NC Rep. Chuck Edwards hires lawyer amid ethics probe into sexual harassment

Danielle Battaglia, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Jul 21, 2026

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards hired a Washington-based attorney to represent him on allegations that he sexually harassed female staffers.

Paul Shumaker, Edwards’ political consultant, confirmed to McClatchy on Tuesday morning that Edwards hired Andrew D. Herman.

“He was going to hire counsel that has experience in these things,” Shumaker said, adding that he told Edwards to “hire good counsel.”

Herman states on his firm’s website that he represents “candidates, political committees, labor unions and nonprofits on the intricate rules governing political activity and policy advocacy.” He further states he represents clients in “congressional investigations, complex civil litigation and sensitive white-collar matters.”

In Edwards’ second quarter Federal Election Commission report, he stated that he’s paid Herman $30,000. The first payment of $7,500 was made on April 30, when Axios first reported that the House Ethics Committee was investigating Edwards. The second payment of $23,167 was made on June 10.

The SAVE AMERICA Committee, Trump’s leadership PAC, paid Herman $25,000 on April 30 as well.

The FEC confirmed in 2007 that candidates can use their campaign funds to pay legal expenses for House ethics committee investigations.

“You’re not talking exorbitant amounts of money,” Shumaker said.

He compared Edwards’ spending to that of former Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican from Winston-Salem, who Shumaker said spent more than $400,000 on legal fees to defend himself against allegations of insider trading during the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation was later dismissed.

Edwards’ allegations

The House Ethics Committee confirmed the investigation into Edwards on May 14, stating that the committee is looking into whether Edwards “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.”

During the spring, several lawmakers found themselves facing allegations of improper conduct toward female staffers.

Multiple news outlets including Axios and NOTUS reported that Edwards faces allegations of traveling to Las Vegas with an employee 40 years his junior. He’s accused of sending that employee a three-page letter saying she had written a complex chapter in his heart and sending her a puzzle to complete that invited her to an Adam Sandler comedy show. He also reportedly bought one employee jewelry and another a designer bag.

Edwards’ FEC report shows payments made on March 7 for an additional trip to Las Vegas.

On Monday night, Axios further reported that he bought two of his female staffers a pink and a blue gun and hired a singer to serenade an employee at her birthday party.

The Edwards campaign continues to deny any wrongdoing. Edwards previously said he would “welcome the ethics inquiry because it allows for facts to be entered into the record.”

On Tuesday morning, Shumaker said the latest revelation “is the kind of fight I want to have.”

“First of all, it does not violate any House rules,” Shumaker said. “Second is that … if anybody wants to have a conversation about members buying guns for staff members or handguns or whatever else, in the 11th Congressional District that only helps.”

He added that Edwards once campaigned on being a firearm dealer.

Edwards is better known for owning several McDonald’s franchises. He announced the sale of all of his franchises last week in a news release, saying he wanted to focus on politics.

When asked, Shumaker said the sale has nothing to do with paying for legal fees.

“No. No. No. No. No,” Shumaker said. “In fact the legal fees are disclosed on our FEC reporting.”

Edwards’ campaigns

Edwards is in his second term in Congress after defeating Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from Hendersonville, winning the 2022 Republican primary and later the general election.

Edwards now faces Jamie Ager, a local farmer, who comes from a long line of politicians including his father and grandfather.

Ager is far surpassing Edwards in fundraising, according to the FEC reports.

In the second quarter, Ager raised $1.4 million to Edwards’ $155,000. Ager has $2.2 million in cash on hand to Edwards’ $486,000.

The Lalota Victory Fund, a committee to help maintain the Republican majority, reported giving Edwards nearly $25,000 on June 22.

Edwards is sitting in what should be a safe Republican seat. But due to the recent allegations against him, organizations like the University of Virginia Center for Politics dropped the district’s rating from likely Republican to lean Republican.

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