Mace, alleging assault, shares nude photo of herself during House hearing she says was taken without her consent
The four men Mace has accused of crimes have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. The South Carolina Republican framed her testimony as part of a broader effort to advocate for stronger legal protections for victims of non-consensual recording and sexual misconduct.
The remarkable moment from a sitting member of Congress came during a hearing for the House Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee, which Mace chairs, titled "Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces.'
"I would run through a brick wall to protect women and girls in South Carolina and to other potential victims,' Mace said during her remarks. 'I want you to know I have your back.'
Along with the photo of herself, Mace presented a series of censored images of women, which she claimed were pulled from recordings belonging to her ex-fiancé and Charleston tech entrepreneur Patrick Bryant — who has denied Mace's allegations. Mace also said the photos of the unidentified women were taken without their consent.
In a statement to POLITICO on Tuesday, Bryant called the accusations Mace made during the hearing 'false' and 'outrageous.'
'I have never raped anyone,' Bryant said. 'I have never hidden cameras. I have never harmed any woman. These accusations are not just false — they are malicious and deeply personal.'
'Nancy Mace made these claims only while standing in Congress, purportedly shielded by legal immunity,' Bryant continued. 'If she believed them to be true and there was evidence to support her accusations, she would say them outside the chamber — away from her public role and protections and pursue them through proper legal channels. She has not done so, because she cannot.'
Mace's testimony follows a House floor speech she delivered in early February, accusing Bryant and three other men of rape, sex trafficking and recording sex acts with her and others without consent.
Legal battles have emerged from her allegations. Mace faces a pending defamation lawsuit brought by one of the men she's accused, which was filed in March in federal court.
Earlier this month, an attorney with the U.S. Attorney's Office in South Carolina told the court he would be representing Mace, a sign that Mace will likely claim her speech is protected under a clause in the Constitution that provides a legal shield for members of Congress for actions taken as part of their roles as lawmakers.
Mace also sued one of the other accused men in state court earlier this month, claiming he 'repeatedly and maliciously defamed' her on social media.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
29 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Washington homeless encampments clear out in anticipation of Trump crackdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — National Guard troops and Humvees guarded some Washington landmarks Thursday and advocacy organizations helped clear homeless encampments in advance of an anticipated crackdown as President Donald Trump's takeover of city police ramped up. The multiagency flood of federal law enforcement ordered by the Republican president to tackle crime in the nation's capital has become increasingly high profile, with officers setting up a checkpoint Wednesday night in one of D.C.'s popular nightlife areas, drawing protests. The White House said 45 arrests were made Wednesday night, including 29 arrests of people living in the country illegally, including for distribution or possession of drugs, carrying a concealed weapon and assaulting a federal officer. Troops were stationed outside the Union Station transportation hub as the 800 Guard members who have been activated by Trump start in on missions that include monument security, community safety patrols and beautification efforts, the Pentagon said. 'They will remain until law and order has been restored in the District as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital,' Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said. 'The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties and disciplined training.' Wilson said the troops won't be armed and declined to give more details on what the safety patrols or beautification efforts would entail or how many Guard members have already been sent out on the streets. National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said troops will assist law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in deescalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Maxwell said. The White House said Thursday that Guard members aren't making arrests but are 'protecting federal assets, providing a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deterring violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence.' Meanwhile, about a dozen unhoused residents in Washington packed up their belongings with help from volunteers from some city agencies. Items largely were not forcibly thrown out by law enforcement, but a garbage truck idled nearby. Several protesters held signs close by, some critical of the Trump administration. Once the residents had left, a construction vehicle from a city agency cleared through the remains of the tents. Advocates expected law enforcement officers to fan out across D.C. later Thursday to take down any remaining homeless encampments. For two days, small groups of federal officers have been visible in scattered parts of the city. But more were present in high-profile locations Wednesday night, and troops were expected to start doing more missions Thursday. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations have patrolled the popular U Street corridor, while Drug Enforcement Administration officers were seen on the National Mall, with Guard members parked nearby. DEA agents also joined Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in the Navy Yard neighborhood, while FBI agents stood along the heavily trafficked Massachusetts Avenue.
