In what has not been a particularly good look for Congress in recent weeks, the House Ethics Committee has launched another probe, this one regarding allegations of sexual harassment by Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), news outlets are reporting from unnamed sources.
A witness recently contacted the committee and described seeing “improper behavior,” CNN reported from an unidentified source. The network, however, could not report “the precise nature of the improper behavior” or if the committee had corroborated any of the allegations.
Word of the probe comes after a previous sex scandal involving former northern California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned from the House and abandoned his campaign for governor following allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. The panel was also investigating ethics allegations against Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Sheila Cherfilus McCormick (D-FL). However, all three members of Congress “resigned before the panel had completed their process,” Axios reported.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) talks with reporters after holding a town hall meeting in Sacramento, California, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Gonzales was being investigated for a sexual relationship with a staffer in his office, a woman who committed suicide in 2025. McCormick was being looked at for violations that included misuse of COVID relief funds and campaign finance transgressions.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) speaks to the media after a hearing in federal court Monday, December 29, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
CNN reported that when “asked to respond to the allegations and launching of the probe,” Edwards told the outlet:
I welcome any investigation, given the professionalism my staff has demonstrated and my commitment to serving the people of Western NC. Given the current political environment we are facing in our nation, it comes as no surprise that others with their own political agendas will attempt to raise false accusations in order to create news stories.
Edwards won his primary with 70 percent of the vote and faces Democrat Jamie Ager, who describes himself as a “fourth-generation farmer” and “entrepreneur,” in the general election.
The committee has been making a crusade of rooting out improper behavior of members of Congress, according to the cable news network, who asked anyone else with allegations of misconduct to come forward.
Axios was first to report on Thursday that a probe had been launched into alleged behavior by Edwards. Such investigations can take from weeks to years to complete, and the results are not always made public, CNN noted.
The House Ethics Committee has declined to comment on the Edwards matter, CNN said.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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