Rep. Nancy Mace Sued For Defamation After Speech Alleging Sexual Assault
One of the four men Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) publicly accused of sexual assault in an hour-long speech last month has filed a defamation lawsuit against her Friday that could challenge the limits of free speech protections on the floor of Congress.
The congresswoman took to the House floor Feb. 10 to detail brutal crimes she says were committed against her and other women.
'I rise today to call out the cowards who think they can prey on women and get away with it,' Mace said at the time. 'Today, I'm going scorched earth. So let the bridges I burn this evening light our way forward.'
Members of Congress are afforded broad immunity from criminal or civil prosecution in order to encourage free speech and debate.
But one of the men Mace named, Brian Musgrave, says the congresswoman's speech was made not in furtherance of any legislation but 'to advance a personal vendetta.'
He now demands a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages.
Musgrave's complaint began by acknowledging the extent of domestic abuse in the U.S. and stated his 'strong support' for the prosecution of domestic abusers. It went on: '[I]t is with unbridled disgust that Brian Musgrave through this lawsuit is forced to utter the words: 'I am not a rapist.' 'I am not a predator.' 'I am not a sex trafficker.''
Musgrave said in a court filing that he has been friends with Mace's ex-fiance, Patrick Bryant, since high school and owns a beachside condominium with him.
Musgrave and Bryant intended to rent out their condo to supplement their income while also reserving it for their families to use on occasion.
Mace alleged that Bryant had been an abusive partner in her floor speech last month and said that Musgrave and two other friends took part in the abuse. She accused them of drugging, raping and filming her and other women without their consent.
All four men denied her allegations to NBC News.
Musgrave's complaint said that Bryant had placed a security camera in the kitchen when he lived at the condo full-time after divorcing his ex-wife, but Musgrave never had access to the footage.
Mace has not publicly shared any of the evidence of the assaults that she says the men perpetrated and filmed.
The complaint notes that Musgrave 'has no idea what transpired in the intimate relationships between Congresswoman Mace and any of her romantic partners,' including his longtime friend.
'Musgrave can only recall a handful of occasions when he was in the presence of Congresswoman Mace,' the complaint says. The document estimates that Mace's relationship with Bryant began to 'sour' in November 2023, by which point the couple had purchased real estate together.
'On February 10, 2025, Congresswoman Mace was not arguing for the consideration or passage of any proposed legislation,' it goes on. 'Instead, she appeared on the floor to advance a personal vendetta against her ex-fiancé.'
Need help? Visit RAINN's National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website.
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