A previously undisclosed House Ethics Committee investigation into Rep. Alma Adams included months of interviews with her former aides over allegations tied to her relationship with a senior staffer, according to people familiar with the probe.
Committee investigators questioned roughly half a dozen former aides in Washington and North Carolina throughout 2023, focusing on Adams’ relationship with her now-deputy chief of staff and district director, Sandra Brown, multiple sources told NOTUS.
The interviews began as early as January 2023 and continued through at least September. Adams, 79, had been made aware of the ethics complaint in the summer of 2022, according to those sources.
The exact nature of the relationship remains unclear. But the complaint was filed by a high-ranking staffer after colleagues raised concerns that Adams was in a relationship with Brown.
Every source interviewed said, at a minimum, the close relationship between Adams and Brown created a difficult work environment inside the office. Adams has repeatedly led North Carolina’s congressional delegation in staff turnover.
The investigation was never publicly announced, and the Ethics Committee has not released findings. Investigators’ decision to travel to North Carolina for interviews points to the scope of the inquiry.
The committee declined to comment on Adams specifically. Chairman Michael Guest reiterated the panel’s general policy.
Rep. Alma Adams speaks with colleagues
The questioning itself was blunt.
“I got asked a very direct question about whether or not they were having an inappropriate relationship,” said one person interviewed by the committee.
At least one former aide said they were interviewed in a hotel in North Carolina. Sources said investigators initially asked about office operations and a separate staffer under investigation for financial mismanagement before narrowing in on Adams’ relationship with Brown.
Adams’ office says the case is closed.
A spokesperson 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,” the spokesperson added.
Still, former aides described what they saw inside the office.
Multiple sources told investigators that Brown appeared to spend extended periods at Adams’ one-bedroom apartment on New Jersey Avenue in Washington. One aide said Brown, who worked out of the Charlotte office, sometimes appeared in the background during virtual meetings the congresswoman joined from that apartment.
Witnesses were also asked about a self-published novel written by Brown under a pseudonym, “BossLady: The Legend of Sydney Donovan Begins,” which includes a storyline involving a woman in conflict with her lover’s husband. Brown told at least one aide the book was loosely based on her life, a source with direct knowledge said.
Some staffers described witnessing shouting matches between Adams and Brown, both in person and over video calls. Others said Brown had an outsized management role, at times overruling more senior aides.
Adams’ spokesperson did not address those specific allegations, and Brown did not respond to a request for comment.
“Your standing with Sandra impacted your standing with Alma,” one former aide said, adding that current staffers still seek advice on navigating the office.
Brown has worked with Adams since her time in the North Carolina state Legislature and rose through multiple roles in her congressional office over roughly a decade.
The Ethics Committee has said it has conducted 20 investigations related to sexual misconduct allegations involving members of Congress since 2017, but only 15 lawmakers have been publicly identified. Adams was not among them.
Guest explained that some names were withheld because allegations could not be substantiated.
“In general, because those matters were looked into by the committee, and we could not verify the allegations that were made,” he said.
House rules prohibit members from engaging in romantic relationships with employees under their supervision.
None of the sources alleged the relationship was nonconsensual. Still, recent cases have drawn scrutiny to the issue.
Former Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas had been under investigation for sexual misconduct and admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Multiple women, including a former aide, have accused former Rep. Eric Swalwell of misconduct. Swalwell has denied the allegations. Both men resigned from Congress last week.
The committee is also investigating Rep. Cory Mills of Florida over separate allegations, including sexual misconduct and campaign finance issues. Mills has denied wrongdoing and remains in Congress.
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