The House Ethics Committee said it was reviewing sexual harassment allegations against Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) on Thursday.
In a statement, House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) said the panel “is reviewing allegations that Representative Chuck Edwards may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment in violation of the Code of Official Conduct.”
“The Committee notes that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred. No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules,” Guest added.
The announcement makes Edwards the latest of several members of Congress to be accused of sexual misconduct, triggering a bipartisan effort to implement legislation to combat abuse.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had mentioned the allegations on Wednesday, saying they were “serious.” Edwards has denied the allegations.
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“As stated many times, we welcome the ethics review and are fully confident that it will be demonstrated that Congressman Edwards has done nothing wrong,” Edwards’s campaign spokesman Paul Shumaker said in a statement to the Asheville Citizen-Times on Thursday.
The allegations include the claim that Edwards had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a staffer.