From Staff Reports

hENDERSONVILLE, N.C. —  The Henderson County Republican Party immediately came to the defense of U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-Flat Rock, after the allegations against him were publicized.

To that end, HCRP Chairman Greg Beam wrote in the local party newsletter on May 4 that the allegations against Edwards are “ridiculous.”

Following is Beam’s complete statement in the newsletter:

“There is a story in the so-called ‘news’ that one would like to ignore, but it is getting enough coverage and attention that I think saner voices need to speak out on it.

“It is hard to say whether the so-called Ethics Committee or the news media have conducted themselves worse in this story concerning our congressman, Chuck Edwards. 

“Starting with the Ethics Committee, some so-far anonymous source who claims to be a witness has made an accusation that was soon leaked to the media by one of the committee’s lawyers.  

“Notice that the accusation was made by an anonymous witness, not by the supposed victim. I think it is safe to say the lawyer who leaked the accusation is a Dem. 

“This is the same committee that two years ago researched if Chuck had misused the franking privilege, also just before an election, based on a complaint by the Dems that turned out to be nothing. The committee has done no research yet concerning the validity of the claim and yet it has allowed it to be blasted by many media outlets as if it were a fact.

 “Now to consider the news media. Almost everywhere the story headline is about sexual harassment, yet in one article, while the headline claimed sexual harassment, in the first or second paragraph it stated the actual accusation was an affair, a romantic attachment.  

“I think most people would say there is a vast difference between sexual harassment (non-consensual) and a romantic attachment (consensual).  

“This is the same Ethics Committee that turned a blind eye to Rep. Swalwell’s and others’ abuse of women for so long.  

“One article stated that the Ethics Committee’s description of acceptable conduct by Members precludes romantic attachments with staff, so the Committee is going after Chuck with a misguided vigor that they have neglected to show against Members who do harass women.

“All of the above is to dissect how disgusting the Ethics Committee and the news media have been in their conduct. 

“Now to address the substance of the accusation. Anyone who knows Chuck and Teresa know how ridiculous the accusation is. Chuck is the supreme, hardworking professional. His motto is “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”  

“One doesn’t rise from flipping hamburgers as a 16-year-old to owning six McDonald’s stores with hundreds of employees by taking one’s eye off the objective.  

“It is the same with his legislative career.  From all the committees he chaired or was on while in the N.C. Senate to emerging as a clear-cut winner (no runoff election) in a primary field of eight and then winning against a strong Asheville Dem opponent in his first race for Congress, 

“Chuck has demonstrated his focus on working hard and getting results. Chuck knows how to recruit for, and manage, high-performing teams.

 “Just two examples of Chuck in action are his appointment to the Appropriations Committee, which almost no junior Member is assigned to. Also, his work to repair Helene damage and assist those affected by it. Remember those almost daily emails on where to find food, water, and everything else? https://edwards.house.gov/media/newsletters.

I have been asked if Chuck hired an outside company to create them. The answer is no, Chuck’s staff created them.

 "’I welcome any investigation, given the professionalism my staff has demonstrated and my commitment to serving the people of Western N.C.,’ Edwards said in a statement to Axios.‘Given the current political environment we are facing in our nation, it comes as no surprise that others with their own political agendas will attempt to raise false accusations in order to create news stories.’ (source: Axios)

“The Dems are desperate to take Chuck out — and it appears this is how they hope to do it,” Beam’s statement concluded.