Federal judge dismisses defamation suit against Nancy Mace

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled that the speech was protected under the Constitution’s speech and debate clause and dismissed the case. He did not weigh in on whether the lawmaker's actions constituted defamation.

By Misty Severi

Published: August 20, 2025 8:41pm

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed the defamation lawsuit filed against South Carolina Republican firebrand Rep. Nancy Mace, after she accused four men of conspiring to commit sexual abuse during a speech on the House floor earlier this year.

Mace accused the men in February of physical abuse and recording sex acts with her and others without their consent. She claimed that she found a trove of 10,000 videos and other photographic evidence in November 2023 on the phone of ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant.

Brian Musgrave, one of the men Mace named, sued the lawmaker over the accusation and speech in March. House speeches are usually protected under the Constitution’s speech and debate clause, but Musgrave asked for an exception.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled that the speech was protected under the clause and dismissed the case. He did not weigh in on whether the lawmaker's actions constituted defamation.

“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," Gergel wrote. "It is this Court’s duty to uphold the rule of law."

Mace celebrated the ruling in a post on X, praising the judge for dismissing the "baseless" lawsuit and upholding the Constitution.

"They came after me because I stood up for victims and demanded crime be prosecuted," she wrote. "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."

Musgrave has denied the allegations and argued he was not present for any of the alleged events the lawmaker described. Mace did not provide any direct evidence to support the allegations in her speech, but said she turned evidence over to South Carolina law enforcement.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.