Rep. Alma Adams of NC reportedly faced ethics investigation into staff relationship
An accusation that Rep. Alma Adams had a relationship with her current deputy chief of staff was the subject of a 2023 ethics committee investigation in the U.S. House of Representatives, NOTUS reported Thursday.
Adams released a statement Thursday afternoon saying she fully cooperated with the committee and that it closed the matter after finding no violations of any House rules and no inappropriate or improper relationship.
But a source, who independently verified the details of NOTUS’ reporting to McClatchy on Thursday morning, said that the relationship led to a hostile work environment and high staff turnover.
Legistorm, a subscription-based platform that collects data including staff turnover for members of Congress and state legislatures, shows that Adams in 2022 had the second-highest staff turnover of any member of Congress.
NOTUS reported that Adams’ office first learned a complaint had been filed in 2022.
Adams, 79, is a Democrat representing an area of Charlotte, though she’s originally from Greensboro. She moved south after the Republican legislature redrew her Triad district to favor a Republican.
House Ethics Committee staffers interviewed around half-a-dozen of Adams’ employees about her relationship with Sandra Brown, who also serves as her district director, NOTUS reported.
Brown has worked with Adams since 2014, when she was in the state House.
Adams did not immediately answer a call to her cellphone.
McClatchy independently confirmed the details of NOTUS’ reporting, speaking to a former staffer who said Adams’ preferential treatment toward Brown affected everything in the office from constituent services to employees’ mental health.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the staffer told McClatchy that Adams’ employees were surprised the investigation was centered on the relationship between Adams and Brown because they assumed it would focus on Brown’s abuse toward the staff.
Adams’ statement said she was advised that she should work to ensure that no staff received preferential treatment, whether actual or perceived, and that all staff were aware they could raise any concerns without fear or retaliation.
She’s currently ranked by Legistorm as 93rd out of 435 members of the House for staff turnover.
Her statement says that because no violations were found there were no penalties and the review remains confidential.
The news comes as several members of Congress have faced ethics investigations, including inappropriate relationships with staff members, that have led to three resignations.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Rep. Alma Adams of NC reportedly faced ethics investigation into staff relationship."
