Latest news with #WesleyDonehue
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
EXCLUSIVE: Nancy Mace dismisses 'burner' account allegations as 'bitter exes' tale
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is firing back at accusations she directed staffers to create so-called "burner" accounts to boost her image online, telling Fox News Digital the claims are from "bitter exes" and lack any real proof. "When a story relies on 'anonymous former staffers,' it's journalist-speak for 'We didn't have anything real, so we called the bitter exes,'" Mace said, responding to a recent article published by Wired magazine. The article cited former aides and consultants, including a deposition from political consultant Wesley Donehue, to allege Mace used burner accounts and even automated bots to amplify her political messaging. But Mace, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, isn't buying it. "Unlike some folks, I don't need a burner phone to tell the truth," she said. "I say what I mean, I mean what I say, and I post it from my real account, with my name on it. Accountability starts there." At a time when anonymous sources dominate headlines, Mace is leaning into her reputation for saying the quiet part out loud. "I'll keep telling the uncomfortable truth," she added. "And if it makes you squirm, good. That means you're finally paying attention." Mace has built her brand on fighting for survivors of sexual assault, including her own, and advocating for policies that protect women and parental rights. She has taken public stands on legislation to preserve Title IX protections for biological women and expand access to resources for survivors of violence. Earlier this month, she called out a transgender activist accused of threatening to "assassinate" her, saying, "You don't have to agree with me, but threatening a mother and congresswoman with violence isn't protest, it's criminal." In the interview, Mace pointed to her real-world experience in tech, a rarity in Congress, as a major asset in crafting meaningful policy. "Well, for starters, I actually understand the intricacies of technology, which already puts me ahead of most of Washington," Mace said, referring to her background as a self-taught computer coder. "We're writing policy focused on protecting your data, cracking down on cyber threats, and pushing back against Big Tech censorship." Her hands-on experience, she said, helps her spot both software flaws and political spin. "It turns out writing code teaches you to spot bugs in software and in political BS," Mace said. When asked how she keeps her office's online work grounded in conservative principles like accountability and leadership, Mace didn't miss a beat. "I lead with facts, I speak for the people who sent me here and I don't hide behind consultants or filtered statements," she said. "Being accountable means saying the hard stuff, standing your ground and not running from a fight, even if it makes the media clutch their pearls." As for the viral video online showing what appeared to be a stack of burner phones, Mace had a laugh at the spectacle. "About as many burner phones as Wired has credible sources for 'burner-gate,'" she quipped. She even poked fun at claims on social media with a tongue-in-cheek AI-generated image of herself holding two Bernese Mountain dogs outside the Capitol, captioned it, "It's true. I have multiple berners!" Mace made it clear she sees this controversy as more smoke than fire, one she believes won't distract her from the work of legislating and representing her district. Mace is the first woman to graduate from South Carolina's Citadel and the first woman elected to represent Charleston in Congress.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Nancy Mace ran bot army, had staff run fake accounts to boost profile, report claims: ‘It's what she does for fun'
South Carolina's most outspoken member of Congress is reportedly putting her techie background to good use. Mace, a third-term House member with reported ambitions to run for governor, directs staffers to run countless bot accounts and fake social media profiles on her behalf — all with the aim of boosting Mace's content and messaging, according to a new report from Wired Wednesday that cited several unnamed former staffers and a consultant who publicly ended his contract with the congresswoman. The report quoted a deposition from Wesley Donehue, a South Carolina-based campaign consultant who previously worked closely with Mace's campaigns. The deposition, first reported a week earlier by a local conservative news blog, FITS News, was taken by attorneys for Mace's ex-fiancee — whom she accused of sexual assault, along with three other men, in a jarring moment during a congressional hearing. Wired's reporting echoed the claim made by Donehue, who told a court: 'She programs her own bots. She sets up Twitter burner accounts. This is the kind of a thing she does. She sits all night on the couch and programs bots, because she's very, very computer savvy. She controls her own voter database, she programs a lot of her own website, she programs Facebook bots and Instagram bots and Twitter bots. It's what she does for fun.' According to a staffer, Mace would allegedly order her underlings to identify criticism of her on social media; a slew of fake accounts would then pile on the offending account. 