A Democratic member of Congress faced a discreet investigation by the House Ethics Committee over claims of an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member. However, the investigation did not confirm these allegations, and the case was closed without any public disclosure of the findings.
Representative Alma Adams, representing North Carolina’s 12th District, which includes Charlotte, since 2014, came under scrutiny in 2022 following an ethics complaint. The complaint alleged that the 79-year-old congresswoman had an unusually close relationship with her aide, Sandra Brown, as initially reported by NOTUS.
Staff members were questioned by ethics investigators about Brown’s visits to Adams at a Washington D.C. one-bedroom apartment, and about Brown’s self-published novel. The book features a storyline involving a conflict between a woman and her lover’s spouse, as per the report.
Titled “BossLady: The Legend of Sydney Donovan Begins,” the novel was published under the pseudonym SaVette Brown. However, the author’s Amazon profile identifies her as “Sandra Austin Brown.”
A source with direct insight into the situation told NOTUS that Brown described her novel as “loosely based on her life.”
The alleged relationship reportedly led to a “hostile work environment,” according to the report. Brown was said to have influenced significant decisions and even overruled higher-ranking staff members.
People familiar with the probe told the outlet that half a dozen ex-Adams aides were interviewed between January and September 2023 in both Charlotte and Washington, DC, after “a high-ranking staffer” filed the complaint with the Ethics Committee.
That same year, Brown was promoted to deputy chief of staff and later was also made district director of the congresswoman’s Charlotte-based office.
Reps for Adams’ office said Thursday in a statement that “no inappropriate or improper relationship” was uncovered by ethics investigators, nor did the North Carolina Democrat violate any House rules.
“Congresswoman Adams cooperated fully with the House Ethics Committee’s review, which was thorough and detailed,” read the statement from her office.
“Because the Committee’s comprehensive review found no violation of any House Rules, no penalties were recommended to the full House and the Committee’s review remains confidential,” it added.
The office also noted that Adams was “advised” to “ensure that no staff received preferential treatment, actual or perceived, and that all staff were aware they could raise any concerns without fear of retaliation.”
More than two dozen House lawmakers were outed on Monday for having been investigated by the Ethics Committee for alleged sexual misconduct. Adams wasn’t listed among them.
Nor has she been publicly identified as one of several members who have had to pay out settlements for alleged sexual harassment or workplace discrimination from a taxpayer-funded “slush fund.”
The committee’s chairman, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), told NOTUS that the committee does “not intend to publish the names of individuals against whom allegations have been made that we are unable to substantiate.”
Brown and reps for the Ethics Committee didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
