Embattled North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards sent a 22-page letter to his colleagues defending himself against sexual harassment allegations that led to his decision to not run for reelection in November.
The letter follows a report from the House Ethics Committee that found there was “substantial evidence” to believe that Edwards engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.” The panel recommended that the North Carolina congressman be censured as a result of the investigation. The full House could vote next month on the punishment, which would require Edwards to stand in the chamber as the resolution condemning his behavior is read aloud.
“An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition. A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct. Socializing with a colleague is not sexual misconduct. Caring deeply about someone with whom you have worked and come to know for years is not sexual misconduct,” Edwards wrote in the letter, which was obtained by NOTUS.