Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina presented two young female staffers each with a personalized handgun while they worked in his office during 2024, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the gifts. One staffer received a blue handgun engraved with her name; the other received a pink one. Both presentations occurred in North Carolina.
The gifts have become part of a broader pattern of conduct now under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Edwards is facing allegations of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, charges he has denied.
A lawyer representing one of the former staffers said the woman "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."
Edwards, a licensed firearms dealer until November 2024, owned Second Amendment Gun Traders in Hendersonville and holds an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association. In a statement, he said: "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."
Three sources told Axios they had never witnessed Edwards giving firearms to other staffers or teaching them weapon handling. House rules do not explicitly prohibit members from buying gifts for staff.
The handgun gifts are not Edwards' only gestures toward the two staffers in their 20s. Multiple sources have described a pattern of attention that included handwritten correspondence, personal gifts, drinking outings, casino trips, and promotions.
Edwards organized a surprise musical performance at a personal birthday party for one of the staffers while she remained employed in his office. In spring 2025, he hired a singer to perform the staffer's favorite Ed Sheeran songs at her birthday celebration at Salazar in Washington, D.C. Sources said the staffer was embarrassed by the performance, which occurred without her prior knowledge.
Edwards did not attend the party himself. Instead, he coordinated the surprise through one of the staffer's friends, whom he had met while visiting the staffer in the hospital during treatment for appendicitis. He had previously left Capitol Hill during work hours to visit her there.
The congressman also wrote one staffer a flattering poem that he read aloud while becoming tearful at her office-wide going-away party, according to four sources. In a three-page handwritten letter, he told her she had "written a complex chapter in my heart." He also gave her a custom puzzle depicting Adam Sandler with a handwritten note inviting her to attend one of the comedian's shows with him.
During the fall 2025 government shutdown, Edwards vacationed with the staffer in Las Vegas after she had left his office. He arranged for flowers to be waiting in her Bellagio hotel room, a gesture the staffer found uncomfortable, according to sources familiar with the trip and receipts reviewed by the news organization.
One staffer complained about Edwards' behavior and expressed concern about potential retaliation, according to text messages and sources with knowledge of the interactions.
The ongoing Ethics investigation could impact Edwards' reelection efforts in his western North Carolina district, though such inquiries typically extend over months or years. Democrats have targeted his seat as a priority in their House recapture strategy. His Democratic challenger, Jamie Ager, outraised him by roughly $1.3 million in the latest fundraising quarter.
Edwards and his wife, Teresa, recently announced they sold all six of their McDonald's franchises to "devote even greater attention to public service." He also removed references to President Trump from his campaign website after previously highlighting the president and seeking his endorsement.
Author James Rodriguez: "Gifting firearms with personalized engravings to young staffers you're simultaneously treating to Vegas vacations and surprise concerts is the kind of pattern that doesn't need much decoding."
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