<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The House voted on September 1, 2026, to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) by a vote of 413-2. This decision followed a recommendation from the House Ethics Committee after an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving two female staffers.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Edwards, who withdrew his reelection bid after the committee released its report, was censured based on findings that indicated he failed to adhere to rules prohibiting sexual harassment and unwanted advances toward House staffers. Two Republicans, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Edwards himself, voted against the censure.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In a speech on the House floor prior to the vote, Edwards stated, “I’m asking you to distinguish between conduct that you might personally have handled differently, and conduct that warrants the solemn judgment of censure by the United States House of Representatives.” He further expressed, “I’ve spent my public life trying to serve the people who entrusted me with this office. I am imperfect. I have made mistakes, but I do not believe I committed sexual harassment and the factual findings of this investigation do not justify branding me as though I did.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to the report, Edwards invited young female staffers to dinner, gave them gifts, wrote them notes, and attempted to meet with them repeatedly. The report also noted that he discussed going to strip clubs with the staffers.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Edwards’s campaign denied that any of the findings violated federal sexual harassment laws. The report detailed various advances made by Edwards toward the two women, who both worked for him in the North Carolina Senate.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In his speech, Edwards maintained that his relationship with the staffers was mutual and apologized for subjecting them to the situation, acknowledging a discrepancy in their perceptions of the relationship.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To contest the allegations, Edwards wrote a 22-page letter to his colleagues arguing that his actions did not constitute sexual misconduct, but he was ultimately unsuccessful in avoiding congressional punishment.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The last member of Congress to be censured was Rep. Al Green (D-TX) for interrupting President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress the previous year. Censure is considered a less severe form of congressional punishment compared to expulsion, which is the most serious action that can be taken against a member. The last member expelled was former New York Republican Rep. George Santos.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Edwards’s censure occurs amid a year in which three House lawmakers have resigned due to allegations of misconduct: California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales for sexual misconduct, and Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for financial misconduct.</p>