Nancy Mace details domestic abuse, sexual assault allegations in fiery House floor speech

WASHINGTON (WCBD) — U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor Monday detailing how she said she discovered “heinous crimes” against herself and multiple other women more than a year ago.

Mace alleged that in November 2023 she accidentally uncovered evidence of “rape, nonconsensual photos and videos of women and underage girls” in her South Carolina district perpetrated by four men.   

“When I uncovered evidence of rape and the illegal filming of women, and sex trafficking, I didn’t just see victims. I saw a system that failed to protect them,” she said. “I saw criminals who thought they could get away with it because no one had the guts, no one had the courage, no one had the bravery to hold them accountable because we are filled with cowards.”

In a shaken yet stern voice, Mace claimed some of the women – including herself – were incapacitated at the time and that she found thousands of images and videos of the alleged assaults taken on hidden cameras.

She went on to say that she was physically assaulted by one of the alleged perpetrators a week later, which prompted her to flee her home and go “into hiding.”  

Monday’s revelation sheds light on recent, sometimes vague references Mace has made to her experience with domestic abuse.

During her Nov. 5 re-election watch party, Mace revealed publicly for the first time that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of a traumatic event.

She mentioned the diagnosis again in her Feb. 10 remarks and its impact on her physical and mental health.

“I live looking over my shoulder. I endure sleepless nights. I have a form of vertigo from PTSD-related nightmares and the adverse health issues linger 14 months after this deeply traumatic event,” she said.  

In a video posted to social media about a month after the election, Mace said she was “getting settled into her new place” after escaping what she described as a domestic violence situation. She didn’t provide further details at the time but noted it was her fourth move in the past year.   

“I feel safe,” she told the camera in the Dec. 3 video. “He can’t try to break into or gain entry into this property three times like he previously tried to do earlier this year.”

She has also been vocal about being raped as a teenager and how that guided her stance on the need for exceptions in abortion legislation.  

Mace said Monday that the recordings she purports to have discovered are why she has spent “countless hours working on legislation to protect women and girls,” referencing a dozen bills she’s introduced in Congress since 2023.

“For too long, women have been told speaking out against abuse is unbecoming, that diminishes us,” she said. “But silence is what diminishes us, and strength comes from shining a light on the darkness.”

“I am doing this today because we can’t delay justice,” she continued.

She further insisted that law enforcement failed to investigate her claims, alluding to what she described as the “weaponization of the government.”  

Mace then pulled out a pair of prop handcuffs.

“If anyone would like to arrest me for standing up for women – here are my wrists,” she said. “Arrest me. Take me to jail.”

A spokesperson for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said in a Feb. 10 emailed statement to News 2 that it opened an investigation into allegations of assault, harassment, and voyeurism in December 2023 after being contacted by U.S. Capitol Police.

The subject of the investigation is one of the people named by Mace, the spokesperson said.

“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 statement continued. “This active and ongoing investigation is complex and has involved multiple lawyers. Once the investigation is completed, it will be sent to a prosecutor for review.”

Mace blamed South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson for the alleged offenders not being prosecuted, suggesting he has repeatedly “turned a blind eye” to crimes committed against women and children. Wilson is considered a possible contender to replace Republican Gov. Henry McMaster in 2026, a position Mace is also eyeing.  

“You’ve turned a blind eye to women and girls for the last 15 years,” she said, speaking directly to Wilson “I don’t have the luxury of looking away.”

In a statement shortly after Mace’s speech concluded, Wilson’s office called her accusations “categorically false.”

“Ms. Mace either does not understand or is purposefully mischaracterizing the role of the Attorney General,” the statement read. “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.”   

The statement highlighted the work done through the attorney general’s office since Wilson took office in 2010 to combat human trafficking, specifically to strengthening the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, reforming domestic violence laws, and establishing the Crime Victim Services Division for victims to receive support.

“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 said.

Mace concluded her remarks with a message to sexual assault survivors and all women who were watching: “You have the bravery necessary, the courage required, and the voice needed in times like these to hold those accountable for their horrific abuses against you.”

This story is developing and may be updated.