A North Carolina Republican is facing mounting questions following a Saturday night incident at a Rotary Club conference where a witness said he struck a man with a clipboard, according to local media reports.
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) said he was the victim of “an intoxicated man” who was “belligerent and later called the police.” But Guy Gooder, a Rotarian who helped organize the event, told a different story.
Gooder told the Charlotte Observer on Monday that Edwards struck the man in anger with a clipboard after delivering a 30-minute speech defending President Donald Trump and criticizing agencies like the State Department and the World Health Organization.
“He insulted many of the programs that we partner with,” Gooder told the publication.
While the event was intended to be nonpartisan, Gooder said Edwards’ remarks left some attendees frustrated. As the GOP congressman walked down the center aisle toward the exit, a man seated at a table reportedly said the speech “was a load of BS,” according to Gooder’s recollection of the events.
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Gooder told the Charlotte Observer his recollection of what happened next.
“Chuck stops and kind of bends over, kind of in-his-face type of stuff, and then it continues from there.” The congressman, Gooder said, “hit the guy with his clipboard” while the man was still in his seat, though he couldn't tell where the blow landed from his vantage point.
The man and the North Carolina lawmaker exited the room and continued arguing, the publication said. A police report of the incident has been requested, but was not completed as of Monday afternoon.
After the blowup, two event organizers went on stage to apologize to members.
“I thought it was a terrible decision anyway, obviously, to roll the dice like that on a very partisan politician, but if the worst case scenario happens, at least you get up there and apologize,” Gooder told the Observer.
