Attorney General Alan Wilson speaks to a group of people at an event at Savage Craft Aleworks in West Columbia on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Photo by Shaun Chornobroff/SC Daily Gazette)
WEST COLUMBIA — South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson vehemently denied accusations that U.S. Rep Nancy Mace lobbed against him in a bombshell House floor speech earlier this month.
The 1st District congresswoman alleged the attorney general ignored evidence of sexual assault against her and other women.
“That allegation was never made to me, no one in my office,” Wilson said Wednesday at an event hosted by The Post and Courier at Savage Craft Ale Works.
While he categorically denied her allegations, he never said Mace’s name.
Mace launched the attacks Feb. 10 as part of an hour-long speech that accused four men, including her ex-fiancé, of a litany of sexual crimes. Mace said she was among the victims. Following the speech, the State Law Enforcement Division released a statement that it opened an investigation in December 2023 after being contacted by U.S. Capitol police.
“Anytime someone makes allegations that they are a victim of a crime, those allegations should be taken seriously,” Wilson said. “They should be investigated thoroughly by law enforcement, and they should be treated with the utmost respect.”
Wilson and Mace are two of the potential frontrunners in the 2026 governor’s race. Both have said they are considering running but have yet to announce a decision. Wilson said Wednesday that a decision will be made “sometime later in the year.”
Lt. Gov Pam Evette, as well as state Sens. Josh Kimbrell of Boiling Springs and Sean Bennett of Summerville, have also said they are considering a bid to succeed Gov. Henry McMaster.
During her House speech, Mace had a poster of Wilson that read “Do-Nothing Attorney General,” a moniker she has repeatedly used to describe him, as she accused him of failing to take action after turning over evidence of sexual assault.
After the speech, his office released a lengthy statement denying the allegations.
In his appearance Wednesday before dozens of attendees, he continued to deny them. He estimated that he’s seen Mace five times since the summer and that she had never mentioned the sexual assault allegations.
The attorney general said that after he received an advanced copy of Mace’s speech, he asked his staff to research whether anyone in his office had been contacted about the abuse allegations. The search turned up no results.
“The last thing I want to know is that we were alerted to something and weren’t acting on it,” he said.