GOP Lawmaker Skipped Votes to Go to Staffer’s Home: ‘Let Me Know Where I Can Find Your Key’

(Makiya Seminera/AP photo)

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) was apparently “beyond thrilled” to skip votes and cancel town halls to help female staffers decorate for the holidays and to take them to dinner, The Charlotte Observer’s deputy opinion editor Paige Masten wrote on X Tuesday.

Masten shared a series of messages from a report issued by the House Committee on Ethics on allegations Edwards behaved inappropriately toward two members of his staff. The allegations were reported by Axios in May.

“I’m really excited to work on your law and set up your Christmas tree tomorrow!” Edwards wrote in one message.

He continued, “Here’s another offer I hope you’ll take me up on, unless of course you’ve made other arrangements. What if I skip votes and help you decorate your tree once you get home tomorrow?”

After the staffer said she’d “love to decorate the tree” with Edwards, she asked if he was “sure about skipping votes.”

“I am beyond thrilled that you’ll let me help you, I can hardly contain myself!!” Edwards answered. “And yes, I’m sure about skipping votes—so you’ll get to enjoy your tree a bit longer.” He also noted the Lumbee recognition bill “might get in the way.”

The law in question added the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina—the state Edwards represents—to the list of federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was signed in January 2026.

Edwards also reportedly missed the vote for the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which improved benefits for military veterans.

In a second set of messages Edwards canceled a town hall to meet a staffer for dinner.

Axios also reported in July that Edwards, who has been married to his wife Theresa Edwards since 1980, gave two female staffers personalized handguns. One of the women told Axios she “only awkwardly accepted the gift for fear of reprisal against her employment but later legally disposed of it because she did not want it in her possession.” The outlet noted two women in their 20s claimed Edwards “crossed professional boundaries and created an uncomfortable work environment.”

Edwards said via a statement shared with Axios, “I have taught several staff members to shoot and handle weapons, and in some cases, I provided them with their own. Before being elected to Congress, I was a licensed firearm dealer. I’m a strong believer in teaching men and women about firearm safety and self-defense. Firearms are useful tools for home and self-defense when held by law-abiding citizens.”

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