'We were congressional staff, and there were actual things we could be doing to help the constituents,' one said. The Independent has reached out to the congresswoman's office for comment. 'The only relationship the congresswoman cares about is her one with South Carolina,' said Sydney Long, according to the outlet. But that wasn't the case earlier this month when Mace showed a blurry image of what she said was her own naked body — an image she said was taken without her consent — during a congressional hearing as she called for stronger penalties for sexual offenders who film people without their knowledge in private spaces. Instead, Mace dragged four men including her ex-fiancee by name into the hearing and labeled them 'predators.' Patrick Bryant, her ex-fiancee, and the three other men have all maintained their innocence in regard to her accusations. Meanwhile, the deposition that Bryant forced Donehue to give revealed that Mace spent so much of her time on her 'relationships,' despite her staffer's denial, that it was the defining factor leading to Donehue abandoning her as a client and publicly disowning her. According to FITS News, Donehue said under oath that the congresswoman wanted him constantly 'to intervene in her relationship problems with Patrick Bryant' and later 'asked me to blackmail Patrick Bryant'. He went on to call her a 'chronic liar who constantly plays the victim card for her own benefit.' 'Nancy talks about her sex life in a way that I've never heard a client or a woman talk,' Donehue added. 'This goes beyond Patrick. This is with multiple partners. She loves talking about sex,' he claimed. According to Donehue, 'every conversation would devolve into what's going on in her sex life…something that she talked about all the time and I always felt uncomfortable with.' The congresswoman has been one of the most polarizing figures on the Hill since she arrived. A onetime 'NeverTrumper', she like others completed an evolution into a pro-Trump believer that saved her from successive primary challenges backed by both Donald Trump and Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker. She was one of a small group of GOP rebels who ousted McCarthy as speaker of the House in 2023. She's no stranger to accusations of her own, with staffers calling her abusive and 'toxic'. Between 2023-2024, her office underwent more staff turnover than any other — with every single staff member quitting and being replaced over the course of one year.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
New $TRUMP meme coin is breaking records as president hosts $1MILLION a seat crypto dinner: Live updates
Donald Trump 's new $Trump meme coin venture is raking in millions as the president hosts top holders at his Virginia golf club Thursday evening. He's garnering some criticism as many of the shareholders are foreign nationals, sparking worries about ethics concerns. But the White House has slapped down any suggestion of wrongdoing. 'The president left his real-estate empire to run for office and serve our country, and he has sacrificed greatly in doing so,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Wall Street Journal. 'Every decision he makes as president is always in the best interest of the country.' 13:23 Exclusive:Nancy Mace used naked photos in twisted blackmail scheme to profit off her toxic ex alleges former staff Rep. Nancy Mace sought to use naked images taken from her ex-fiance's phone to try to secure a full interest in two valuable homes from him, her former advisor alleges in a bombshell new deposition. The advisor says under oath Mace, R-S.C., asked him to meet with her ex and use the images as leverage – long before she delivered a stunning House floor speech claiming to have 'receipts' that would bring down a ring of predators and sex traffickers. The former advisor, Wesley Donehue, says in the deposition first obtained by the Daily Mail that the South Carolina congresswoman asked him to relay information to her ex-fiance Patrick Bryant about photos and videos she said she found on his phone of multiple women. Ex-aide alleges Nancy Mace used naked pics in twisted blackmail scheme A former advisor to Rep. Nancy Mace says in a civil deposition that the lawmaker showed him photos from her ex-fiance's phone and sought leverage to obtain full ownership of two homes.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Nancy Mace used naked photos in twisted blackmail scheme to profit off her toxic ex alleges former staff
Nancy Mace sought to use naked images taken from her ex-fiance's phone to try to secure a full interest in two valuable homes from him, her former advisor alleges in a bombshell new deposition. The advisor says under oath Mace asked him to meet with her ex and use the images as leverage – long before Mace delivered a stunning House floor speech where she said she had 'receipts' that would bring down a ring of predators and sex traffickers. The former advisor, Wesley Donehue, says in the deposition the South Carolina congresswoman asked him to relay information to her ex-fiance Patrick Bryant about photos and videos she said she found on his phone of multiple women. One was of a 'girl on a couch' who according to Mace was 'passed out.' Another was a picture of Mace – Mace says it was of her getting up to use the bathroom, according to the deposition. Her intention was to use the information 'as leverage to gain 100 percent ownership' of two homes she shared with Bryant, one in Washington, DC, and another in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, Donehue said in the deposition. The properties have a combined value of more than $5 million. 