The House Ethics Committee has recommended that Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards of North Carolina be censured following an investigation into allegations that he created a hostile work environment and sexually harassed two young female staffers. The bipartisan panel's report concluded that, while there was no evidence he propositioned staff or engaged in sexual activity with them, he engaged in "persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct." Censure is the most severe punishment the committee can recommend short of expulsion, and would see Edwards publicly reprimanded on the House floor, marking a significant rebuke for a lawmaker first elected in 2023.

The 20-page report, based on 16 witness interviews and more than 1,500 pages of evidence, detailed conduct including lavish gifts to staffers such as jewellery worth over $1,000, designer handbags, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop, a mobile phone and a KitchenAid mixer, as well as invitations to intimate dinners and vacations, comments on their appearance, and notes expressing "effusive affection". The committee rejected Edwards' apparent belief that avoiding physical contact or explicit remarks shielded him from harassment findings, stating plainly that this was "not the case." The committee voted on the matter on 22 July 2026, and any censure vote would take place no sooner than September 2026, as the House was in recess when the report was published. Edwards' lawyers argued the staffers never directly told him they were uncomfortable, and said he "sincerely regrets" causing any discomfort.