1 of the 4 men accused by Mace in floor speech arrested. He denies charges.
Rep. Nancy Mace talks to reporters at a Richland County GOP event on Jan. 27, 2025. (Shaun Chornobroff/SC Daily Gazette)
One of the four men U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace publicly accused of being a sexual predator was arrested Tuesday on charges of stalking and sexual harassment, according to Charleston County jail records.
Eric Bowman, 45, turned himself in to Sullivan's Island Police and was booked into the jail at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday.
Bowman, a Charleston entrepreneur, denied the allegations in a post to his X account Monday night.
He said the charges came from his estranged wife, who he claimed he has not spoken to since November 2023.
A spokesperson for the jail did not immediately return messages from the SC Daily Gazette. The Sullivan's Island chief told the Gazette the department is working on a release.
Stalking is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, while first-degree harassment is a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to three years in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The charges come roughly two months after Mace's stunning, hour-long speech Feb. 10 on the floor of the U.S. House, when she accused Bowman and three other men, including her ex-fiancé, of being sexual predators and committing 'some of the most heinous crimes against women.'
All four men immediately and have repeatedly denied the claims.
Mace accuses 4 men, including ex-fiancé, of being sexual 'predators.' SLED is investigating.
The 1st District congresswoman posted Bowman's mugshot on social media Tuesday morning — both her official House account and a separate account she uses for campaigning and personal posts.
'If you harm women and kids, you should face the full force of the law,' he wrote. 'Eric Bowman, one of the men featured prominently in my floor speech, arrested this morning. I hope you get everything you deserve and more.'
She also re-tweeted an X post from the days following her floor speech, which mentions all four men, and added, 'Just going to leave this right here.'
Brian Musgrave, one of the four men named in the speech, is suing Mace for libel and defamation and is using her social media as evidence.
The 37-page complaint against Mace, as well as several unnamed people accused of conspiring with her — identified only as 'Jane/John Does' — will test the bounds of the 'speech or debate' clause of the U.S. Constitution that shields members of Congress from lawsuits for what is said in either chamber.
Musgrave's legal team argues that Mace's protection does not extend outside the halls of Congress and especially not onto the internet.
'It does not transform the floor of Congress into a sanctuary for defamation, nor does it protect Congresswoman Mace's extra-Congressional defamatory statements surrounding her speech,' reads the lawsuit.
Rep. Mace sued by 1 of the men she accused of being a sexual predator
Bowman said as recently as Monday on social media that likely won't be the last lawsuit filed as a result of the House speech.
'The lawsuits will keep coming. Because eventually, the truth sues back,' he wrote on X.
No additional lawsuit had been filed against Mace as of Tuesday. And Mace has yet to file a response to Musgrave's lawsuit.
Commenting on her own post about Bowman's arrest, Mace said she hopes he 'rots in hell.'
Mace has said she is considering a 2026 run for governor.
She has taken numerous jabs at Attorney General Alan Wilson, as well as Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, who have said they are considering a bid as well. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, as well as state Sens. Sean Bennett and Josh Kimbrell have said they are mulling a run as well.
After Mace's speech, the State Law Enforcement Division confirmed that her ex-fiancé is being investigated for assault, harassment and voyeurism. The investigation began in December 2023 after SLED was contacted by U.S. Capitol Police, SLED said in a statement Feb. 10, which made no mention of the other three men.
He has vehemently denied the allegations and said he is cooperating with the investigation to clear his name.
On Tuesday, a SLED spokeswoman said the case remains active and ongoing.
Last week, federal prosecutors dropped charges against James McIntyre, an Illinois man who Mace accused of physically assaulting her with a violent handshake in the Capitol in December as he advocated for transgender youth.
The Washington Post and The Imprint, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit news outlet focused on child welfare and juvenile justice, spoke to witnesses at the time who said they saw a normal handshake between McIntyre and the congresswoman. The Imprint first reported the charges being dropped.
Mace said she won't back down.
'When a man can physically assault a woman in the halls of Congress, with impunity, it sends an appalling message to every woman in America,' Mace said in a statement April 2. 'If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere. I was injured, intentionally, and I am still in pain.'
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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