Mace alleges sexual abuse, rape in stunning House floor speech

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) made a series of allegations of sexual abuse, rape and voyeurism perpetrated against herself and other women by a group of four men in a personal — and highly unusual — speech on the House floor Monday evening.

Mace, who has served in the House since 2021, spoke for nearly an hour in the lower chamber, accusing four South Carolina men of being “predators” and displaying their names and photos on a poster board on the House floor.

“You have bought yourself a one-way ticket to hell. It is nonstop, there are no connections, so I and all your victims can watch you rot in eternity,” Mace said on the House floor, in a speech that she said she titled “Iron Sharpens Iron.”

She made a number of specific allegations, like finding thousands of intimate photos and videos of women and underage girls that were captured without their consent. Mace also said she was raped herself after blacking out one night, and believes she was “purposefully incapacitated.”

Mace pulled out props throughout the remarks, including handcuffs — “if anyone would like to arrest me for standing up for women, here are my wrists” — a glass to show the size of the two drinks she had the night she says she blacked out, and a camera she said was hidden at the property owned by two of the alleged assailants.

Mace also went into further graphic detail, but The Hill has not independently verified the allegations. While Mace said she has evidence to back up her claims, she has not yet presented it.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed on Monday that it had opened an investigation into one of the men Mace named in December of 2023, shortly after Mace said she discovered the abuse, after being contacted by U.S. Capitol Police.

"Since that date SLED has conducted multiple interviews, served multiple search warrants, and has a well-documented case file that will be available for release upon the conclusion of the case," the department added.

No criminal charges have been filed, and some of the men denied the allegations in statements to The Hill and said they were considering legal action.

A provision of the Constitution known as the "speech or debate clause" gives members of Congress broad protection from prosecution for what they say while performing legislative duties.

A press release from Mace about the speech referenced that protection, but defended the veracity of her allegations: “Any and all statements made by Members on the House Floor are quintessential ‘legislative acts,’ and protected by the Speech and Debate clause afforded under the Constitution of the United States. Her statements tonight are not conjecture, they are not allegations, they are facts based on information she uncovered and documents she accidentally discovered.”

Mace also spent a significant portion of her speech criticizing South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R), who she said did not do enough to investigate and prosecute the alleged crimes.

Both Mace and Wilson are considering running for governor of South Carolina in 2026.

The South Carolina Attorney General’s office issued a statement after Mace’s speech that called her remarks “categorically false,” denying that the entity has received any reports regarding the matters she outlined.

“Ms. Mace either does not understand or is purposefully mischaracterizing the role of the Attorney General,” the office wrote. “At this time, our office has not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters. Additionally, the Attorney General and members of his office have had no role and no knowledge of these allegations until her public statements.”

“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 office added.

The speech made for a rather uncommon scene in the House chamber, where remarks are typically made to discuss legislation, honor constituents or comment on current events. She delivered the speech after votes Monday evening, when the chamber was largely empty.

Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) sat behind Mace for the entirety of her remarks, joined by Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) and a handful of staffers for parts throughout. Mace also said her mother and survivors of sexual assault were present in the gallery.

At one point, Mace placed a red sticker that said “survivor” on her chest, which she said her staff had made. The congresswoman handed stickers to Boebert, Burchett and Luna, who put them on as well. Individuals watching the speech from the gallery also put on the stickers.

Mace has made pushing back on rape and sexual abuse a key part of her political identity, invoking her personal experiences while doing so. Mace has long talked about being raped as a teenager while advocating for exceptions to anti-abortion legislation.

And in the past several months, Mace has been very vocal about advocating against transgender women being allowed in women’s restrooms — taking direct aim at the first openly transgender member of Congress, Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), who was elected last year. In her speech Monday, she included several bills aimed at transgender women in a list of measure she said were aimed at protecting women and girls.

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