfortable and safe working in the halls of Congress. As the father of two daughters who work on Capitol Hill, this is as personal to me as it is to anyone else," Johnson said in a statement.