Latest news with #FosterCareIndependenceAct
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Charges dropped against trans advocate falsely accused of assault by Nancy Mace for giving her a firm handshake
Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have dropped all criminal charges against James McIntyre, a Chicago-based foster care advocate and transgender activist, whom South Carolina Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace accused of assaulting her during a Capitol Hill event in December — an accusation widely challenged by eyewitnesses and sharply criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates as a political stunt. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. McIntyre, 33, was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police on December 10 and charged with misdemeanor assault after what witnesses say was nothing more than a firm handshake. As The Advocate reported, McIntyre had told Mace, 'Trans youth are also foster youth, and they need your support,' during a public reception at the Rayburn House Office Building celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Foster Care Independence Act. Related: Nancy Mace gets prominent foster care activist arrested on assault charges that eyewitnesses dispute On Tuesday, the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office quietly filed a one-line notice of dismissal in Superior Court, dropping the case without explanation. Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin — a Trump ally who has drawn criticism for threatening to investigate opponents of the former president — declined to comment when approached by reporters. 'I am pleased but not surprised that these baseless charges have been dropped. This experience has been traumatic, but the outpouring of support from my community, colleagues, and friends has meant everything,' McIntyre, who pleaded not guilty, said in a statement. Related: Watch AOC slam Nancy Mace for 'endangering all women' with transgender bathroom ban He added, 'By falsely accusing me of a violent crime and having me jailed, Congresswoman Mace demonstrated her desire to criminalize anyone who advocates for the needs of our trans youth. Her actions are fundamentally connected to the broader effort by the Trump administration to criminalize protected speech and create an environment of fear among advocates. We will never stop working to protect vulnerable young people, no matter who is in power.' Mace, who has repeatedly used her platform to promote anti-trans rhetoric, has refused to admit that her accusation was false. 'I was injured, intentionally, and I am still in pain,' Mace said in a new statement issued through a spokesperson this week, Charleston NBC affiliate WCBD reports. 'I will not back down. I will not be intimidated. And I sure as hell won't stay silent.' Mace has claimed McIntyre 'aggressively' shook her hand and caused a lingering wrist injury, though she declined medical treatment at the time and later appeared for weeks wearing a sling on Capitol Hill. According to police reports, she said McIntyre used both hands to shake her arm in an 'exaggerated, aggressive motion' lasting several seconds. Related: Transgender woman terrorized after South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace mocks her online Eyewitnesses saw it differently. Elliott Hinkle, a foster care advocate and one of several attendees who witnessed the exchange, said in December that the gesture did not resemble an assault. 'What we witnessed was a handshake — a passionate shake, but it didn't look like an assault or intended aggression,' Hinkle said. McIntyre's arrest stunned the foster care and LGBTQ+ advocacy communities. He is co-founder of the Illinois chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America and was named 'Public Citizen of the Year' in 2019 by the National Association of Social Workers in Illinois for his work supporting youth in and aging out of care. Mace's accusations, first made on X (formerly Twitter), came amid her ongoing attacks on anyone trans and her push to prohibit transgender people from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity in congressional buildings. The House, under Republican control, adopted a rule banning trans people from bathrooms, made by Speaker Mike Johnson in January after the historic swearing-in of U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, a Democrat from Delaware and the first out transgender member of Congress. After the policy was put in place, Mace and Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert chased a cisgender woman they mistook as trans into a House bathroom before apologizing. Related: Lauren Boebert & Nancy Mace confront woman they thought was trans in 'predictable' Capitol bathroom incident Mace described the incident with McIntyre as a consequence of her 'fight to protect women.' She thanked former President Trump at the time for calling her in support, framing herself as the victim of an attack from a 'pro-trans man.' Mace's office did not respond to The Advocate's request for comment. However, her press secretary, Gabrielle Lipsky, recently said, 'The Advocate receives no comment when they advocate for the erasure of women.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois activist accused of assaulting Rep. Nacy Mace gets case dismissed
