Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) is facing fresh scrutiny after a report revealed he gifted personalized handguns to two women who worked in his congressional office.
According to Axios, Edwards gave one staffer a blue handgun engraved with her name and another a pink handgun while they were employed in his office in 2024. The gifts are the latest in a series of alleged personal gestures — including handwritten letters, poems, flowers, casino trips, personalized gifts, and a surprise birthday performance — that have become central to the ethics investigation.
Edwards acknowledged providing firearms to some staff members but denied any wrongdoing. “I have taught several staff members to shoot and handle weapons, and in some cases, I provided them with their own,” Edwards told Axios. “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.”
One former staffer’s attorney said her client “only awkwardly accepted the gift for fear of reprisal against her employment” before later legally disposing of the firearm. According to Axios, three sources familiar with Edwards’ office said they had never seen him give firearms to other staff members or teach other employees how to handle weapons, raising further questions about whether the congressman singled out the two women.
The handgun gifts are the latest allegations to emerge against Edwards’ who is already under House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations that he created a hostile work environment for young female staffers.
Axios previously reported Edwards, who has been married since 1980, allegedly wrote one staffer a three-page handwritten letter telling her she had “written a complex chapter in my heart,” read an emotional poem to her during a farewell event, gave her personalized gifts, left during the workday to visit her after she was hospitalized with appendicitis, arranged a surprise performance for her birthday, and later vacationed with her in Las Vegas after she left his office, where flowers were reportedly waiting in her hotel room. Edwards has denied misconduct related to those allegations.
The ethics probe arrives at a politically difficult time for the North Carolina Republican, whose western North Carolina district has emerged as one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterms.
Democratic challenger Jamie Ager dramatically outraised Edwards during the latest fundraising quarter, bringing in roughly $1.4 million compared to Edwards’ approximately $155,000. National election forecasters have also shifted the district from “Likely Republican” to a more competitive “Lean Republican” as Democrats increase their investment in the race.
The allegations against Edwards also come amid heightened scrutiny of lawmakers’ relationships with staff following recent scandals involving former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and new allegations surrounding Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), placing congressional workplace conduct under renewed attention.
The House Ethics Committee has not publicly indicated when its investigation into Edwards will conclude.
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