Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), a candidate for South Carolina governor, is embroiled in legal trouble after her ex-fiancé, Patrick Bryant, filed a lawsuit alleging she fabricated sexual assault accusations against him and others. The case centers on claims that Mace misrepresented Bryant as a “sexual predator” during a speech, which Bryant now says was part of a coordinated effort to harm his reputation.

According to court documents, Bryant alleges that Mace conspired with the estranged wife of Eric Bowman to fabricate an assault incident involving an unnamed woman, referred to as “Jane Doe.” The original lawsuit from May claimed Doe was assaulted at Bowman’s home by another man, with Bowman and Bryant allegedly filming the act. Mace referenced this case in a February House speech, where she accused multiple men, including Bryant, of drugging, molesting, and filming female victims.

Bryant’s new lawsuit asserts that the allegations against him were false and that Mace used the claims to manipulate and intimidate him during their relationship. He claims she hacked his phone, installed a tracking device, and threatened to use images from his device to seize joint property. The suit also alleges that Mace fabricated stories about Doe to discredit him, despite no evidence of wrongdoing by Bryant or others at the time of the alleged incident in October 2018.

Mace has responded with sharp criticism, calling Bryant’s lawsuit “frivolous” and accusing him of lying under oath. She claimed she had previously sanctioned Bryant for “weaponizing the court against a rape victim” and vowed to take legal action against him again. Mace also accused Bryant of avoiding legal service in separate disputes, suggesting he was evading accountability.

The case has drawn attention to the personal and political tensions between Mace and Bryant, who ended their relationship in November 2023 amid allegations of mistrust and surveillance. Bryant described the breakup as a period of “heightened paranoia,” during which Mace allegedly accessed his phone without consent. The lawsuit seeks to challenge the credibility of Mace’s public accusations and the role of her allies in shaping the narrative around the alleged assault.

The legal battle continues as both parties prepare for further court proceedings, with Mace vowing to defend herself against what she calls a “frivolous” attack.