2026年8月3日 / 美国东部时间下午3:14 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
华盛顿讯—— 美国众议院道德委员会周一发布报告,详述了针对北卡罗来纳州共和党众议员查克·爱德华兹的调查结果,结论是有“充分理由相信”他违反了众议院有关性骚扰和敌意工作环境的规则。
该委员会建议众议院就其行为谴责爱德华兹,并表示将在众议院全体会议上提出一项特权决议案。众议院将于本月晚些时候结束休会返回议事。
道德委员会于今年5月宣布对爱德华兹展开调查,此前Axios率先报道称,2023年起在众议院代表北卡罗来纳州的爱德华兹曾特别关注两名年轻职员。
在报告中,委员会表示爱德华兹“违反了《众议院官方行为准则》,未能遵守禁止性骚扰众议院职员和对其做出不受欢迎的追求行为的规则精神”。调查发现,爱德华兹“对两名年轻女性职员持续采取不专业且不当的行为”,同时指出爱德华兹否认自己的行为带有性或浪漫意味。
该委员会得出结论称,“他的行为模式会让一名理性旁观者做出这样的解读,包括向这两名年轻女性赠送奢华且频繁的礼物、评论她们的外貌和着装、邀请她们参加私密晚餐和度假、发送表达自己热烈爱意的便条,以及邀请她们参加其他旨在单独相处的活动”。
委员会表示,没有证据表明爱德华兹“与其雇佣的任何人员发生过性行为或明确提出过性交易”。但该北卡罗来纳州共和党议员清楚,“他对这些年轻女性过度关注已经导致办公室内出现流言和影射”。
报告描述了两名年轻女性职员,委员会称她们“在为爱德华兹工作期间,受到了该议员日益反常的关注,这使得她们和同事都感到不适”。
委员会在报告中称:“两名女性都对他的行为感到不适(她们也曾试图表达不满),但由于他是自己的上司和国会议员,她们陷入了进退两难的境地。”
该委员会补充称,爱德华兹“至少是对这一现实视而不见,最坏的情况是,他无视了自己的不当行为对两名女职员的职业发展和福祉造成的影响”。
调查期间,委员会表示从多个渠道收集了书证,审查了近1500页证据,并对包括爱德华兹在内的16名证人进行了访谈。委员会称,爱德华兹同意豁免相关程序,以便委员会在众议院全体会议上提出制裁建议。
该报告发布之际,道德委员会正面临越来越大的压力,要求提高针对议员不当行为调查的透明度。今年早些时候,前众议员埃里克·斯瓦尔威尔和托尼·冈萨雷斯因性行为不当指控辞职。
在报告的结论部分,委员会表示,该报告不仅应让爱德华兹“为自己判断力低下和不得体的行为”承担责任,还应“向所有议员发出警告:众议院绝不容忍性骚扰和歧视行为”。
House Ethics Committee recommends censure for Rep. Chuck Edwards in sexual harassment probe
August 3, 2026 / 3:14 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — The House Ethics Committee released a report on Monday detailing the findings of an investigation into GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, concluding that there is “substantial reason to believe” he violated House rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.
The committee recommended that the House censure Edwards for the conduct, and said it would bring a privileged resolution before the chamber. The House is set to return from recess late this month.
The Ethics Committee announced in May that it was investigating his conduct, after Axios first reported that Edwards, who has represented North Carolina in the House since 2023, had singled out two young staffers for special attention.
In its report, the committee said Edwards “violated the House Code of Official Conduct by failing to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers.” It found that Edwards engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers,” while noting that Edwards denies that his conduct was sexual or romantic.
The panel concluded that “his pattern of behavior would lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such, including providing the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, sending notes regarding his effusive affection, and inviting them to other activities as a way to spend time together.”
The committee said it found no evidence that Edwards “engaged in sexual activity with or explicitly propositioned any individual under his employ.” But it said the North Carolina Republican was aware “that his excessive attention toward the young women had led to rumors and innuendo in the office.”
The report describes two young women staffers who the committee said were “subject to increasingly unusual attention from the Congressman while they worked for him, creating an environment where both they and their coworkers felt uncomfortable.”
“Both women were uncomfortable with his behavior (which they attempted to communicate) but were put in an untenable position by virtue of his status as their boss and a Member of Congress,” the committee said in the report.
The panel added that Edwards was “at minimum blind to that reality, and at worst, dismissive of the impact his inappropriate conduct had on the careers and wellbeing of two women on his staff.”
In its investigation, the committee said it sought documentary evidence from multiple sources, reviewed nearly 1,500 pages of evidence and conducted 16 witness interviews, including with Edwards. The committee said he agreed to waive procedures for the panel to recommend a sanction on the House floor.
The report comes as the Ethics Committee has faced increasing pressure to improve transparency around possible misconduct by members, after former Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resigned earlier this year after allegations of sexual impropriety.
In its conclusion, the panel said the report should not only hold Edwards accountable “for his poor judgment and unbecoming conduct,” but also “serve as a caution to all Members that sexual harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated in the House.”
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