Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards has become the latest lawmaker to be under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, according to a new report.
Axios detailed that the allegations against the North Carolina Republican have not been specified, but committee chair Michael Guest and Democratic ranking member Mark DeSaulnier authorized staff to investigate them.
Edwards reacted with a statement: "I welcome any investigation, given the professionalism my staff has demonstrated and my commitment to serving the people of Western NC. Given the current political environment we are facing in our nation, it comes as no surprise that others with their own political agendas will attempt to raise false accusations in order to create news stories," he said.
Four lawmakers have been under investigation this year, and three have resigned from their posts. The latest one to do so was Shella Cherfilus-McCormick, who was set to face an expulsion vote in the Lower House.
Cherfilus-McCormick had been found guilty by the Ethics Committee of several charges, including funneling $5 million in Covid relief funds to her congressional campaign.
The other lawmakers who resigned were Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales. Swalwell had been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct from former staff members, leading to the end of his run for governor of California.
Gonzales, on his end, admitted earlier this year to having an affair with a staff member who later committed suicide. Gonzales, who was in his third term in Congress, initially resisted calls to resign but said he wouldn't seek reelection.
However, that changed when a bipartisan effort in Congress to expel both of them gained momentum. Once it became clear that there might be enough votes to actually remove them from office, both resigned.
Republican Rep. Cory Mills is also facing an investigation from the Ethics committee as he stands accused of financial misconduct, campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct. He is also accused of threatening to release nude videos of an ex. He has denied all of them and vowed to stay in his post.
"If someone can give me a good reason, I'd be more than happy to listen to it. But until we can do that, absolutely not, no — I don't plan to resign. We're going to seek re-election," Mills told press earlier this month.
"Why not let the investigating body and the Ethics Committee to be able to do their jobs? And so we comply. We're very happy to see what the outcome is," Mills added.
