House Censures Rep. Chuck Edwards Over Conduct Toward Staffers

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, to formally censure Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, issuing a rare and bipartisan rebuke over an ethics investigation that found he engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female staffers. The vote was 413 to 2, with Edwards and Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina casting the only opposing votes. The censure makes Edwards the 29th member in House history to receive such a formal punishment, which is the most severe sanction short of expulsion. The action followed a months-long investigation by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee, which released its report on August 3. The committee concluded that Edwards violated the spirit of House rules prohibiting sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. While the investigation found no evidence that Edwards engaged in sexual activity with or explicitly propositioned the staffers, it detailed a pattern of behavior that included lavish and recurrent gifts, comments about their appearance, invitations to intimate dinners and vacations, and deeply personal notes.