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.
A spokesperson for Adams told the news organization that the investigation ended after determining there was no inappropriate relationship and no violation of rules.
But a source, who independently verified the details of NOTUS’ reporting to McClatchy, 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 other 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 cell phone or return an emailed request for comment sent to her chief of staff.
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.
The abuse at times was so severe that McClatchy’s source said providing contact information to talk to other staffers might re-traumatize people.
One of the more horrific stories is detailed in a GoFundMe account for the family of Mona Harry.
McClatchy learned that Harry, who served as Adams’ administrative assistant, often took the blame for mistakes Brown made.
In November 2023, nearing retirement age, Harry was fired from her job with Adams and on Dec. 23, 2023, diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. Without a job, she had minimal health insurance.
McClatchy’s sources said employees tried to get her rehired on Adams’ team but without any luck.
Harry died on July 16, 2024.
The staffer added that Brown’s influence on the office is also affecting constituents services.
Brown disallowed employees to go to district events, being out in the community and going to chamber events.
The office was also moved
The staffer also told McClatchy that Brown rarely showed up to the office, but was allowed to scream at employees and send emails using all capitol letters, a signal of anger.
McClatchy’s source said to poll any employee who left in the past several years about why they left everyone would either say “Sandra or Alma.”
But this staffer doesn’t blame Adams for the abuse, saying there is a power dynamic at play focusing on Brown and alluding that she could be taking advantage of Adams’ age.
“I think she’s just completely pulled the wool over the eyes of the congresswoman in the last couple of years,” the staffer said.
The staffer was unclear on the exact nature of the relationship between Adams and Brown.
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.