WASHINGTON (WTVO) — National Foster Care Advocate and Illinois resident James McIntyre's charges were dropped in Federal court after he was accused of assaulting U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). Mace accused McIntyre of attacking her during a reception at the Rayburn House Office Building that was celebrating the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Foster Care Independence Act on Dec. 10. Mace claimed in court she was assaulted for wanting to stop transgender women from using women's bathrooms on federal property. On April 1st, D.C. Superior Court records showed the misdemeanor charges of assault were dropped. D.C. Prosecutors did not say why the charges were dropped in court documents. Mace said the ruling sends an 'appalling message.' '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,' she said. 'If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere.' 'I was injured, intentionally, and I am still in pain,' she said. 'I filed charges, and they were inexplicably ignored. But I will not be. I will not back down. I will not be intimidated, and I sure as hell won't stay silent.' Witnesses claimed the incident appeared to be a 'normal handshake.' Police reported she declined medical treatment but was seen the next day in the capitol with her arm in a sling. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prosecutors drop charge against man who Rep. Nancy Mace accused of assaulting her at the Capitol
Prosecutors this week decided not to pursue an assault charge against a man whom Rep. Nancy Mace accused of having "physically accosted" her at the U.S. Capitol in December. According to a filing Tuesday with D.C. Superior Court, prosecutors dropped the lone charge against James McIntyre, a foster care advocate. Mace, R-S.C., had accused McIntyre of "aggressively" shaking her arm up and down at a Dec. 10 event celebrating 25 years of the Foster Care Independence Act. He had pleaded not guilty, court filings showed. The U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C., which was prosecuting the case, did not respond to a request for comment on why it decided to drop the charge of assaulting a government official. Follow live politics coverage here A spokesperson for Mace's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night. But Mace and repeated her assault claims in a statement to the youth- and family-focused news site The Imprint, which first reported on dismissal of the case. '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. If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere,' Mace said. 'I filed charges, and they were inexplicably ignored. But I will not be. I will not back down. I will not be intimidated. And I sure as hell won't stay silent.' An attorney for McIntyre declined to comment. McIntyre said in a statement through Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy that he is "pleased but not surprised that these baseless charges have been dropped." 'By falsely accusing me of a violent crime and having me jailed, Congresswoman Mace demonstrated her desire to criminalize anyone who advocates for the needs of our trans youth," McIntyre said. "Her actions are fundamentally connected to the broader effort by the Trump administration to criminalize protected speech and create an environment of fear among advocates," McIntyre added. An incident report said Mace told officers after the encounter that McIntyre 'began to aggressively and in an exaggerated manner shake her arm up and down in a hand shaking motion" that left her arm flailing for three to five seconds. The report noted that Mace described to officers feeling "intimidated and unable to pull away when she tried.' Elliott Hinkle, an eyewitness who attended the event, had disputed Mace's account, saying the two shook hands 'and James says, 'Trans youth are also foster youth, and they need your support.' And then sat down.' Mace denied help from paramedics when it was offered, according to the incident report. She said later that night on X that she was 'physically accosted" at the Capitol by "a pro-tr*ns man.' The next day, Mace shared an image of herself with her right arm in a sling. She repeated the allegations against McIntyre on X in January, saying she was "assaulted by a pro tr*ns man a few weeks ago and am still in physical therapy for my injuries. I know firsthand how the Left is capable of doing real physical harm." Mace has a record of using anti-trans rhetoric. In November, she introduced a measure to bar lawmakers and House employees from 'using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.' She said the legislation was a direct response to the election of Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., as the first openly transgender member of Congress. 'I'm absolutely 100% going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms," Mace told reporters at the time. "I will be there fighting you every step of the way.' The House this year, under Republican control, prohibited transgender people from using single-sex facilities that align with their gender identities in the House chamber and halls. The charge against McIntyre was dismissed by prosecutors in interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin's office. Martin was recently nominated by Trump to serve in the role permanently, which would require Senate confirmation. Martin has already demoted federal prosecutors who supervised the prosecutions of Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom Martin defended as an attorney. This article was originally published on
NBC News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Prosecutors drop charge against man who Rep. Nancy Mace accused of assaulting her at the Capitol
