Part of: The House Ethics reimbursement investigation (2025-2026) · House Ethics Committee Investigation of Rep. Nancy Mace (OCC Review 25-5681)
US Rep. Nancy Mace accused of misusing taxpayer funds to cover her DC housing and meals
Caitlin Byrd reported the Office of Congressional Conduct found 'substantial reason to believe' Mace improperly claimed nearly $9,500 in excess housing reimbursements tied to her $1.6 million Capitol Hill townhouse, also billing over $9,400 for food. Mace refused to cooperate with the OCC probe; her lawyer called the report 'fundamentally flawed.'
Caitlin Byrd ·
"The House Ethics Committee is being asked to investigate U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace's food and housing reimbursements after a panel found substantial reason to believe she overbilled when using a taxpayer-funded program to cover her living expenses in Washington, D.C."
, The Post and Courier (Caitlin Byrd), March 2, 2026
Byrd's reporting detailed findings from the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) that Mace had claimed nearly $9,500 in excess housing reimbursements connected to her Capitol Hill townhouse, a property valued at approximately $1.6 million, while also billing taxpayers more than $9,400 for food. The OCC referred the matter to the full House Ethics Committee.
The report added a significant detail:
"The Office of Congressional Conduct further recommended the ethics committee issue subpoenas in the case, and stated Mace, R-Charleston, refused to cooperate in their probe."
Mace's lawyer denied the findings, calling the OCC's report "fundamentally flawed." Mace did not immediately comment beyond her attorney's statement.
Roll Call's Washington bureau confirmed the same day that a formal Ethics Committee investigation had opened. The Washington Post ran companion national coverage the following day. The story added a public-corruption dimension to a period of Mace's tenure already marked by litigation and conduct controversy.
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December 20, 2023 · DispatchEditorial: Don't slash SC ethics fines; kick deadbeats off the ballot
The Post and Courier's own editorial board called out Mace by name for mounting $16,700-plus in state ethics fines as a state legislator for late campaign-finance filings, and criticized the legislature's decision to reduce her tab, framing her as an ethics 'deadbeat' whose career should be at risk.
December 14, 2023 · DispatchNancy Mace racked up nearly $17K in fines as a state rep. She will only pay a fraction of it.
Nick Reynolds reported that the S.C. House Ethics Committee voted unanimously on December 14, 2023 to reduce Mace's $16,700 in unpaid state campaign-finance fines to just $1,200 -- 7 percent of what she owed -- after she filed an appeal citing financial hardship, COVID-era family health issues, and death threats. Mace earns a $174,000 congressional salary and, with her partner, had purchased a $3.9 million Isle of Palms home. Committee members noted she had ignored repeated outreach for years.
March 2, 2026 · DispatchHouse Ethics to investigate Mace on reimbursement practices
Roll Call's same-day Washington-bureau confirmation that the House Ethics Committee had opened a formal investigation into Mace's reimbursement practices, amplifying the Post and Courier's reporting for a DC-insider audience.