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The House Committee on Ethics has been investigating Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, in the spring of 2026. On Aug. 3, the committee released a report confirming he “violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.” Edwards dropped his bid for reelection on Aug. 5. Here’s ongoing coverage.
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A conservation group paid for Rep. Chuck Edwards and a family member to travel to South Africa last year, the North Carolina congressman’s newly filed ethics form shows.
But Edwards did not turn in the paperwork required by the U.S. House of Representatives so that trips are properly disclosed, including who he brought or how much it cost.
And because of the missing paperwork, it is also unclear if he received required permission prior to traveling.
House rules on gifts require members of Congress to seek approval from the House Ethics Committee at least 30 days before traveling at the expense of private groups for official purposes. To seek permission, the lawmakers must disclose the travelers and sponsor.
The committee says it does not provide retroactive permission, except under exceptional circumstances, for a trip, and that failing to seek prior approval will result in the House member having to repay the sponsor. It can also lead to future denials or an investigation by the committee.
The committee issued a report this month accusing the congressman of sexually harassing two young female staffers and creating a hostile work environment.
Last week, McClatchy uncovered that Edwards used his campaign money to fund a private trip he took with one of those staffers to Las Vegas in November 2025. He nearly missed votes to reopen the government because he could not easily return to Washington.
Edwards dropped his reelection bid as a result of the ethics report, but plans to serve out the end of his term. House Ethics recommended censure for Edwards as a result of its findings.
Edwards traveled from Asheville to Pretoria, South Africa and Kruger National Park.
The trip, from Aug. 15-24, 2025, was paid for by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, according to the ethics forms filed by three other members of Congress who joined the trip.
Reps. August Pfluger, David Joyce and Morgan Luttrell each brought a family member. All three of them requested prior approval by House Ethics and submitted the required post-travel information to the committee.
Once a lawmaker files the post-travel information, his or her pre-travel approval become public.
Edwards did not turn his in.
Instead, Edwards filed a Financial Disclosure Report on Aug. 12, reporting the trip, that a family member was with him and that it was paid for by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation.
The International Conservation Caucus Foundation, founded in 2006, is a nonprofit with the goal to “advance global stability, U.S. interests, and partner nations’ ability to steward the natural systems that underpin economic resilience and security.”
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation says it advances “scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area.”
Neither Edwards’ team nor the conservation caucus foundation responded to requests for comment about the lack of Edwards’ pre- and post-trip disclosures or any other details.
In post-travel reports, Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, reported that the two organizations paid $10,686 each for him and his wife.
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Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, and Luttrell, a Republican from Texas, reported that the organizations paid $7,565 each for the lawmakers and $6,669 each for their family members.
The three lawmakers also told the committee why they wanted to go on the trip.
Luttrell said it was good for him as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security to understand conservation and resource conflict in global instability.
Krueger’s report said: “This trip will help inform the Congressman’s work as the co-chair of the International Conservation Caucus and a member of the House Appropriations committee.”
Pfluger considered the trip timely because of U.S. trade relations. He said it was important as a member of the Energy and Commerce, Homeland Security and Republican Study committees to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other officials.
Pfluger said the trip would focus on U.S.-South African relations, democratic development and the role of political leadership in conservation and resource management.
He described plans for discussions about how legislative leadership can drive policies that strengthen environmental protection and economic stability and said it was helpful to be hands-on and meet with people including conservation experts, rangers and local communities focused on wildlife trafficking, human-wildlife conflict and sustainable development.
It’s unclear why Edwards was selected to go. He serves on two committees: the House Appropriations and Budget committees. He serves on nearly two dozen caucuses including the Conservative Climate Caucus.
Pfluger, Luttrell and Joyce all provided itineraries, giving insight into Edwards’ travel and the broader trip.
Edwards was scheduled to depart Asheville Aug. 15 and fly to Atlanta, then the Netherlands and finally Johannesburg, South Africa, arriving the following night.
On the trip, the lawmakers learned about the conservation caucus foundation, the U.S. government’s support for conservation and human development in South Africa, the importance of U.S. leadership around global natural resource management and the consequences of mismanagement including geopolitical conflict, famine and mass migration.
The lawmakers received a classified briefing.
They met with South African politician and businessman Roelof Meyer, Shoprite founder Whitey Basson, Kruger National Park’s first female head ranger Cathy Dreyer and Oscar Mthimkhulu, managing executive for Kruger National Park.
They were briefed on the role of the Conservation Parliamentary Caucus in South Africa and met with the caucus’ co-chair.
They visited Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the South African president’s residence, where they discussed South Africa-U.S. relations with the president.
The owner of S.D. Kruger Safaris briefed the men on the importance of hunting in conservation management.
The lawmakers were able to track lion pride movements and learn about the roles that lions and other predators play in the ecosystem. They learned about global biodiversity, habitat loss, land use change, environmental migration and combatting poaching. They also went on a walking tour with local guides to see plants and animals around the camp they stayed in.
Edwards was scheduled to leave South Africa on Aug. 23 and fly through Paris and Atlanta before arriving in Asheville the following evening.
Pfluger, Joyce and Luttrell were told by the House Ethics Committee they had 15 days from their return to submit a post-travel report.
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All three did.
This story was originally published August 24, 2026 at 5:30 AM.