Rep. Nancy Mace accused her ex-fiancé and three other men of sexual misconduct in an explosive speech on the House floor on Monday evening, alleging she felt “humiliated” and “violated” to learn she was videotaped “naked” without her knowledge.
Mace also employed a variety of props—including a Bible; a small glass to symbolize “two small vodka sodas,” which she says she was served by an aggressor; a full-sized safe, which she said was the same model her former fiancé kept his phone in; and handcuffs, which she lifted in the air while daring anyone who objected to her standing up for women to “take me to jail.”
She outlined her graphic allegations in a written 20-page draft of her speech obtained by the Daily Beast ahead of her remarks. In it, she explained how she was given access to her former partner’s safe and phone—where she claimed to have found voluminous evidence of sexual misconduct, including a video of herself.
“I saw a video of another woman who was naked, clearly on a hidden camera, unaware she was being filmed,” Mace said. “That woman, she says, was “slender” with “long brown hair.”
“I turned up the volume to hear if there was audio,” she said. “I heard my voice. I zoomed in on the video. The woman was me. I was in shock.
“I was horrified. I was humiliated,” she said. “I was violated.”
Speaking directly to the men who she says abused her and others, Mace said: “You’ve booked yourself a one-way ticket to hell. Nonstop. No connections.
“So I, and ALL of your victims, can watch you rot for an eternity.”
“Today I am going to free myself from the monster who broke me,” she said, while laying her hand on the Bible.
Members of Congress are notably provided with “speech and debate lawmaker protection” for speeches they make on the floor, providing them with legal immunity for the majority of what is said during speeches in the chamber.
The congresswoman did not provide any of the corroborating evidence she claimed to have obtained—and the ex-fiance Mace named, Patrick Bryant, denied her account in a statement following the unprecedented speech.
“I categorically deny these allegations,” he said, according to The New York Times. “I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name.”
Mace, who has floated a gubernatorial bid, also took aim at South Carolina’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, who is also rumored to be considering a gubernatorial bid.
She accused Wilson, who is the son of GOP Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), of turning a blind eye to the specific allegations laid out in her speech. However, an investigation into sexual assault would not fall under the jurisdiction of the state’s attorney general unless it was referred to him by law enforcement, which has not taken place.
Wilson’s office confirmed as much Monday night in a statement following Mace’s remarks.
“At this time, our office has not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters. Additionally, the Attorney General and members of his office have had no role and no knowledge of these allegations until her public statements,” a statement from the attorney general’s office read.
“Congresswoman Mace and the Attorney General have been at multiple events together over the last six months,” it continued. “She also has the Attorney General’s personal cellphone number. Not once has she approached or reached out to him regarding any of her concerns.”
Laura Hudson, the executive director of the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network, said, “Ms. Mace is kind of misunderstanding the entire criminal justice system, which is kind of startling, since she wants to be governor.”
The right-wing firebrand has stirred controversy on Capitol Hill in recent months for her crusade against transgender individuals and issues, including last week when she uttered an anti-trans slur during a congressional hearing and over the weekend in a Fox News appearance. She often refers to this work as “protecting women.”
Mace claimed that she was “physically assaulted” in recent weeks by what she called a “pro-trans man” for her convictions against transgender rights.
“If you film women naked without their knowledge, permission or consent, it’s called voyeurism and it is illegal,” Mace says in the draft of her planned speech. “When you and your business partners pay each other, and you’re sexually abusing women, you are by definition a sex trafficker.”
