Exclusive: House Democratic Women's Caucus calls on Chuck Edwards to resign

The House Democratic Women's Caucus is calling on Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) to resign after the House Ethics Committee concluded he violated House rules over sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, according to a statement shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: The Democratic Women's Caucus is arguing that censure — the punishment recommended by the bipartisan Ethics Committee — is not sufficient for Edwards.

• "A censure has no real consequences," Democratic Women's Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (N.M.) and Vice Chairs Emilia Sykes (Ohio) and Hillary Scholten (Mich.) wrote in a statement obtained by Axios.
• As part of the bipartisan sexual misconduct task force, they also plan to introduce legislation creating tougher penalties for lawmakers found to have committed sexual misconduct, including stripping committee assignments or requiring an expulsion vote.

"It just means he has to stand on the floor of the House while the censure is read. A few minutes of embarrassing C-SPAN coverage, while the staffers themselves had to endure over two years of sexual harassment, is not comparable."

• Edwards did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on the Ethics Committee's findings. But in a statement to the committee, Edwards' attorneys said the panel cleared him of sexual misconduct and quid pro quo harassment, arguing it improperly recommended censure based on vague House conduct standards rather than any direct violation of sexual harassment rules.

Driving the news: The House Ethics Committee found Edwards violated House rules by "failing to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers," according to a 25-page report released Monday.

• The report's findings confirmed several incidents previously reported by Axios, including handwritten correspondence, personal gifts, drinking outings, casino trips, and cited them as supporting evidence for its findings.
• "The report released by the House Committee on Ethics detailing their investigation into Rep. Chuck Edwards showed a clear and outlandish pattern of sexual harassment. It's time for accountability. There must be clear and significant consequences for sexual harassment of this level," the lawmakers wrote.

Zoom in: Democratic Women's Caucus leaders argued Edwards' conduct drove two staffers from their jobs and warranted consequences beyond censure.

• "They had to leave their jobs, so should Rep. Edwards. He should resign immediately," they wrote.
• "Congress has a responsibility to protect the women that work here and reciting a few words of censure on the House floor doesn't protect women from retaliation and sexual harassment."

What's next: The House is expected to vote on censuring Edwards after returning from the August recess, and Republicans already say the outcome is all but certain.

• Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) told Axios she will vote to censure Edwards.
• "Sexual harassment is completely unacceptable," Luna said.
• A House GOP leadership aide told Axios they "don't see a path" where Edwards avoids censure.