New reports have emerged concerning a previously undisclosed House Ethics Committee investigation into Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) that included several months of interviews with former aides over allegations connected to a relationship she had with a senior staffer. The information concerning the investigation came from several individuals familiar with the probe.
Committee investigators sat down with half a dozen former aides in both Washington and North Carolina, Adams’ home state, throughout 2023, questioning them concerning the congresswoman’s relationship with her current deputy chief of staff and district director, Sandra Brown. The interviews first started in January 2023 and lasted through September of the same year.
Adams, 79, was made aware of the ethics complaint against her in the summer of 2022, according to the same sources. What kind of relationship the two had or currently still have has yet to be made clear. However, the complaint was filed by a high-ranking staffer after several colleagues raised concerns that Brown and Adams were involved in some kind of relationship.
According to a report from Trending Politics News, all of the sources interviewed, regardless of the exact nature of the relationship, the close-knit connection the two shared led to a difficult work environment in the office. When it comes to staff turnover, Adams has led North Carolina’s congressional delegation, indicating an abnormally high rate of churn-and-burn among staff members.
The report from TPN noted that the investigation into the relationship between the two women was not made public and that the Ethics Committee has not revealed its findings. However, the fact that investigators decided to make the trek to North Carolina to conduct the interviews points to the large scope of the probe. When the committee was asked about the inquiry, they declined to provide comment.
Committee Chairman Michael Guest instead provided a reiteration of the panel’s general policy. “I got asked a very direct question about whether or not they were having an inappropriate relationship,” one person interviewed by the committee went on to say. One former aide stated that they were interviewed in a hotel in North Carolina.
Sources stated that investigators first asked about office operations and followed up with questions concerning a different staffer who is the subject of another investigation over potential financial mismanagement. Then the subject turned to Adams and her relationship with Brown. According to Adams’ office, the case is now closed.
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A spokesperson for the North Carolina Democrat said, “the Committee closed the matter after finding no violation of any House Rules and, most importantly, no inappropriate or improper relationship. Ultimately, the Committee advised that Congresswoman Adams should work 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.”
But other former aides who worked for Adams described a different picture of what they witnessed within the office. Multiple sources told investigators that Brown would spend long periods of time at Adams’ one-bedroom apartment located on New Jersey Avenue in D.C. Another aide stated that Brown, who worked out of the Charlotte office, would appear in the background during virtual meetings from the apartment.
Witnesses were also asked about a self-published novel authored by Brown, using a pseudonym, called, “BossLady: The Legend of Sydney Donovan Begins,” which includes a storyline concerning a woman having a conflict with her lover’s husband. Allegedly, Brown told one aide the novel was loosely based on her own life. Other staffers reported seeing shouting matches between Adams and Brown, in person and over video calls.
One former aide said, “Your standing with Sandra impacted your standing with Alma,” going on to add that current staff members still come to them asking for help on how to navigate the environment in the office. Brown has worked closely with Adams for almost a decade, starting in the state legislature and taking on multiple roles. House rules prohibit members from being romantically involved with employees under their supervision.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video