The lawsuits involving Nancy Mace fan out from a single February 2025 House floor speech in which the South Carolina congresswoman accused four Charleston-area men of sexual assault and related crimes. Since then she has been sued for defamation twice, has filed a defamation suit of her own, has been pulled into a civil assault case as a third-party defendant, has been placed under a court gag order, and is the subject of both a state criminal investigation and a House ethics inquiry. As of mid-2026, most of the civil litigation is unresolved, the criminal investigation has produced no charges, and Mace has left Congress after losing a gubernatorial primary.
The Speech That Started the Litigation
On February 10, 2025, Mace spent nearly an hour on the House floor labeling four men — Patrick Bryant (her former fiancé), Eric Bowman, John Osborne, and Brian Musgrave — as “predators,” accusing them of rape, nonconsensual filming of women, and sex trafficking. She displayed a poster of their faces titled “PREDATORS” and gave out a victims’ hotline number.119th News. Nancy Mace Misconduct Allegations House Floor Speech All four men denied the accusations. Bryant said he “categorically” denied the allegations and would cooperate with any legal process to clear his name.2ABC News 4. Rep Nancy Mace To Deliver Explosive Speech on House Floor
Everything that follows — the defamation suits, the assault case, the gag order, the ethics complaint — traces back to that speech or to conduct Mace has said she uncovered in late 2023.
Musgrave v. Mace: Federal Defamation Case Dismissed
Brian Musgrave sued Mace for defamation in March 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. His complaint targeted the floor speech, social media posts, and the “PREDATORS” poster near her congressional office, and said he had no involvement in or knowledge of the hidden-camera activity Mace referenced.3WSPA. Judge Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against Rep Nancy Mace
Mace’s defense had two layers. Her attorneys invoked the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, which broadly immunizes members of Congress for legislative acts. The Justice Department then intervened and certified that Mace was acting within the scope of her employment, triggering the Westfall Act — a federal statute that substitutes the United States as the defendant and generally bars tort claims against the government.4The Hill. Judge Tosses Nancy Mace Defamation Lawsuit
On August 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel dismissed the case with prejudice. He held that the Westfall Act let the United States step in, that defamation claims cannot proceed against the government, and that the floor speech itself was protected by the Speech or Debate Clause. He did not rule on whether Mace’s accusations were true, and acknowledged that Musgrave might have no legal recourse for damages even if his reputation was falsely harmed.3WSPA. Judge Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against Rep Nancy Mace4The Hill. Judge Tosses Nancy Mace Defamation Lawsuit
In October 2025, Musgrave’s attorneys at Bland Richter filed a separate defamation action against news outlets that had republished Mace’s claims, acknowledging that Mace herself was effectively shielded from civil liability by congressional immunity.4The Hill. Judge Tosses Nancy Mace Defamation Lawsuit
Bryant v. Mace: Ex-Fiancé’s Charleston County Suit
Patrick Bryant sued Mace in Charleston County in November 2025, alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy. Bryant contends Mace fabricated the sexual assault allegations and conspired with Melissa Britton, Eric Bowman’s estranged wife, to frame him.5WIS TV. Ex Fiance Sues Rep Nancy Mace Claims She Fabricated Sexual Assault Allegations
The complaint also alleges that on November 13, 2023, Mace installed data-extraction software on Bryant’s phone to recover deleted messages and files, then used the material as leverage to obtain full ownership of properties the couple had bought together while engaged. According to the complaint, Mace tried to use photos from the phone during a January 8, 2024, mediation session to pressure Bryant into transferring his share of the properties.6ABC News 4. Lawsuit Claims Rep Mace Hacked Ex Fiances Phone in Bid for Properties
Mace denied the allegations and said Bryant was trying to “weaponize the court” against her.7News 3 LV. Lawsuit Claims Rep Mace Hacked Ex Fiances Phone Because the alleged conduct happened outside the House floor, the Speech or Debate Clause defense that ended the Musgrave case does not neatly cover the Bryant allegations. The case remains pending.