Prosecutors this week decided not to pursue an assault charge against a man whom Rep. Nancy Mace accused of having "physically accosted" her at the U.S. Capitol in December. According to a filing Tuesday with D.C. Superior Court, prosecutors dropped the lone charge against James McIntyre, a foster care advocate. Mace, R-S.C., had accused McIntyre of "aggressively" shaking her arm up and down at a Dec. 10 event celebrating 25 years of the Foster Care Independence Act. He had pleaded not guilty, court filings showed. The D.C. District Attorney's Office, which was prosecuting the case, did not respond to a request for comment on why it decided to drop the charge of assaulting a government official. A spokesperson for Mace's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night. But the congresswoman defended and repeated her assault claims in a statement to The Imprint, which first reported on dismissal of the case. '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. If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere,' Mace said. 'I filed charges, and they were inexplicably ignored. But I will not be. I will not back down. I will not be intimidated. And I sure as hell won't stay silent.' An attorney for McIntyre declined to comment. Mace had told officers after the encounter that McIntyre 'began to aggressively and in an exaggerated manner shake her arm up and down in a hand shaking motion" that left her arm flailing for 3-5 seconds, according to an incident report. The report noted that Mace had described to officers feeling "intimidated and unable to pull away when she tried.' Elliott Hinkle, an eyewitness who had attended the event, had disputed Mace's account, saying they shook hands, 'and James says, 'Trans youth are also foster youth, and they need your support.' And then sat down.' Mace denied help from paramedics when it was offered, according to the incident report. She said later that night on X that she was 'physically accosted" at the Capitol by "a pro-tr*ns man.' The next day, Mace shared an image of herself with her right arm in a sling. She repeated the allegations against McIntyre on X in January, saying she was "assaulted by a pro tr*ns man a few weeks ago and am still in physical therapy for my injuries. I know firsthand how the Left is capable of doing real physical harm." Mace has a record of using anti-trans rhetoric. In November, she introduced a measure to bar lawmakers and House employees from 'using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.' She said the legislation was a direct response to Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware's election as the first openly transgender member of Congress. 'I'm absolutely 100% gonna stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms," Mace told reporters at the time. "I will be there fighting you every step of the way.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Charges dropped against foster youth advocate in alleged 'assault' on U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace
April 2 (UPI) -- Federal prosecutors took steps to drop charges against the man accused of assaulting U.S Rep. Nancy Mace, R.-S.C., in a disputed event last year at the U.S. Capitol. On Tuesday, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia filed a "notice of nolle prosequi" -- Latin for "not to wish to prosecute" -- in the misdemeanor case against James McIntyre, meaning it will decline to move forward with a prosecution. He pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault charges. McIntyre of Illinois, a well-known foster youth and care advocate, was accused of accosting Mace during a Dec. 10 reception celebrating the 25th anniversary of passage of the 1999 Foster Care Independence Act. McIntyre, 33, said Wednesday he was "pleased but not surprised that these baseless charges have been dropped," adding how the experience has been "traumatic" but the broad outpouring of support "has meant everything." It came just days before the next scheduled hearing. On Wednesday, the South Carolina congresswoman and rumored gubernatorial candidate stated the decision sent an "appalling message." Mace, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, gave brief remarks at the December event and as she exited the room, reports say McIntyre approached Mace and told her that transgender foster youth deserved advocacy, too. According to law enforcement, Mace offered her right hand to McIntyre, who allegedly placed his hand in a clasping manner. She claimed McIntyre "began to aggressively and in an exaggerated manner shake her arm up and down in a hand shaking motion," with her arm "flailing" for roughly 3-5 seconds. "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," she said. "If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere." She claimed the alleged "assault" came in response to her work to bar transgender women from using women's restrooms on federal property, saying on Dec. 10 she was "physically accosted ... by a pro-tr*ns man." While eyewitnesses disputed Mace's claims, McIntyre was arrested and spent a night in jail in the nation's capital. He was released the next day. Mace, meanwhile, refused medical treatment. However, she was seen the next day with her right arm in a sling and was critical of media inquiries over the incident. In a statement, McIntyre wrote that, by "falsely accusing" him of a violent crime and by him being jailed, Mace "demonstrated her desire to criminalize anyone who advocates for the needs of our trans youth." "Her actions are fundamentally connected to the broader effort by the Trump administration to criminalize protected speech and create an environment of fear among advocates," he continued. "We will never stop working to protect vulnerable young people, no matter who is in power." Meanwhile, McIntyre received vocal support nationally from scores in the child welfare community including a former Trump administration official. "James grew up in the foster care system, aged out of the system and has devoted his adult life to caring for others who have gone through traumatic experiences similar to his own," stated Lynn Johnson, former U.S. assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families. Johnson added that McIntyre "does not play any political games as his mission to care for vulnerable individuals is his true north." In February, the Republican firebrand in a House floor speech accused, among others, her ex-fiance of sexual abuse and exploiting women and underage girls for more than a decade, claiming she was one of the victims.
