During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Tuesday, May 20, U.S. Representative Nancy Mace publicly displayed still images she claims were secretly taken of her without consent by her ex-fiancé.
The South Carolina congresswoman addressed the room as she advocated for legislation strengthening protections against video voyeurism.
Behind her, black-and-white screenshots were displayed on poster boards — images she alleged were captured from a hidden security camera inside a private home. In one, a yellow circle highlighted what she identified as her “n*ked silhouette.”
“Freedom is not a theory. It is the right to breathe. It is the right to dress and undress, to sleep without someone’s camera filming your n*ked body,” Mace said.
“The Founders wrote liberty in parchment, but hidden cameras erase it in pixels.”
Mace described the photos as deeply personal, stating: “I didn’t know I had been filmed. I didn’t give my consent. I didn’t give my permission. I speak not just as a lawmaker, but as a survivor.”
The images were part of a broader push by Mace for stronger federal protections against acts of surveillance and exploitation, including the unauthorized recording of private moments.
Mace has accused her former fiancé, Patrick Bryant, of secretly recording her and committing acts of sexual abuse and voyeurism — allegations he has strongly denied.
“I categorically deny the false and outrageous claims made by Nancy Mace,” Bryant said in a statement. “I have never raped anyone. I have never hidden cameras. I have never harmed any woman. These accusations are not just false — they are malicious and deeply personal.”
Bryant further alleged that Mace is using her position in Congress to avoid legal consequences, invoking Congressional immunity under the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause, which shields lawmakers from lawsuits or prosecution for official legislative acts.
“If she believed them to be true and there was evidence to support her accusations, she would say them outside the chamber — away from her public role and protections — and pursue them through proper legal channels,” Bryant argued. “She has not done so, because she cannot.”
This is not the first time Mace has brought these claims to light. In February, she made a dramatic speech on the House floor, accusing Bryant of committing “depraved” sexual crimes — including rape and abuse — against her and multiple other women, some reportedly underage.
She claimed she uncovered a cache of over 10,000 videos and images on Bryant’s phone, which she alleges depict criminal sexual behavior.
The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is currently investigating the allegations. Bryant has stated he is “fully cooperating” with the probe.