Mace v. Bowman: Her Own Defamation Suit
Mace is also a plaintiff. On May 12, 2025, she sued Eric Bowman for defamation in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas, alleging that after her floor speech Bowman used his X account to repeatedly and falsely accuse her of illegally steering Department of Veterans Affairs contracts to friends and political allies, embezzling public funds, blackmail, and other criminal conduct.8Live 5 News. US Rep Mace Files Defamation Suit Against Man She Labeled Predator9Mace.House.Gov. Congresswoman Nancy Mace Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Eric Bowman
The suit seeks damages above $7,500 plus punitive damages, alleging actual malice. Bowman moved to dismiss in July 2025. As of June 2026 the case has been stayed by consent order under Judge Donald B. Hocker, who is now overseeing a consolidated docket of the interconnected litigation.10Charleston County Court. Case Details, Mace v. Bowman, 2025CP1002733
The Berg Civil Assault Case
On May 29, 2025, Alexis “Ali” Berg, initially listed as “Jane Doe,” filed a civil suit in Charleston County alleging she was drugged, sexually assaulted, and secretly recorded on October 26, 2018. She named Bryant, John Osborne, and Bowman as defendants, alleging Osborne committed the assault while Bryant and Bowman watched and filmed it at a property on Sullivan’s Island owned by Bowman.11Mace.House.Gov. Congresswoman Nancy Mace Responds Rape Victims Class Action Lawsuit
Mace was not originally a party. Bryant added her in November 2025 through a third-party complaint alleging defamation, conversion of his cell phone data, invasion of privacy, and civil conspiracy.12FITSNews. Mace Motion to Show Cause Mace has said she discovered video evidence of the assault on Bryant’s phone in November 2023, identified the victim, informed her, and turned the material over to law enforcement.11Mace.House.Gov. Congresswoman Nancy Mace Responds Rape Victims Class Action Lawsuit Berg has testified under oath that she has never seen such a video and does not possess it.13FITSNews. Civil Case Tied to Nancy Mace Careens Deeper Into Chaos
Sanctions Against Bryant’s Attorney
One early ruling favored Mace. In October 2025 Charleston County Judge T.J. Rode issued a 26-page sanctions order against Bryant’s attorney, Barrett Brewer, and Bryant’s company, GLT2 LLC. The court found that Brewer and Bryant had used shell companies to secretly subpoena and depose individuals without court approval, with filings that were “purposely deficient and misleading” in concealing Mace as the true subject of the proceedings.14ABC News 4. Judge Levies 48K Sanctions for Legal Process Abuse in Case Involving US Rep Nancy Mace
Judge Rode ordered Brewer and GLT2 to pay $33,456.74 to Mace’s legal team and $15,000 to Berg’s attorneys, for a total of $48,456.74. Brewer had to hand over all witness statements and deposition materials from the unauthorized subpoenas to Mace’s counsel within 15 days.15Live 5 News. Charleston County Court Issues Final Sanctions Nancy Mace Dispute
Consolidated Docket and Gag Order
With the cases multiplying, the South Carolina Supreme Court appointed retired circuit court judge Donald B. Hocker to oversee a consolidated docket. On November 26, 2025, Judge Hocker imposed a gag order on his own initiative, barring all parties — Mace included — from publishing, posting, sharing, or creating any public content about the lawsuits. The court cited concern that escalating public rhetoric threatened the fairness of the proceedings.16ABC News 4. Judge Imposes Gag Order on Rep Mace and Others Involved in Lawsuits17Post and Courier. Judge Gag Order Nancy Mace Lawsuits
Initially set for three weeks, the order was extended indefinitely on December 18, 2025. In January 2026, Bryant and Bowman filed a motion accusing Mace of violating the order through social media posts, videos, and congressional newsletters.12FITSNews. Mace Motion to Show Cause Later that month Judge Hocker ordered subpoenaed materials held by three of Berg’s former attorneys turned over to the court for private review, and a flurry of emergency motions followed, including an 82-page filing Mace submitted representing herself. No rulings had been issued on those motions as of the most recent reporting.13FITSNews. Civil Case Tied to Nancy Mace Careens Deeper Into Chaos
The SLED Criminal Investigation
Running alongside the civil litigation is a criminal investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. SLED opened the case into allegations of assault, harassment, and voyeurism against Bryant on December 14, 2023, following a referral from the U.S. Capitol Police. Investigators have conducted interviews and served search warrants, but no arrests or charges have been filed against Bryant, Osborne, or Bowman in connection with the SLED probe.18SC Daily Gazette. Mace Accuses 4 Men Including Ex Fiance of Being Sexual Predators SLED Is Investigating19WYFF 4. Nancy Mace Eric Bowman Arrested
Bowman was separately arrested in April 2025 and charged with stalking and first-degree harassment. SLED said those charges are unrelated to its investigation.19WYFF 4. Nancy Mace Eric Bowman Arrested
House Ethics Investigation
Mace also faces a congressional ethics matter unrelated to the assault allegations themselves. The Office of Congressional Conduct released a report in March 2026 alleging she had received roughly $9,500 in housing expense reimbursements beyond her actual costs between January 2023 and May 2024, while she co-owned a Washington, D.C. townhouse with Bryant. The OCC’s board voted unanimously in November 2025 to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee. If the committee substantiates the findings, Mace could be ordered to repay the money or face sanctions such as fines.20SC Daily Gazette. Rep Nancy Mace Dismisses Allegations She Received Thousands Extra in Reimbursements21The Guardian. Nancy Mace House Investigation
Mace called the complaint political retaliation by Bryant and by Omar Ashmawy, the OCC’s chief staff attorney. Her attorney, William Sullivan, told the ethics panel the OCC report was “fundamentally flawed.” Mace refused to cooperate with the OCC review.21The Guardian. Nancy Mace House Investigation
Where Things Stand
Mace gave up her House seat to enter the 2026 South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary. On June 9, 2026, she placed fifth and conceded, endorsing former rival Alan Wilson, the state attorney general she had accused during her floor speech of failing to prosecute the four men.22The Washington Post. South Carolina Primary Election Live Results23The Guardian. Pamela Evette South Carolina Republican Governor Primary
The consolidated civil litigation remains open under Judge Hocker. The gag order is still in effect. SLED’s criminal investigation has produced no charges. The House Ethics Committee is still reviewing the housing reimbursement referral.