31 minutes ago
Newsom to make announcement on redistricting after threatening to end Trump's presidency
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders are set to hold a news conference on Thursday where they'll make a "major announcement" in response to Republican-led efforts in Texas to redraw the state's congressional maps. Newsom said Tuesday night that California will move forward with drawing new congressional maps that "WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY" and allow Democrats to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. He had previously sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday asking the president to tell Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican governors to abandon efforts to draw new congressional maps in Texas, which could help Republicans flip three to five congressional seats if passed. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House with 219 seats to Democrats' 212. Other states such as Missouri, Indiana, New York, and Illinois have begun weighing mid-decade redistricting in light of Texas' effort. Newsom has floated holding a special election statewide on Nov. 4 for Californians to vote on new congressional maps and temporarily bypass the state's independent redistricting commission. The California Citizens Redistricting Commission is meant to prevent gerrymandering and partisan influence. Both Democrats and Republicans in the state have expressed concerns over sidelining the commission. No maps have been released publicly, but multiple legislative sources familiar with the matter told ABC station KGO-TV that five Republican seats would be targeted, going tit-for-tat with Texas. But if lawmakers don't declare a special election by Aug. 22, it would be nearly impossible for the state to run a statewide election that meets federal standards or would hold up in a court challenge, according to the office of the California Secretary of State. Elections officials in California have also pointed to federal deadlines such as the 45-day-pre-election deadline to issue ballots to military and overseas voters, which could make it more technically challenging to run an election on short notice. Republicans have also cried foul. U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., who has proposed a bill that would nullify any new congressional maps introduced before the next U.S. census, told Newsmax on Tuesday, "Gavin Newsom is a unique threat to democracy. He is trying to overturn the will of voters … So I've introduced this bill saying this cannot be done. We need to stop Newsom's scheme in its tracks. And that will also stop this brewing redistricting war from breaking out across the country, which I don't think is going to be a good thing." Newsom's gambit comes as Democratic state legislators in Texas remain outside of the state in an effort to run out the clock on a special legislative session in Texas that is considering new maps by denying quorum. Abbott said Wednesday that the House of Representatives would be willing to "get to work" if Democrats returned to Texas for the second special session Friday but are keeping all options on the table if they don't come back. "If they show up, great, we'll get to work and get all these bills passed. If they don't show up, we'll continue with the law enforcement efforts to try to track them down, arrest them and take them to the Capitol, but we will be ready either way," he told Texas-based radio host Mark Davis. Texas House Democratic Caucus chair Rep. Gene Wu, in a statement Wednesday afternoon, said that another special legislative session in the Texas legislature could be "a reset moment" for getting aid to victims of the flooding in central Texas – but he placed the onus on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Wu wrote, "This could be a reset moment: a chance to finally deliver real solutions for flood victims and fix the broken emergency preparedness system that continues to put every community in Texas at risk … ready to fight for flood relief, defend our communities, and invest in the safety Texans deserve. Will the Governor finally work with us for our families in the Second Special Session?"
New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
Trump Administration Live Updates: President Speaks Amid D.C. Deployments and Putin Summit Preparations
President Trump made a show of force in Washington, D.C., this week, exercising his unique powers over the nation's capital to commandeer the city's police force, deploy the National Guard and send hundreds of federal law enforcement agents into the city in what he described as an effort to combat crime. It is the first time a president has used a declared emergency to wrest control of the city's police, a step that its mayor said was 'unsettling' though allowed under the law. Congress and the executive branch have long exerted controls over the city's budget and other decisions. But the president's move may represent the biggest encroachment on the city's autonomy since it was granted home rule 52 years ago. While crime is a concern for many residents, the situation on the ground differs from Mr. Trump's hyperbolic statements in justifying the moves: Official data shows that crime is falling — particularly violent crime, which hit a 30-year low last year — after surging during the pandemic. Mr. Trump, who has stoked fears of violent crimes in America's cities going back more than 35 years, delivered increasingly dire threats after returning to office in January that if he was not satisfied with the city's efforts to combat crime, he would order a federal takeover of Washington — in effect dissolving the local government to rule it directly. Mr. Trump took his first firm steps in that direction last week, after a prominent young administration official was beaten by a mob of young assailants in an attempted carjacking in Washington. Here's what to know. What is Trump doing on law enforcement in Washington? And how is he able to do it? In the span of a week, Mr. Trump rapidly ratcheted up moves