House Ethics panel announces sexual harassment investigation into Rep. Edwards

The House Ethics Committee said it is investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards over allegations of sexual harassment and creating a "hostile work environment" in a statement Thursday.

Why it matters: Axios has reported that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) engaged in inappropriate conduct towards two female staffers in their 20s, including one who later complained about his behavior and feared retaliation. That probe was prompted in part by Edwards' conduct toward female staffers.

• "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.

The allegations Axios has reported involve affectionate handwritten correspondence, personal gifts, drinking outings, casino trips and promotions — and are based on multiple sources, photographs and text messages obtained by Axios.

• Edwards has denied wrongdoing, though he has not directly addressed the specific allegations reported by Axios.
• He told CNN on Tuesday that he did not have an inappropriate relationship with staff: "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."

Catch up quick: Axios first reported last month that the Ethics Committee had launched a probe into Edwards for unspecified allegations.

• Axios later reported detailed claims of unusually personal interactions between Edwards and the two young female staffers that three sources said crossed professional boundaries and created an uncomfortable work environment.
• Edwards told one of those staffers that she had "written a complex chapter in my heart" in a three-page handwritten letter shortly before she left the office.
• One gift given to one of the staffers was a custom puzzle that, when assembled, revealed an image of actor Adam Sandler alongside a handwritten note inviting the staffer to attend one of Sandler's comedy shows with him, according to a photo viewed by Axios and three sources with knowledge of the gift.

Edwards also wrote a flattering poem for one of the female staffers that he read aloud — while choking up and getting teary-eyed — at her office-wide going-away party, four sources told Axios. A slideshow featuring photos of him and the staffer played in the background.

• The four sources described members of the office staff as deeply uncomfortable during the reading of the poem.
• Edwards, 65, has been married since 1980.

Edwards also took one of the staffers on a vacation to the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, months after she had left his office, according to two sources familiar with the trip.

• Two sources told Axios that the staffer was concerned that Edwards still held sway over her career even after she was no longer employed by him.
• When the staffer arrived, Edwards had arranged for flowers to be waiting for her in her hotel room, three sources told Axios. The female staffer told Edwards the flowers made her uncomfortable, two sources told Axios.

Edwards would also frequently take both of the young female staffers out for one-on-one dinners, three sources told Axios.

• Three sources said one of the staffers told them Edwards would often pressure her to take shots of liquor when they went out together.
• He also often complimented their outfits and appearance, three sources told Axios.

Zoom out: The Ethics panel's investigations can take months, sometimes years, to yield formal reports or disciplinary recommendations.

• Edwards, who is currently serving his second term in Congress, is a top Democratic target in November.
• The ethics probe could hamper Edwards' reelection prospects.