'Did she specifically say to you 'Please meet with Patrick and show him these images and tell him I'll make them public if he doesn't give me both houses?' a lawyer for Bryant asked the former Mace advisor. 'Yes,' he responded. Asked if it was 'effectively an effort to extort or blackmail Patrick,' Donehue responded, 'Yeah.' Donehue knew both parties, but said the role made him uncomfortable and put him in the middle of a fraught situation. A source familiar with the matter said Donehue was making 'a wild, outlandish allegation.' 'He thought he was helping his friend, but all he did was confirm her story,' said the source, who called Donehue a 'disgruntled former vendor' who is close friends with Bryant. The deposition comes after Donehue met with SLED, the South Carolina law enforcement department, and after he was subpoenaed by lawyer for her ex, he told FITS news, a South Carolina political site, and is connected to a civil case. SLED has confirmed it opened an investigation into Byant following Mace's allegations against him. None of the people Mace has accused have been charged with a crime. Donehue recalled the conversation he had on Mace's behalf as taking place at a lunch meeting in November 2023. Mace and Bryant had been battling over their jointly owned $3.9 million beach home and their $1.3 million Washington, D.C. property, DailyMail reported in December 2023. has reached out to Mace and the lawyer who conducted the deposition. The deposition came to light a day after Mace in an extraordinary public hearing on voyeurism followed up on her earlier accusations of Bryant and other men of being sexual 'predators' and running a rape and sex trafficking ring. The men have vigorously denied the allegations, which Mace first leveled in a shocking speech on the House floor. During the hearing Mace shared what she said was a 'naked silhouette' of herself that she said was taken without her consent. Donehue also spoke in the deposition about what he said was Mace's state of mind before he says he 'fired' her – in just one instance of the staff turmoil she has experienced. 'She was losing a lot of weight, she was getting what she called stress tattoos ... she was emotionally distraught at this point in the year. And in my view, her emotional stability was crumbling.' 'So I don't wanna make it seem like she was just this machine that didn't care about anything. She very much cared. But it was coming across as erratic and unstable.' Mace was at the White House this week as first lady Melania Trump attended the bill signing for a bill to stop revenge porn, and continues to advocate for women she says are victims of abuse after promoting a new hotline for complaints on the House floor. She shared multiple images at a House subcommittee she chaired Tuesday, although portions of the images were blocked out, and some appeared to be taken from a home security camera in a living room area. Donehue also spoke in the deposition about Mace saying 'inappropriate' things in their former interactions. 'Nancy talks about her sex life in a way that I've never heard a client or a woman talk about,' said Donehue, a consultant who operates Push Digital Group and other companies. He said 'it's like every conversation would devolve into what's going on in her sex life…something that she talked about all the time and I always felt uncomfortable with.' He also said in the deposition that even after she said she felt for her safety she said she was 'going to the Caribbean with Patrick and some of his friends, which I questioned, because I said "Nancy, you can't say that you fear for your safety and you're going to the Caribbean with him and some of his friends.' 'Then she said - and I remember as clear as day - "I'm taking my free vacation in the Caribbean.' He says he told her 'Nancy, as your campaign consultant, if it ever comes out that you knew of women being harmed and you didn't do anything about it, your career is over,' he said. He ultimately 'cut ties' with her for a variety of reasons, saying he felt 'uncomfortable' with the things Mace was asking him to do, according to his deposition testimony. Bryant has denied Mace's allegations against him, calling them false and malicious. Another man Mace identified, South Carolina businessman Brian Musgrave, has sued Mace for defamation, and she has countersued, claiming he defamed her through 'malicious and objectively false attacks on her fitness to hold public office.' Donehue was asked during his deposition about Mace's scorched earth floor speech earlier this year and how it compared to what she told him back in 2023. 'The only ... accusation ... was that Patrick was in possession of pictures of naked women taken without their consent and without them knowing he still had them. There was never any discussion of rape or sex trafficking or anything beyond the fact that he had pictures of naked women taken without their consent,' he responded. He also says in the deposition Mace spoke to him of being physically assaulted by Bryant, and she at one point 'she had a number of bruises on her arm' that he said were 'fingertip-size' above her elbow and that she said he grabbed her. At another point, he said Mace told him Bryant was doing some 'shady things' that 'she was upset and felt for her safety and was planning on breaking up with him.'
