A judge on Wednesday dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., by a man she accused in a televised speech of helping record her sexual assault.
In a speech on the House floor in February, Mace accused her ex-fiance Patrick Bryant of rape and claimed that three other men, including Brian Musgrave, of having recorded sex acts without her consent. During her speech, Mace displayed pictures of Musgrave and the other men along with their names and hometowns.
U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled in favor of the Justice Department, which represented Mace and argued that her statements were made while “acting within the scope of [her] duties,” meaning that according to federal law, the congresswoman is largely immune from damages.
“The Court recognizes that by finding that Defendant Mace was acting within the scope of her employment, she is essentially provided immunity from libel and related actions,” Gergel wrote.
“Today the court proved the U.S. Constitution is the LAW OF THE LAND,” Mace said in a statement. “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.”
An attorney for Musgrave, Eric Bland, criticized the decision in a statement, saying it allows politicians to “say and do anything they want,” adding, “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).”
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