A House Ethics Committee investigation found that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) violated House rules by creating a hostile work environment and repeatedly acting inappropriately toward two young female staffers, according to a report released Monday. The bipartisan ethics panel recommended that Edwards be censured for his conduct and said it would submit a resolution to the House for a vote.“In his interview with the Committee, the Congressman repeatedly asserted that he knows well what constitutes ‘sexual harassment,’ and seemed to believe that by avoiding inappropriate physical touch, explicitly sexual comments, and occasionally telling the staffers that they were free to put up boundaries with him, he had immunized himself from such a charge. That is not the case,” the 25-page report reads. “Despite the absence of an explicit proposition, a reasonable person could interpret Representative Edwards’ intimate and effusive attentions, where he prioritized the personal over the professional, as thinly veiled advances.” An investigation by the committee found that Edwards singled out the two staffers, made frequent comments about their appearance, sent them messages in the middle of the night, texted them “deeply personal and seemingly romantic thoughts,” and spent thousands of dollars on gifts for them, including designer bags, guns and personal vacations. “Representative Edwards’ contention that he had ‘professional boss-subordinate relationships’ and ‘friendships’ with both women is undermined by his intentionally deleting messages to these women that were particularly inappropriate,” the report reads.On one occasion, after helping one of the staffers move back to North Carolina, Edwards texted them: “I’m so so SO happy for you but I can’t pretend this doesn’t sting — deeply. Your absence leaves a space no one else can fill — professionally or personally. Even at my loss, I promise you will never find anyone that wishes for your happiness more than me. NEVER, ANYONE!”Edwards also wrote poems to one of the staffers, “including one that he read at her going away party in the congressional office accompanied by a slideshow, during which he cried.”The committee announced in May it was investigating Edwards after Axios reported he acted inappropriately toward two female staffers in their 20s.Edwards denied the report and maintained to the committee that he did not engage in any unethical behavior. Edwards’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The investigation into Edwards came shortly after Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) both resigned from the House after facing allegations of sexual harassment involving former staffers. The House remains on break until Aug. 31, meaning no action is expected against Edwards until the session resumes.