Part of: Assignment Desk Works, LLC v. Alexis Berg · Musgrave v. Mace (2:25-cv-01823-RMG) · Litigation Overview & Court-Filing Index
US Rep. Nancy Mace sued for libel and defamation after making public accusations of abuse
Brian Musgrave, one of the four men Mace accused by name in her February 2025 House floor speech, filed a federal defamation and libel suit against her. The case was ultimately dismissed as to floor-speech claims under the Speech or Debate Clause, though the judge left open whether Mace's social-media statements were protected. All allegations are contested; Mace denied wrongdoing.
Caitlin Byrd ·
"I am not a rapist. I am not a predator. I am not a sex trafficker.", Brian Musgrave, plaintiff
Post and Courier reporter Caitlin Byrd broke the news on March 14, 2025 that Brian Musgrave, one of the four men Mace accused by name during her February 11 House floor speech, had filed a federal defamation and libel suit against her. Musgrave's complaint argued that Mace's accusations had caused him concrete reputational and economic harm.
The filing challenged the reach of the Speech or Debate Clause, the constitutional provision that typically shields legislators from civil liability for statements made on the floor:
"It does not transform the floor of Congress into a sanctuary for defamation, nor does it protect Congresswoman Mace's extra-Congressional defamatory statements surrounding her speech.", court filing, as reported by the Post and Courier
The case was ultimately dismissed in part: the presiding judge held that the Speech or Debate Clause barred claims arising directly from the floor speech itself, but left open the question of whether Mace's social-media posts and public statements made outside the chamber were similarly protected. Musgrave had also denied Mace's allegations in a separate statement.
Mace denied wrongdoing throughout. All allegations she made against Musgrave are contested and unproven. Litigation in related cases involving other parties, including Mace's ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant, remains active in South Carolina courts.
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March 10, 2025 · DispatchExclusive: Man accused as 'predator' by Rep. Nancy Mace breaks his silence
In an exclusive interview with CNN national correspondent Randi Kaye, aired the evening of March 10, 2025 as a segment on 'Anderson Cooper 360°', Brian Musgrave, one of the four men Rep. Nancy Mace named in her House floor speech, denied her allegations on camera: 'Absolutely not. No, no.' Mace's allegations are contested and unproven; the dispute is the subject of ongoing civil litigation.
February 11, 2025 · DispatchRep. Nancy Mace details accusations of rape and sexual abuse in a speech from the House floor
Mace used a 50-plus-minute House floor speech to accuse four named men, including her ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant, of rape, sex trafficking, and other crimes. All four men categorically denied the allegations to NBC. The speech triggered multiple defamation lawsuits and is central to ongoing litigation; all allegations are contested and unproven.
December 10, 2025 · DispatchJudge issues gag order restricting Nancy Mace and others from speaking about ongoing lawsuits
The Post and Courier reports that Judge Hocker imposed a sua sponte gag order barring Mace and eight other parties from publicly discussing two related civil lawsuits, following her February 2025 House floor speech accusing four men of sexual exploitation.