The House voted on Tuesday to censure Republican Representative Chuck Edwards of North Carolina after a bipartisan panel found "substantial reason to believe" he violated chamber rules against sexual harassment. Mr. Edwards, 65, announced last month he would not seek re-election after the House Ethics Committee recommended a formal reprimand for "persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female staffers." The censure resolution passed 413 to 2, with just Republican Representative Ralph Norman opposing it. After the vote, Mr. Edwards stood in the well of the House floor to be officially rebuked. The investigation into Mr. Edwards followed the resignations of lawmakers Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales who faced sexual misconduct accusations.

The Ethics Committee’s report detailed that Mr. Edwards made repeated comments about the women’s appearance and dress, invited them to intimate dinners and vacations, and bestowed gifts including jewelry worth over $1,000, designer purses, guns, a laptop, a cellphone, a Kitchen Aid mixer, performance tickets, and dinners. He also wrote poems, did yardwork, and paid for spa massages for the aides. Mr. Edwards apologized on the floor, stating he regretted some of his actions and that his understanding of relationships may not have matched the staffers'. However, he disputed the committee’s conclusion, arguing that permissible conduct does not become misconduct simply because individual moments are viewed through a darkest possible lens.

Censures are effectively a public reprimand one step below expulsion, and five members have been censured since 2021.