CNN – As Rep. Nancy Mace prepared to speak, she took out a Bible and — as if she were in a courtroom, instead of on the House floor — she placed her right hand and swore to tell the “whole truth.”
The South Carolina congresswoman then delivered a damning 53-minute speech that has no precedent in the chamber’s history.
Describing herself as “going scorched earth,” Mace accused her ex-fiancé of “evil” crimes including physical assault, rape and sex trafficking against her and other women — accusing him and several other men by name on the floor.
While Mace did not provide specific evidence of her claims, she said she brought the case to state authorities for further investigation.
“Tonight is about justice for me and tonight is about justice for all of the women that you all raped, that you all filmed, that you all photographed, that you all abused for years,” Mace said on the floor, in a tone that alternated between somber and scorching.
“Today I’m going to free myself from the monster who broke me,” Mace said, in a speech that quoted both from the Bible and from Martin Luther King Jr.
Three other GOP women, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Lauren Boebert and Victoria Spartz, sat behind her, listening closely, while Mace’s mother sat in the House gallery above.
South Carolina’s top law enforcement agency confirmed to CNN that they opened an investigation into “allegations of assault, harassment, and voyeurism on December 14, 2023, after being contacted by the United States Capitol Police.”
They said the subject of their investigation is Patrick Bryant, who is Mace’s ex-fiancé. The agency described the ongoing case as “complex” and said it has “conducted multiple interviews, served multiple search warrants, and has a well-documented case file.”
Capitol Police did not respond to requests for more information from CNN.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Bryant strongly denied that what Mace said was true.
“God placed this burden in my path—not to crush me, but to ignite something within me. A purpose. A calling. A responsibility. To make sure these women will never be forgotten, and the men who hurt them will never be allowed to hide again.” – Nancy Mace
“I categorically deny these allegations. I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully … ”
