House Ethics panel announces sexual harassment investigation into Rep. Edwards

The House Ethics Committee said it is investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards over allegations of sexual harassment and creating a "hostile work environment" in a statement Thursday. Why it matters: Axios has reported that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) engaged in inappropriate conduct towards two female staffers in their 20s, including one who later complained about his behavior and feared retaliation. That probe was prompted in part by Edwards' conduct toward female staffers. "The Committee, pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a), 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 or any other applicable standard of conduct," the panel wrote in a statement. The allegations Axios has reported involve affectionate handwritten correspondence, personal gifts, drinking outings, casino trips and promotions — and are based on multiple sources, photographs and text messages obtained by Axios. Edwards has denied wrongdoing, though he has not directly addressed the specific allegations reported by Axios. He told CNN on Tuesday that he did not have an inappropriate relationship with staff: "I think you're gonna find that when Ethics completes their investigation, that the facts will have caught up with all the gossip and the rumor." Catch up quick: Axios first reported last month that the Ethics Committee had launched a probe into Edwards for unspecified allegations. Axios later reported detailed claims of unusually personal interactions between Edwards and the two young female staffers that three sources said crossed professional boundaries and created an uncomfortable work environment. Edwards told one of those staffers that she had "written a complex chapter in my heart" in a three-page handwritten letter shortly before she left the office. One gift given to one of the staffers was a custom puzzle that, when asse...

Original source: Axios