A federal judge threw out a defamation case a South Carolina man brought against Congresswoman Nancy Mace for calling him a predator.
In February, the vibrant 47-year-old congresswoman labeled several men as ‘predators’ in a remarkable speech delivered on the House floor in Congress. Here, she is protected from legal action by the Constitution’s ‘speech and debate’ clause.
She accused Eric Bowman, her ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant, and two of his associates, John Osborne and Brian Musgrave, of ‘rape, illegal filming of women, photographing of women, and sex trafficking.’
Bryant and the other men have all strongly denied and pushed back on the allegations. Musgrave, despite losing his case, also vehemently denies wrongdoing.
‘The court proved the US Constitution is the law of the land,’ Mace posted in a statement lauding the ruling. ‘They came after me because I stood up for victims and demanded crime be prosecuted.’
‘Today’s court decision proves their lies and attacks won’t break me. I’ve put my career on the line to fight crime and drafted legislation to strengthen our laws. And I’ll never stop fighting for law and order.’
But the judge’s ruling did not address whether Musgrave was defamed; instead, he noted how members of Congress are shielded from libel cases.
‘Congress has weighed the risks and benefits …. and concluded that libel and related claims against federal officials acting within the scope of their employment are barred under federal law,’ U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel wrote.
A defamation case brought against Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., was thrown out on Wednesday
In February, Mace accused four men of being ‘predators,’ all of them have denied this, and one of the accused, Brian Musgrave, took legal action against the congresswoman
Musgrave (R) had his case thrown out after a judge ruled that Mace’s speech on the House floor was protected from libel claims
‘It is this Court’s duty to uphold the rule of law,’ the Obama-appointed judge added.
Musgrave’s attorney, Eric Bland, vowed to ‘keep fighting’ for his client despite the ruling.
‘It seems patently unfair that a United States citizen who lives a law-abiding life can be grouped and called a rapist and a predator without any proof, and it can be done over and over again with immunity (and impunity),’ Bland said in a statement to The Hill.
The ruling enables politicians to ‘say and do anything they want,’ he added.
Mace, during her floor speech, accused Musgrave of having hidden cameras at his house that took intimate photos of women without their knowledge, claims that the man denied.
A large poster showing headshots of the four men she accused was prominently featured behind the congresswoman as she delivered her address.
It also included information on where they lived and the phrase ‘Predators. Stay away from.’
Mace is running for governor of South Carolina and during her speech, she also attacked the state’s Attorney General Alan Wilson, who has also launched a gubernatorial bid.
Mace said during the speech that she believes Musgrave inappropriately filmed women without their consent
Mace with her ex-fiance Patrick Bryant, who popped the question in May 2022 before things broke off
Bowman, one of the men accused by Mace, was charged with domestic violence on Wednesday in a case unrelated to the speech.
The 45-year-old South Carolina software developer was arrested by the Sullivan’s Island police on a felony charge over a 2016 video where a man is heard hitting a woman, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
Mace attended the arrest in person and later posted it on social media.
‘Wife beater Eric Bowman was arrested early this morning by Sullivan’s Island PD for criminal domestic violence in the first degree…May he be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,’ she wrote.
Bowman’s attorney, Bland, did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
