Axios reported Monday that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) gave two young female staffers personalized handguns while they worked in his office, the latest allegation in a House Ethics Committee probe into the married congressman’s conduct.
One staffer received a blue handgun engraved with her name. The other got a pink one. Both gifts allegedly were given in North Carolina in 2024, according to two sources with direct knowledge cited by Axios reporter Kate Santaliz.
A lawyer for one of the former staffers claimed the gift was unwanted.
“[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 lawyer told Axios.
Edwards defended the gifts and pointed to his years in the trade. He held a firearms dealer license until November 2024.
“I have taught several staff members to shoot and handle weapons, and in some cases, I provided them with their own,” Edwards said. “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.”
His campaign website touts an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Axios also reported a surprise performance at one staffer’s birthday party in spring 2025. Edwards hired a singer to run through her favorite Ed Sheeran songs at a Washington restaurant. Three sources said the staffer was embarrassed. She had no idea it was coming, the outlet reported.
Edwards has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He called the allegations “baseless” and told reporters he would not “debate these issues in trashy tabloids.”
The report comes as Democrats target Edwards’ western North Carolina district. His Democrat challenger, Jamie Ager, outraised him by roughly $1.3 million in the latest fundraising quarter.
