A man from South Carolina is suing Republican Representative Nancy Mace for defamation after she accused him of sexual abuse in a speech she gave on the floor of the House of Representatives last month.
In February, Mace spoke in the House, accusing her ex-fiancé, Patrick Bryant, and three other men, including Brian Musgrave, of rape, sex trafficking, and voyeurism. During her nearly hour-long speech, Mace shared private details about what she says was an attack by these men, claiming they recorded sex acts without her consent.
Now, Musgrave is taking legal action against Mace, denying all of her claims. He says he never raped, assaulted, trafficked, or recorded Mace or any other women without consent. Musgrave argues that her accusations have damaged his reputation and harmed his family, and he is seeking unspecified damages.
Musgrave’s lawsuit also challenges the protections that members of Congress have under the Constitution, which shields them from certain legal actions related to their work. His lawyers argue that while Mace’s speech in Congress may be protected, her statements outside of Congress—like posting a photo of Musgrave with the word “predators” and continuing to make accusations on social media—should not be.
Mace’s speech was part of a larger statement in which she accused South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson of not acting on evidence of sexual abuse she had provided. She also displayed the names and faces of the four men she accused, including Musgrave. However, Wilson denied having any knowledge of the allegations and said his office never received a request for help.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division opened an investigation into Bryant after being contacted by Capitol Police in December 2023 about possible assault, harassment, and voyeurism.
During her speech, Mace claimed she found over 10,000 videos and photos of Bryant and his associates, including Musgrave, abusing women and herself. Bryant, a Charleston entrepreneur, denied the allegations and said he was fully cooperating with the legal process to clear his name.
Musgrave, who acknowledges being a friend of Bryant’s, says he didn’t have much interaction with the couple and didn’t know about any alleged sexual misconduct.
After Mace’s accusations, Musgrave publicly defended himself. But mace doubled down on her allegation on her X account, saying she had proof in the form of “metadata.” Musgrave, in his lawsuit, says he has yet to see this evidence.
