Married GOP Congressman Allegedly Penned 3-Page Note to Ex-Staffer About Her Writing 'a Complex Chapter in My Heart'

North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards, 65, denied all allegations of misconduct, which emerged weeks after two fellow congressman resigned over their own scandals involving staffers

NEED TO KNOW

• The increasingly active House Ethics Committee is reportedly probing North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards for alleged inappropriate conduct involving young female staffers
• Axios reported several allegations, including that the married Republican penned a three-page handwritten note to a former staffer that said she had “written a complex chapter in my heart”
• Edwards, 65, denied all allegations of misconduct and welcomed an investigation

Yet another member of Congress is facing scrutiny for alleged misconduct as the increasingly active House Ethics Committee reportedly probes North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards after he was accused of inappropriate conduct involving young female staffers.

Axios reported several allegations from unnamed sources, including that the married Republican penned a three-page handwritten note to a former staffer that said she had “written a complex chapter in my heart.”

“In the mountains we have to shovel horses—,” Edwards told The Assembly, a North Carolina news organization, before an event in Flat Rock, N.C., on Tuesday, May 5. “In D.C. I have to deal with horsesh–. And these allegations are more horsesh–.”

Edwards told The Assembly he had never had a romantic relationship with a staffer, "I have done nothing wrong," and said he has "no reason to resign," but did not address specific allegations.

“I’m not going to debate these issues in trashy tabloids," Edwards told the outlet.

His office did not comment on whether the committee had been in contact with Edwards, and the Ethics Committee declined to comment. The committee has a policy not to publicly acknowledge investigations until official announcements are made.

"I welcome any investigation, given the professionalism my staff has demonstrated and my commitment to serving the people of Western [North Carolina],” Edwards said in a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday, May 6. “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.”

None of the details reported by Axios have been independently verified by PEOPLE, and a campaign spokesperson for the congressman dismissed the claims to the Asheville Citizen-Times as “baseless allegations designed to impact the campaign driven by those who want to settle old political scores.”

Probes from the Ethics Committee preceded the April 13 resignations of Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican whose former staffer fatally lit herself on fire in 2025 after an affair, and California Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who dropped out of the California gubernatorial race after allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct involving staffers.

Gonzales ultimately admitted to having a sexual relationship with his staffer who died by suicide, though Swalwell has denied all wrongdoing since multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.

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Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., also resigned in April after the first public House Ethics “trial” in 16 years found her guilty on 25 counts related to federal criminal charges she still faces for allegedly defrauding federal pandemic aid programs of millions of dollars. She has also denied wrongdoing while the criminal case remains underway, but opted to step back from Congress "rather than play these political games."

Axios reported on the existence of Edwards' handwritten letter on Monday, May 4, and cited three sources who said they witnessed Edwards, 65, act inappropriately toward two female staffers in their 20s.

The D.C.-based outlet characterized those alleged actions as crossing “professional boundaries” and said it “created an uncomfortable work environment.”

Edwards also allegedly gifted a staffer jewelry and a custom puzzle of Adam Sandler, as well as invited her to a Sandler comedy show, according to Axios. Another young female staffer in her 20s was allegedly gifted other items, including a purse.

The report alleged that Edwards also traveled to Las Vegas for a stay at the Bellagio hotel in November 2025 to vacation with the young woman who he wrote the letter. She reportedly no longer worked for his office at the time.

“You are the most amazing woman," the letter, which Axios said its reporters viewed, began. "I only wish I could explain the joy and meaning to me for the time we spent together at the office — but especially away from it.”

Edwards’ campaign website says he has two children with his wife of 46 years, Teresa, and they now have two grandchildren.

“It is hard to say whether the so-called Ethics Committee or the news media have conducted themselves worse in this story concerning our Congressman, Chuck Edwards,” Henderson County GOP Chair Greg Beam wrote in a Monday newsletter titled “DEFENDING CHUCK.”

“Anyone who knows Chuck and Teresa know how ridiculous the accusation is,” Beam added.

Edwards has served in Congress since 2022, when he beat controversial former Rep. Madison Cawthorn — who was in his 20s and faced misconduct allegations and legal troubles of his own.

Prior to that, the McDonald’s franchise owner served in the North Carolina state Senate. His House district, which includes Asheville and much of southwest North Carolina near the Tennessee border, is viewed as a “likely Republican” victory this fall, according to Cook Political Report.

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