Latest news with #extra-Congressional
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nancy Mace's ‘Predator' Claims Spark Legal Fight Over ‘Lies'
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace was slammed for 'lies' in a defamation lawsuit filed by the man she called a 'predator,' setting up a potential legal fight over free speech privileges granted to Congress members. Mace accused Brian Musgrave and three other men of 'premeditated and calculated exploitation of women and girls' in an explosive 53-minute tirade on the House floor last month. She further claimed that she found more than 10,000 hidden camera videos and photos, and the men had participated in rape and sex trafficking. Musgrave rebuked those claims as 'baseless' and 'false allegations' in the suit filed Friday in a South Carolina federal court. He is seeking punitive damages in an amount that will 'impress upon [Mace] the seriousness of her conduct and to deter such similar conduct in the future.' Musgrave's suit is also looking to challenge the speech and debate Constitutional clause that protects official conduct by Congress members. The complaint argues that the clause '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.' However, a source close to Mace's office has signaled that they intend to stand up her statements as protected by the clause, pointing to comments made by House of Representative's General Counsel Matthew Berry. Berry called it 'factually inaccurate' for Musgrave to assert that Mace's claims did not advance legislation and should not be protected. He added that federal attorneys will 'vigorously' defend her in court, reported Live 5. Musgrave told CNN that Mace's claims have had a 'catastrophic' effect on his life and livelihood. 'For the rest of my life, when someone googles 'Brian Musgrave' this is going to be the thing that comes up,' said Musgrave on Monday, with his wife beside him. 'I'm completely uncertain what tomorrow is going to be business-wise.'
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Nancy Mace accused four Lowcountry men of being sexual predators. One is now suing her for defamation
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – One of the four men U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) accused of being a sexual predator in a House floor speech last month is now suing the congresswoman for defamation. In an explosive Feb. 10 speech, Mace detailed how she said she accidentally found evidence of 'rape, nonconsensual photos and videos of women and underage girls,' including herself, perpetrated by four individuals. All have publicly denied the allegations. The lawsuit, filed March 14 in Charleston County, claimed that Mace knowingly spread false information during that speech and has continued to do so in the subsequent weeks. 'On February 10, 2025, Congresswoman Mace spent over an hour on the floor of Congress systematically defaming [plaintiff] and destroying his good name and reputation,' the complaint reads. Mace has maintained that her speech is protected under a provision of the Constitution known as the 'speech or debate clause,' which gives members of Congress broad protection from prosecution for what they say while performing their official duties. Attorneys for the plaintiff disagreed in Friday's court filing, citing multiple re-publications of the allegations on social media following Mace's floor speech. 'While the speech and debate clause of the United States Constitution affords broad protection to members of Congress acting as part of its deliberative process, 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,' they wrote. Attorneys specifically referenced multiple posts made on Mace's official and unofficial X accounts – which have racked up millions of views – where the claims were repeated. The lawsuit also notes that a poster with the men's names and pictures labeled 'predators' has been on display outside her Washington, DC office for the past several weeks. 'After February 10, 2025, through her social media posts and other communications, even if Congresswoman Mace alleges that she was acting to inform the public and other Members of Congress, the transmittal of such information is not a part of the legislative function or the deliberations that made up the legislative process so as to afforded protection under the speech and debate clause,' the complaint continued. A spokesperson for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said in a Feb. 10 emailed statement to News 2 that it opened an investigation into allegations of assault, harassment, and voyeurism in December 2023 after being contacted by U.S. Capitol Police. The subject of the investigation is one of the people named by Mace but not the one named in the March 14 lawsuit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mace sued for defamation by man she accused of abuse in floor speech
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by one of the four men she has publicly accused of sexual abuse in a floor speech, in a case that could test the legal protections members of Congress have for their official conduct. The South Carolinian took to the House floor last month to accuse her ex-fiance, Charleston businessman Patrick Bryant, and three other men of rape, sex trafficking and nonconsensually filming sex acts with her and others. Now Brian Musgrave, one of the other men Mace named on the House floor, is suing the member of Congress for defamation. In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in South Carolina, he categorically denied the allegations leveled against him by Mace — saying he was not present during any alleged events Mace described and did not "film" or "incapacitate" anyone — adding she 'and her team destroyed the lives' of Musgrave and his family. The suit seeks an unspecified award for compensatory and punitive damages to be determined by a jury 'sufficient to impress upon the Defendant the seriousness of her conduct and to deter such similar conduct in the future.' Mace's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The legal action also seeks to carve out an exception from the speech or debate clause of the Constitution, which provides a legal shield for members of Congress for acts taken as part of their roles as lawmakers, including 'any Speech or Debate in either House.' The clause '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,' Musgrave's suit asserts. His lawsuit also points to some of Mace's actions outside the House floor, including a draft of the speech circulating and posts on social media. In her February speech, Mace claimed she was speaking out because South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson had declined to act upon evidence of abuse that she said she provided. But the top state prosecutor said Mace's accusations of improper conduct by his office were 'categorically false,' claiming the office had 'no knowledge' of Mace's alleged assault until her speech on the House floor. Wilson and Mace are both considering bids for South Carolina governor in the state's 2026 election. Shortly after Mace's public speech, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed that it is investigating Bryant. Bryant has categorically denied Mace's allegations.
Politico
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Mace sued for defamation by man she accused of abuse in floor speech
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by one of the four men she has publicly accused of sexual abuse in a floor speech, in a case that could test the legal protections members of Congress have for their official conduct. The South Carolinian took to the House floor last month to accuse her ex-fiance, Charleston businessman Patrick Bryant, and three other men of rape, sex trafficking and nonconsensually filming sex acts with her and others. Now Brian Musgrave, one of the other men Mace named on the House floor, is suing the member of Congress for defamation. In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in South Carolina, he categorically denied the allegations leveled against him by Mace — saying he was not present during any alleged events Mace described and did not 'film' or 'incapacitate' anyone — adding she 'and her team destroyed the lives' of Musgrave and his family. The suit seeks an unspecified award for compensatory and punitive damages to be determined by a jury 'sufficient to impress upon the Defendant the seriousness of her conduct and to deter such similar conduct in the future.' Mace's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The legal action also seeks to carve out an exception from the speech or debate clause of the Constitution, which provides a legal shield for members of Congress for acts taken as part of their roles as lawmakers, including 'any Speech or Debate in either House.' The clause '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,' Musgrave's suit asserts. His lawsuit also points to some of Mace's actions outside the House floor, including a draft of the speech circulating and posts on social media. In her February speech, Mace claimed she was speaking out because South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson had declined to act upon evidence of abuse that she said she provided. But the top state prosecutor said Mace's accusations of improper conduct by his office were 'categorically false,' claiming the office had 'no knowledge' of Mace's alleged assault until her speech on the House floor. Wilson and Mace are both considering bids for South Carolina governor in the state's 2026 election. Shortly after Mace's public speech, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed that it is investigating Bryant. Bryant has categorically denied Mace's allegations.
