Representative Nancy Mace is suing a businessman over his social media posts after she said he was making social media statements “with malicious intent to damage my character.”
The man Mace is suing is Eric Bowman, one of the four men she accused of sexual abuse on the House floor earlier this year.
Following her speech, Bowman has posted non-stop to X (formerly Twitter) about Mace, including accusations that Mace is connected to porn stars, and that she has been giving contracts to people she is friends with.
The South Carolina representative is now suing Bowman for defamation over his posts.
Newsweek has contacted Mace’s attorney via email. An attorney for Bowman was not listed on the court filings.
Representative Nancy Mace, speaks during the Republican National Convention, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee.
J. Scott Applewhite, File/AP Photo
Why It Matters
The Congresswoman cannot be sued for defamation over the accusations she made on the House floor, as that is protected speech. However, she is being sued by another one of the men named in the speech, Brian Musgrave, due to her social media posts containing the same accusations included in her House speech.
Now, she is also suing someone involved in the sexual assault allegations due to their social media posts. These lawsuits could set new precedents in social media libel proceedings.
What To Know
Mace has served in Congress for three terms, but has gained public attention this year following her push for a bathroom ban against her transgender colleague, Sarah McBride, and her speech on the House floor naming alleged sexual abusers. She says her anti-trans activism and her speech in the House stem from being a sexual assault survivor, and her desire to keep women safe from who she deems to be predators.
Nancy Mace cheers as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP
On February 10, Mace made a nearly hour-long speech where she accused her former fiancé Patrick Bryant, his business partner Eric Bowman, and two other men of rape and sexual misconduct.
She also said the South Carolina legal system, including the attorney general, failed to act on evidence she provided against the men.
Following the speech, Bowman has used his social media to make numerous statements about Mace.
Some statements say that her speech on the House floor was made out of “spite,” and that Mace is experiencing a “real mental breakdown.” Others go into detail accusing her of crimes such as helping her friend to “defraud” the government via contract negotiations with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and inflicting harm on her reputation by saying she is involved with porn stars.
The lawsuit filed by Mace states: “Bowman’s assertions that Rep. Mace illicitly acted to help direct VA contracts to friends and political allies is objectively and demonstrably false.”
Bowman has pointed to the dropped charges in Mace’s lawsuit against James McIntyre — a man she accused of assaulting her after he shook her hand — as evidence that she should not be believed.
He appears to have recently separated from his wife, Melissa Britton, who he has said is close personal friends with Representative Mace. According to Bowman, Britton accused him of stalking in early April.
He was arrested for harassment in the 1st degree in early April, but released from jail after 10 hours. It is unclear at this time if that lawsuit is ongoing.
Here are some of the incidents I was able to look up in publicly available documents. Eric Bowman, one of the men featured prominently in my February 10 floor speech, and business partners with Patrick Bryant, was arrested this morning for stalking and harassment in the first… pic.twitter.com/uoGm3zHYvv
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) April 8, 2025
What People Are Saying
Representative Nancy Mace on X: “Today I filed a defamation suit against Eric Bowman, one of the four men named in my floor speech February 10th. Let this be a warning to all. I didn’t come to play.”
Court filings against Bowman: “Bowman acted with reckless disregard to the truth and with actual malice towards Rep. Mace through his utter disregard of and callousness to her rights as a South Carolinian in purposely making such knowingly false declarations. Indeed, Bowman’s objectively false statements were part of a deliberate effort to attack her fitness to maintain the public trust and undermine the public’s faith in her ability to fulfill her oath of office and represent the citizens of South Carolina’s First Congressional District.”
What Happens Next
Representative Mace has asked this case to go to trial, and is seeking, per the complaint: “monetary damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but in an amount in excess of $7,500.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673, or contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helpline via their website rainn.org.
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