WASHINGTON — A Democratic lawmaker was quietly investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly pursuing an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer — but the probe never substantiated the claims and was closed without releasing any public findings.
Rep. Alma Adams, a 79-year-old North Carolina pol who has served the state’s 12th District comprising Charlotte since 2014, was slapped with the ethics complaint in 2022 for getting “extremely close” to her aide Sandra Brown, NOTUS first reported.
Aides who spoke with ethics investigators were questioned about Brown’s visits to Adams at a one-bedroom apartment in DC — and her self-published novel that describes a quarrel between a woman and her lover’s husband, according to the outlet.
The book, “BossLady: The Legend of Sydney Donovan Begins,” was published under the pseudonym SaVette Brown, though the author’s Amazon page identifies her as “Sandra Austin Brown.”
Brown had claimed the fictional account “was loosely based on her life,” a source with direct knowledge of the remarks mentioned to NOTUS.
Their alleged relationship also created a “hostile work environment,” the report stated, with Brown weighing in on key decisions and even overruling higher-ranking staffers.
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.
