Neely Kelleher
Neely Kelleher is a South Carolina woman and former girlfriend of Patrick Bryant whose sworn affidavit, describing an August 2024 meeting at which she says Rep. Nancy Mace made unverified allegations about Bryant and admitted accessing his phone by 'guessing his passcode', was submitted as an exhibit in the federal Musgrave v. Mace litigation over whether Mace acted within the scope of her congressional duties.
Neely Kelleher is a South Carolina woman who, according to her own sworn affidavit, previously dated Patrick Bryant before his relationship with Rep. Nancy Mace. Her affidavit describes a series of personal contacts initiated by Mace in August 2024 and a second encounter in June 2025, both involving allegations about Bryant that Kelleher says had no basis in fact and bore no connection to any official congressional activity.
The affidavit, as filed
Kelleher's three-page sworn affidavit was submitted as Exhibit D to Brian Musgrave's Plaintiff's Memorandum in Opposition to the United States' Motion to Substitute, the publicly filed brief in his federal defamation suit against Mace (Musgrave v. Mace, D.S.C. No. 2:25-cv-01823-RMG) contesting whether Mace acted within the scope of her congressional duties. The version reproduced below is the redacted copy from the public record, one image description in paragraph 6 is redacted, and the original PDF is available here.
Page 1, paragraphs 1-7: the August 29, 2024 meeting at The Dime, the "guessing his passcode" statement, the "over 10,000" hidden-camera claim, and Kelleher's attestation that the photographs she was shown appeared neither "criminal or non-consensual." One image description in paragraph 6 is redacted.
Page 2, paragraphs 8-16: Mace's statement that she had known "about eight girls" already, Kelleher's cooperation with SLED, her account that SLED told her she "do[es] not appear in any footage they reviewed," and her affirmation under penalty of perjury.
Page 3, Kelleher's signature over "Neely Kelleher, Affiant," subscribed and sworn before a South Carolina notary public.
Connection to the Nancy Mace record
The affidavit (executed May 27, 2025). Kelleher gave a sworn affidavit setting out the following account. On August 27, 2024, Rep. Mace telephoned her and requested an in-person meeting, stating she had personal information Kelleher "would appreciate." They met on August 29, 2024, at The Dime restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.
During that meeting, Kelleher swears, Mace alleged, among other things:
- That Patrick Bryant had installed hidden cameras throughout his house and workplace, using the phrase "an unknown number," she says, being "very vague about number and placement", and possessed "over 10,000" video recordings; Mace did not identify where any camera was hidden, and Kelleher states she had no knowledge of such devices.
- That Bryant and Eric Bowman had raped and trafficked multiple women, and Mace wanted to know whether Kelleher was a victim.
- That on one occasion Mace had consumed only "two drinks," believed she had been drugged, and awoke convinced she had been taken advantage of by Bryant and Bowman.
- That she had accessed Bryant's phone by "guessing his passcode" in order to obtain incriminating material.
Kelleher swears that Mace showed her several photographs from Bryant's phone, but that none appeared "criminal or non-consensual." She further attests that when she initially told Mace she had no time for campaign matters, Mace replied that her request to meet was "personal." The affidavit states: "The entire discussion was personal and seemed unrelated to her congressional role." Kelleher swears Mace told her she had "known about eight girls already" and intended to approach additional women.
A second encounter described in related records occurred on approximately June 9, 2025: Mace is alleged to have visited Delta Pharmacy, where Kelleher works, requested a private consultation room, and told Kelleher that a "mutual friend" claimed Bryant was infected with HIV and urged Kelleher to "get tested," stating it was "against the law" to have sex if HIV-positive and that she "plans on taking legal action." Kelleher reported feeling shaken, confused, and distressed, noting the claims had no basis and that nothing about the interaction appeared official or tied to congressional duties.
How it entered the public record. The Kelleher affidavit (executed May 27, 2025) was submitted as Exhibit D in Brian Musgrave's opposition briefing in the federal dispute over whether Mace acted within the scope of her congressional duties, the Westfall Act / Speech-or-Debate certification question raised in Musgrave's defamation suit against Mace (Musgrave v. Mace, D.S.C., No. 2:25-cv-01823-RMG). It was cited by Musgrave's counsel as supporting the contention that Mace's relevant conduct was personal rather than official. The affidavit is also among the materials referenced in Bryant's publicly filed Motion to Remand in the federal removal of Berg v. Bryant (No. 2:26-cv-00305-BHH-MHC, D.S.C.).
The statements above are Kelleher's own sworn allegations. Rep. Mace has denied wrongdoing and has maintained that her conduct was undertaken in her official capacity as a Member of Congress; the scope-of-employment question is contested and, as of this entry, unadjudicated. No court has made any finding of fact based on the affidavit, and the related litigation remains pending.
Sources
- The affidavit itself: Sworn Affidavit of Neely Kelleher (redacted, PDF, 3 pages), submitted as Exhibit D to the Plaintiff's Memorandum in Opposition to the United States' Motion to Substitute in Musgrave v. Mace (D.S.C., No. 2:25-cv-01823-RMG); the publicly filed brief is part of the federal court record.
- Mace Federal Removal (Berg v. Bryant → D.S.C.), federal docket No. 2:26-cv-00305-BHH-MHC, available on PACER (pacer.uscourts.gov).
- Litigation Overview
- Brian Musgrave