Rep. Nancy Mace starts her speech on the House floor Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (Screenshot from C-Span)
One of the four men that U.S. Nancy Mace accused of doing “some of the most heinous crimes” against women filed a libel and defamation lawsuit Friday against the 1st District congresswoman.
Brian Musgrave of Fort Mill was among the men Mace labeled as sexual “predators” during a bombshell speech on the U.S. House floor last month.
All four men, who include Mace’s ex-fiancé, immediately denied the allegations and have continued to do so.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Charleston comes 15 days after Musgrave’s lawyers, Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, told Mace in a letter to either disclose evidence of the allegations, publicly apologize, or prepare to get sued. The letter gave her a 10-day deadline, which was March 9.
Attorneys for 1 of the men accused by Mace demand evidence or an apology
The suit, shared with the media, states that Mace provided no evidence.
“Congresswoman Nance Mace and her team destroyed the lives of Brian Musgrave and his family. Perhaps the Defendants felt that the message was so powerful that a little collateral damage in the form of Brian Musgrave’s name and reputation was acceptable,” the lawsuit reads.
“It is not acceptable to Brian Musgrave. It is not acceptable to his family,” it said.
The 1st District congresswoman said she discovered thousands of photos taken with hidden cameras as well as recordings the men made of themselves sexually assaulting women over years. She was among the victims. Some were underage girls, she said.
A Mace spokesperson declined comment Friday. Instead, as she did regarding the Feb. 27 letter, she again referred the SC Daily Gazette back to the congresswomen’s Feb. 10 speech.
The case will test the limits of “speech or debate” clause of the U.S. Constitution, which shields members of Congress from lawsuits for what is said in either chamber.
After the hour-long speech, which included photos of the four men and where they live on a big posterboard as she spoke, Mace continued to mention the men in multiple social media posts over the following days.
Part of Musgrave’s argument is that protections for those claims do not extend outside the halls of Congress.
“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,” the lawsuit said.
After Mace’s speech, the State Law Enforcement Division confirmed that her ex-fiancé, Patrick Bryant, 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.
Mace and Bryant broke up in late 2023, which would be after Mace said she found evidence on his cellphone. He alleges her accusations are political.
“Nancy is blatantly using congressional privilege under the Speech and Debate Clause for political gain, and to destroy reputations, both of which are inexcusable,” he said in a statement earlier this month. “I vehemently deny all of her criminal allegations. This has been and continues to be painful for my family, and these lies must end immediately — she cannot be trusted.”
Mace is one of five expected candidates for South Carolina’s 2026 gubernatorial election.
There is no one officially in the race.
But others publicly saying they’re considering a bid include Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov Pam Evette, and state Sens. Sean Bennett and Josh Kimbrell. Gov. Henry McMaster can’t run again.
The congresswoman has taken numerous jabs at both Wilson and Evette on social media.