Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace used the legal protections afforded to her by the U.S. Constitution to accuse her ex-boyfriend and three other men of drugging, raping, and filming her without consent.
During an emotional one-hour speech on the House floor, Mace displayed photos of the accused men and accused them of engaging in “an explosive and premeditated violation” of multiple women and girls in her district.
“You’ve bought yourselves a one-way ticket to hell,” Mace said, pointing to the men, naming them, and showing their images on a board usually reserved for political charts and data. “There’s no exit, no way out. I, along with all your victims, will watch you rot for eternity,” she declared.
Despite the gravity of her accusations, Mace presented no solid evidence to support her claims and refused to answer questions from the press after her speech.
Patrick Bryant, the ex-boyfriend Mace publicly accused, swiftly denied the allegations. “I categorically reject these claims,” he said in a statement. “I take this matter very seriously and will cooperate fully with any legal process to clear my name.”
Mace has previously shared her own experiences of abuse—describing being molested in a pool at the age of 14 for wearing a bikini and raped again at 16. The latter event led her to leave high school, but she later overcame a period of depression and went on to become the first woman to graduate from the Citadel military college in Charleston, South Carolina.
In her speech, Mace detailed finding a disturbing collection of photos on her ex’s phone, including images of underage girls, as well as over 10,000 videos depicting other women being abused while unable to consent. She revealed she was shocked to discover that one of the videos featured her, filmed nude without her consent.
The timing and setting of Mace’s speech added to the shock factor. After a long day of votes, she took to the House floor—typically reserved for more routine political business—to voice her deeply personal story. She was shielded by the legal immunity granted to members of Congress under the Constitution’s speech and debate clause, which protects lawmakers from lawsuits over statements made in the course of their official duties.
Mace’s speech was supported by fellow Republican congresswomen Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and Victoria Spartz, who showed solidarity as she made her accusations.
Once seen as a moderate Republican with a focus on women’s rights, Mace has more recently expressed support for Donald Trump (convicted of sexual abuse in 2023) and sponsored legislation aimed at barring transgender individuals from using women’s bathrooms and changing rooms in the Capitol.
In the days following her speech, Mace also announced her bid to run for governor of South Carolina, directing harsh criticism at the state’s Attorney General, Alan Wilson, accusing him of dismissing women’s claims.
“In the past year, after I handed everything over to the police, I was told I’d be investigated as a victim,” Mace said. Jaqueline Lane, a spokesperson for Wilson, dismissed the accusations as “false” and politically motivated, adding that the Attorney General’s office had never received any formal request for help from law enforcement and that neither Wilson nor his staff had heard of Mace’s allegations before she made her public statement.
