The ex-fiancé of Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., filed a lawsuit this week claiming that she fabricated sexual assault allegations against him in a scheme she allegedly manufactured with a friend's estranged wife, reports said.
The lawsuit filed by Patrick Bryant on Thursday claims allegations made against him in a May lawsuit from a "Jane Doe" were false, according to WCSC. The outlet reported that the original lawsuit claimed Doe was assaulted in 2018 at the home of Eric Bowman by another man and that he and Bryant filmed it - an alleged incident that Mace referenced during a speech on the House floor in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
In the new lawsuit, Bryant alleges he is the only victim and that Mace worked with Bowman's estranged wife to make up the assault that involved Doe, who previously worked for Bryant, WCSC reported.
Bryant further claimed that Doe filed the May lawsuit based on Mace's false allegations, noting that the Republican lawmaker thought Bryant was cheating during their relationship and attempted to hack his phone, according to WCSC. The two split in November 2023.
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Bryant is alleging that Mace and the estranged wife of Bowman - who is a mutual acquaintance of the pair - worked to convince the Jane Doe that they found a video of her being "gang raped" on Bryant's phone, the New York Post reported.
Despite the alleged victim claiming she didn't recall what they were talking about and had no memory of the incident, Mace insisted she had evidence, the newspaper cited the lawsuit as saying.
"What Mace did not tell Doe is that she concocted an entire false narrative of an assault, to blackmail Bryant, gain leverage in their separation proceedings, and try to ruin Bryant for her personal gain," the lawsuit reportedly said.
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Bryant is now suing for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the Post.
"I will release evidence on Monday proving predator and alleged rapist Patrick Bryant from my floor speech is once again lying to the court in his frivolous complaint. I just got him sanctioned last week for weaponizing the court against me and rape victim Jane Doe. I plan on doing it again in this case after we move to dismiss," Mace wrote on X on Friday morning.
"It's disgusting that a man who abused women for years would sue his victims. Gross. Offensive. Very strange behavior. And I worry about the women who have come forward and their safety. Who in their right mind does that?" she added.
When contacted by Fox News Digital, Mace's office said in a statement attributed to the lawmaker: "It's almost as if Patrick Bryant is trying to write me another check. I just got him sanctioned in court. And rape victim Jane Doe and I are still waiting on him to pay our legal fees after he weaponized the court against us."
In a post on his Facebook page, Bryant wrote, "I have never assaulted or raped any woman."
"For almost two years I've had to stay quiet while completely false accusations were spread about me. Claims that were created, repeated, and weaponized to serve personal and political vendettas," he said. "I know exactly what is coming next. They will somehow concoct new lies or exaggerations for headlines. This is not about headlines or political attention for me, it is about truth. So my question is simple and fair: Where is the evidence?"
"Mace continues to frame herself as a victim, while she was one of the people who originated these claims and helped push them forward. She now tries to hide behind the privileges of her office, but this has nothing to do with governing. It's a completely personal attack," Bryant added. "This countersuit is about protecting innocent people from being destroyed by false accusations. I will stay focused on clearing my name and standing up for the innocent people that I care about."
