In a dramatic and lengthy speech on the House floor Monday night, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) accused four men, including her former fiancé, of rape, sex trafficking, and other sex crimes against her and other women, describing them as “some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable,” NBC News reports.
Mace also directly accused South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, a potential rival in the 2026 gubernatorial race, of failing to prosecute the men despite, she said, presenting his office with evidence.
The third-term congresswoman delivered the 50-minute address during “general speeches,” a time when any lawmaker can speak on any topic. The speech was attended by several GOP colleagues, her mother, and a dozen other female supporters.
“I rise today to call out the cowards who think they can prey on women and get away with it. Today, I’m going scorched earth. So let the bridges I burn this evening light our way forward,” Mace declared. “We’re talking about rape, nonconsensual photos, nonconsensual videos of women and underage girls and the premeditated, calculated exploitation of women and girls in my district.”
All four men named by Mace have vehemently denied the allegations to NBC News.
Patrick Bryant, Mace’s former fiancé and a Charleston software entrepreneur, issued a statement:
“I categorically deny these allegations. I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name.”
The accusations come amid speculation that Mace will run for governor of South Carolina in 2026, potentially facing off against Attorney General Wilson, the son of Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).
Mace accused Wilson of delaying an investigation into the allegations after she provided his office with graphic videos, photos, and other evidence of the alleged crimes, including photographs of underage girls, last year. She claimed that the evidence included videos of “incapacitated” women being raped, one of whom she identified as herself after discovering the videos on her ex-fiancé’s phone in November 2023. She further stated that Wilson’s office told her that she would be investigated after turning over the evidence.
Wilson’s office issued a lengthy statement Monday night refuting Mace’s claims as “categorically false.” The statement emphasized that Mace and Wilson have attended “multiple events together over the last six months” and that Mace has Wilson’s cellphone number but has never contacted him about the matter.
The Attorney General’s office stated that it would always direct citizens who have evidence of crimes to their local law enforcement agencies, which are responsible for conducting investigations.
“It is clear that Attorney General Alan Wilson has built his career on protecting the most vulnerable in our state; any statement otherwise is blatantly false and politically motivated,” the statement read.
This is not the first time Mace has spoken publicly about being a victim of sexual assault. As a state lawmaker in 2019, during a debate over a proposed abortion ban, she advocated for an exception for rape and incest, revealing for the first time that she was a victim of rape at age 16.
