Politics

Edwards rebuts ethics report on sexual harassment

By Bill Moss, Published: August 27, 2026

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards is pushing back against the House Ethics Committee's findings that he engaged in sexual harassment, outlining his concerns with the committee's investigation and conclusions in a letter.

In the letter, Edwards directly challenged the committee's findings and provided his colleagues with his account of the allegations and the context surrounding the evidence and investigation.

The committee concluded that Edwards did not violate federal sexual harassment law; concluded he engaged in no sexual activity with nor propositioned any staff member; and concluded that the allegations in the matter did not amount to quid pro quo sexual harassment, he said. Yet the committee used third-party testimony, omitted evidence, and made inferences that his conduct "could" be perceived as something the evidence itself failed to establish, the letter said.

"Sexual harassment is a serious offense. One that deserves to be defined clearly, investigated fairly, and established by evidence—not inference or speculation. I unequivocally reject the Ethics Committee's findings and its conclusion that I engaged in sexual harassment," Edwards said in a news release. "Those conclusions do not accurately reflect the facts or the full context surrounding these allegations. I sent this letter because every member of Congress deserved to hear directly from me and have the opportunity to review the facts for themselves."