North Carolina Congressman Edwards Quits Reelection Bid After Committee Recommends His Censure

WASHINGTON — Embattled North Carolina Republican congressman Chuck Edwards withdrew from his reelection run connected Wednesday, 2 days aft nan House Ethics Committee recommended he beryllium censured for unprofessional and inappropriate behaviour toward 2 young female aides successful his office.

The 65-year-old Edwards, who is serving his 2nd term, said that he made nan determination to driblet his reelection bid aft “much dream and reflection” and that he would complete nan existent term.

The Ethics Committee recommended nan censure, an enactment registering its heavy disapproval of a lawmaker’s behaviour that does not meet nan period for expulsion, connected Monday. The sheet highlighted galore examples of actions it considered improper, including Edwards providing nan young women pinch lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their quality and dress, inviting them to friendly dinners and vacations, and sending notes regarding his affection.

Edwards denied that immoderate of his behaviour was intended arsenic a intersexual aliases romanticist advance, but nan committee said his behaviour would “lead a reasonable perceiver to construe it arsenic such.”

“Serving Western North Carolina has been nan grant of my life,” Edwards said successful a station connected X. “Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America.”

North Carolina Republican Sen. Ted Budd said Edwards “did nan correct point by withdrawing from nan race.”

In a statement, nan legislator said nan congressman has been “a combatant for nan group of Western North Carolina arsenic they activity to retrieve from nan impacts of Hurricane Helene, and I cognize he’ll proceed to advocator for disaster backing for nan remainder of his clip successful D.C.”

Budd’s spokesman, Christian McMullen, said nan legislator recovered nan House Ethics Committee’s study connected Edwards “deeply concerning” and believed nan congressman already faced a important uphill conflict — trailing successful nan polls moreover earlier nan report’s publication. He declined to opportunity whether nan legislator asked his workfellow to measurement aside, saying nan legislator does not talk backstage conversations.

The Ethic Committee described Edwards’ actions arsenic “beyond inappropriate,” but said it recovered nary grounds that he explicitly propositioned immoderate personification nether his employment aliases engaged successful immoderate intersexual activity pinch them.

In a consequence to nan Ethics Committee’s report, Edwards’ attorneys based on that nan committee’s findings “exonerate” nan congressman. His attorneys said nan proposal of censure was an “extraordinarily harsh and infrequent punishment” based connected vague standards and adherence to nan tone of House rules, “not based connected a nonstop usurpation of House rules addressing intersexual misconduct.”

State rule requires Edwards to put his intent to retreat successful penning and taxable it to nan authorities Board of Elections earlier ballots are mailed to overseas voters and nan military. The Republican executive committee successful Edwards’ territory will sanction a replacement.

Fields and Mascaro constitute for nan Associated Press.