What started as a typical day on Capitol Hill took a wild turn when Rep. Nancy Mace stood up, dropped a censored nude photo of herself on the screen, and accused her ex-fiancé of secretly recording her. Yes, you read that right.
“This was taken without my consent,” Mace said, staring down the room during a hearing on privacy and surveillance. The Republican from South Carolina didn’t just bring receipts — she was the receipt.
Where does Nancy Mace think she is right now? Maury Povich?pic.twitter.com/O9TjGIhupq
— Evan (@daviddunn177) May 20, 2025
The man at the center of this firestorm? Patrick Bryant, a Charleston tech entrepreneur and Mace’s former fiancé. She says he recorded her in intimate moments using hidden cameras. And it doesn’t stop there. She’s accusing four men, including Bryant, of rape, sex trafficking, and filming women — and possibly minors — without consent.
According to Politico, Mace claimed she discovered more than 10,000 images and videos on Bryant’s phone. Some allegedly showed multiple women. Some were of her. Some, she fears, may involve minors.
“This is happening to women across the country,” Mace said. “I’m not just a congresswoman. I’m a victim.”
Bryant isn’t taking it lightly. He flat-out denied the allegations and told Washington Examiner that Mace is “abusing her platform and congressional immunity to launch false and defamatory attacks.” He’s cooperating with South Carolina authorities, who’ve launched an investigation.
Meanwhile, Mace is pushing for action — real legal change. She’s introduced two bills: the Sue Voyeurs Act and the Stop Voyeurs Act. They aim to expand federal protections against hidden-camera abuse and give victims a path to sue. You don’t need to be a lawyer to know that’s a big deal.
Over the last few months, Mace has been calling out alleged predators by name — including in floor speeches. One of them sued her for defamation. She’s fired back with her own lawsuit against another man she says is a “predator,” according to Live5 News in Charleston.
Whatever your politics, this moment is impossible to ignore. A sitting member of Congress just used her own trauma to spotlight how digital privacy — or the lack of it — can be weaponized. In a world of iPhones and AirTags, she’s raising hell about a terrifying tech twist.
And just like that, a dry oversight hearing became one of the most unforgettable moments on the Hill.