going over the heads of D.C. leaders. He has invoked his authority in overseeing federal law enforcement and a 1973 law that gives the president the power to take temporary control of the city's police. He ordered a surge of roughly 500 federal agents into the city beginning last Friday, after the beating of Edward Coristine — an operative of the Department of Government Efficiency — that week. Image President Trump has expressed interest in extending his takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. Credit... Alex Kent for The New York Times Then on Monday, Mr. Trump used a provision of the D.C. Home Rule Act, the law that established a local government and granted the city limited autonomy, to temporarily take over the Metropolitan Police Department, the city's main police force. A White House official said the current takeover would last 30 days, the maximum outlined in the law before the president must seek an extension of that authority through Congress. Mr. Trump has expressed interest in seeking such an extension. What powers do federal agents have on city patrols? On Tuesday, National Guard troops began to deploy in Washington for the first time since 2020, when Mr. Trump ordered a crackdown on Black Lives Matter protests in the city. Unlike the 50 states, D.C. does not control its National Guard unit and has little ability to push back against a federal deployment, as Gov. Gavin Newsom of California did earlier this year. About a dozen troops were spotted on the National Mall on Tuesday as others gathered at the D.C. Armory, the headquarters of the D.C. National Guard. The initial deployment near the Washington Monument was a far cry from the aggressive policing carried out by the D.C. Guard in 2020. The troops were seen snapping photos of themselves with visitors, and left roughly two hours after they arrived. One complicating factor of using federal agents to patrol Washington is that those agents do not have the same authority as police officers to arrest people for minor criminal offenses. Trump administration officials have suggested that if federal agents see someone commit such a crime, they can stop and detain the person until a local police officer arrives and makes an arrest. City officials have said the National Guard troops would not have the authority to make arrests, as the use of the military for civilian law enforcement is limited by the Constitution. Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington said this week that the president 'has the authority, by virtue of the statute, to request services.' But she said city officials retained the authority to hire and fire people in the Police Department. She added that the police chief would work 'hand in hand with the people that the president has designated.' Could Trump fully take over D.C.? Even before the current crisis, Mr. Trump held a significant amount of control over D.C. The president nominates the city's judges and top prosecutor. Much of the City Council's powers to make laws and plan the annual budget is also subject to congressional oversight. Mr. Trump in effect exercised his presidential powers to set aside some of the city's autonomy, declaring a public safety emergency and temporarily commandeering the city's police force. In theory, Mr. Trump could go further, with the approval of the Republican-controlled Congress. Lawmakers could extend the emergency, keeping the police under Mr. Trump's authority for the duration. Mr. Trump may also be able to keep the National Guard and other federal agents deployed in the city indefinitely. In California, a fraction of the Guard force that Mr. Trump had federalized is still operating under federal control months after being called up. Image Mr. Trump ordered roughly 500 federal agents into the city beginning last Friday. Credit... Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times He could also direct federal units to more forcefully police the city, using tear gas, riot gear, armored vehicles, low-flying aircraft and other aggressive tools and tactics. The White House had previously said that federal agents in the city would be 'identified, in marked units, and highly visible,' but those restrictions are not mandated by law, and those units could quickly shift to crack down on city residents. The most extreme — and most unlikely — outcome is that Mr. Trump calls on Congress to repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act. That would dissolve the local government and place the city directly under federal control. The city's 700,000 residents — more than the population of Vermont or Wyoming — would lose the ability to elect their mayor and local council members. Mr. Trump has in recent months expressed support for a federal takeover, and Republicans in both the House and the Senate have introduced legislation to do so. But the chances of those laws passing are still very low. Under current Senate rules, such a law would need 60 votes to advance, and there are only 53 Republicans in the Senate. Has something like this happened before? Mr. Trump is the first president to use a declared emergency to wrest control of D.C.'s police. But federal police and the military have previously been deployed in the city, most recently during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. Mr. Trump had also deployed the National Guard to Washington in 2020 as part of a crackdown on racial justice protests after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The D.C. Guard was at the forefront of that deployment, which was widely seen as a debacle at the time. Mr. Trump had also considered a deployment of active-duty military units like the 82nd Airborne, and senior Army leaders warned National Guard officers that Army units would replace them on the ground if they were insufficiently aggressive in controlling the protests. There have been other encroachments on the city's autonomy during home rule. Before this week, the most significant was a financial control board, established by Congress in 1995 to steer the city out of a fiscal crisis.
