Rep. Nancy Mace Accuses Ex-Fiancé and 3 Other Men of Rape, Sexual Misconduct in House Floor Speech

• Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina accused four men, including her former fiancé, Patrick Bryant, of sexual misconduct in a speech on the House floor on Monday, Feb. 10

• "I rise today to call out the cowards who think they can prey on women and get away with it," the politician began the almost hour-long speech

• Mace claimed she'd accidentally uncovered evidence of "some of the most heinous crimes against women" in November 2023

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina accused four men, including her former fiancé Patrick Bryant, of sexual misconduct in a nearly hour-long speech on the House floor on Monday, Feb. 10.

Mace, 47, who has been the representative for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District since 2021, said, “I rise today to call out the cowards who think they can prey on women and get away with it. Today, I’m going scorched earth. So let the bridges I burn this evening light our way forward," according to a video shared on X.

Mace said the "purpose" of her speech was to "make sure these women will never be forgotten, and the men who hurt them will never be allowed to get away with it or hide again." She added that she was ready to free herself "from the monster who broke me," and was acting to attempt to free any other women affected.

"In November 2023, I accidentally uncovered some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable," the politician added on the House floor.

“We’re talking about rape, nonconsensual photos, nonconsensual videos of women and underage girls and the premeditated, calculated exploitation of women and girls in my district,” she continued.

Mace said the women had been recorded as if it were "a badge of honor," alleging she uncovered evidence of "rape, illegal filming of women and sex trafficking."

She added that she "didn't just see victims," but instead saw a "system that failed to protect them."

"Today is about justice," she insisted, revealing the names of the four men, including her ex Bryant, in the speech. Per NBC News, all four men named in Mace's speech have "vehemently denied" the allegations.

Mace claimed that on Oct. 30, 2023, she'd received text messages with screenshots showing her then-fiancé Bryant active on a dating app and thought it was a joke.

She said that on Nov. 3 of that year, she confronted her partner. He then took his phone and placed it in a safe and locked it, she added.

Related: Rep. Nancy Mace Is Feuding with Fellow Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'Bless Her F—ing Heart'

Mace also alleged that Bryant added her thumbprint to the phone and gave her the code to access it two days later, but she admitted that what she discovered "shocked me to my core." Mace said she found videos of “incapacitated” women being raped, before finding a clip of herself undressed, unaware she was being filmed.

“I turned up the volume to hear if there was audio. I heard my voice. I zoomed in on the video. And that woman was me,” Mace continued. “My entire body was paralyzed, and I couldn’t move. Were my feet on the floor? Was I breathing? I have no idea.”

"It felt like I had been raped," she shared, insisting her body had been stolen, alleging a camera had been hidden, with one of the apps for the cameras she found reportedly having over 10,000 videos on it.

Per CBS News, Mace and Bryant got engaged in May 2022 after several years of dating.

Related: Republican Rep. Nancy Mace Threatens Democrat Jasmine Crockett After Heated Exchange: 'If You Wanna Take It Outside'

In her speech, Mace accused South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson of failing to investigate, despite allegedly presenting his office with evidence.

“Women who come forward in your system are treated like criminals under your leadership, in your system and on your watch. Attorney General Alan Wilson, you know there were deliberate delays in an investigation in what I turned over,” she said on the House floor.

“Two hundred and twenty-eight days of delay. And you know this, 228 days of delay. That’s seven months, two weeks and four days of delay to investigate. Once again, today, you are kicking the can down the road like you always do,” she added.

According to The Associated Press, Mace is currently considering a run for South Carolina governor in 2026, and Wilson is expected to be her main opponent.

Wilson's office shared a statement on X following Mace's accusations, saying, “Ms. Mace either does not understand or is purposefully mischaracterizing the role of the Attorney General."

"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,” Wilson’s office added in the statement.

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Bryant said in a statement, per the AP, that he "categorically" denies the allegations made against him, adding, "I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name."

Mace previously pushed for an exception for rape and incest amid discussions regarding a proposed abortion ban in South Carolina in 2019, reported NBC News. She said she'd been a victim of rape when she was age 16, the outlet added.

Bryant did not immediately reply to PEOPLE's requests for comment.

Related: Congresswoman Nancy Mace Gives Mixed Messages About COVID-19 in Separate TV Appearances

Mace has made headlines in recent weeks for escalating anti-trans rhetoric in the House and leading the charge to enforce a transgender bathroom ban at the Capitol after the first-ever trans person was elected to Congress in November.

Most recently, she interrupted a colleague at a House Oversight Committee meeting on Feb. 5 and repeated a transphobic slur into her microphone after being told the word was offensive.

The representative first used the slur "t-----" while discussing USAID's funding of "gender-affirming health care in Guatemala." After Mace said the slur once, Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly — the top Democrat on the committee — spoke up about her language.

Mace proceeded to interrupt Connolly, 74, by repeating the word three more times and saying "I don't really care," before making broad claims about "penises in women's bathrooms."

"I don't care, it's disgusting," she said, before Connolly reiterated that "a slur is a slur."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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