Scoop: Rep. Chuck Edwards gifted pink and blue handguns to young female staffers

Per Axios, Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina gave two young female staffers personalized handguns as gifts while they worked in his office in 2024 — one pink, one blue, each engraved with the staffer's name. One staffer's lawyer says she accepted the gift only out of fear of retaliation and later disposed of it. The gifts are part of a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged sexual harassment and hostile work environment, with evidence suggesting Edwards singled out these staffers for unusually personal attention: handwritten correspondence, additional gifts, casino trips, and a surprise musical performance he arranged at one staffer's birthday party without her knowledge. Edwards, who was a licensed firearms dealer until late 2024, said in a statement that he taught staff members about firearm safety and self-defense, but three sources told Axios they never witnessed him giving firearms to any other staffers. The investigation could complicate Edwards' reelection prospects in western North Carolina, where his Democratic challenger outraised him by one point three million dollars in the latest quarter.

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