The House Ethics Committee on Thursday announced it will investigate Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) over recent allegations that he “created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.”

This comes just days after Axios reported that Edwards engaged in inappropriate conduct toward two female staffers in their 20s (such as giving them personal gifts, casino trips, promotions and handwritten notes), including one who later complained about his behavior and feared retaliation.

“The Committee, pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a), is reviewing allegations that Representative Chuck Edwards may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment in violation of the Code of Official Conduct or any other applicable standard of conduct,” the panel wrote in a statement.

“As I have stated, I welcome any investigation and plan to comply fully with the Committee. I am confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction,” Edwards said in a statement to HuffPost.

Edwards had also previously denied having any inappropriate relationship with staff in an interview with CNN earlier this week.

“I think you’re gonna find that when Ethics completes their investigation that the facts will have caught up with all the gossip and the rumor,” he said on Tuesday.

The investigation comes amid a reckoning on Capitol Hill amid streaks of alleged sexual misconduct by members of Congress toward their staff, dampening chances of electability.

In April, Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) both resigned from the House after facing accusations of sexual misconduct involving former staffers and the threat of imminent expulsion votes.

Edwards, who is running for reelection, was already a Democratic target ahead of the 2026 midterms, but the probe adds fresh heat to the race for North Carolina’s 11th District — increasingly one of the most competitive House races this fall as Democrats seek to retake the House majority.

Jamie Ager (D), a fourth-generation farmer challenging Edwards, has publicly condemned the allegations and outraised Edwards for the third quarter in a row, per the latest fundraising report from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The 11th District includes most of western North Carolina. Edwards has represented it since 2023.

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