South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace on Monday night in a House floor speech accused her ex-fiancé of physically abuse, recording sex acts with her and others without their consent and conspiring with business associates in acts of rape and sexual misconduct.

The Republican lawmaker said she found a trove of 10,000 videos and other photographic evidence in November 2023 on the phone of ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant. The two broke up in late 2023, which would be after Mace said she found the evidence, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette.

“I accidentally uncovered some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable – we are talking about rape, nonconsensual photos, nonconsensual videos of women and underage girls, and the premeditated, calculated, exploitation of women and girls in my district,” Mace said in the nearly hour-long speech. 

Mace mentioned four men as being involved, including Bryant, a Charleston, South Carolina-area businessman who was her fiancé until 2023, according to the Associated Press. The wire service wasn’t able to independently verify Mace’s claims. 

“These men didn’t just harm their victims," she also said. "They recorded their depravity as if it were a badge of honor.” 

However, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division confirmed after her speech that Bryant is being investigated for assault, harassment and voyeurism, the Gazette also reports.

The division said in a statement: The investigation started Dec. 14, 2023, after SLED was contacted by U.S. Capitol Police. Multiple interviews and search warrants have happened since. A “well-documented case file” will eventually be available. But the “complex” case is ongoing and involves multiple lawyers. Once the investigation is complete, the file will be sent to a prosecutor for review, the statement also reads. 

Bryant told AP: “I categorically deny these allegations. I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name.” The three other men also have denied the allegations. 

Mace, who did not provide any direct evidence in her address, is protected from potential prosecution regarding her speech on the House floor because of the Constitution’s speech and debate clause, and First Amendment law immunizes media from repeating any false accusations made in a speech before the chamber.

The 47-year-old congresswoman said she turned over the evidence to state Attorney General Alan Wilson, but the investigation would not fall under his jurisdiction without a referral from law enforcement, which his office told Just The News has not taken place. 

“At this time, our office has not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters," Wilson's office said in a statement. "Additionally, the Attorney General and members of his office have had no role and no knowledge of these allegations until her public statements. 

Both Mace and Wilson are considering a run for governor of South Carolina in 2026.

The statement from Wilson's office also reads: “Congresswoman Mace and the Attorney General have been at multiple events together over the last six months. She also has the Attorney General’s personal cellphone number. Not once has she approached or reached out to him regarding any of her concerns."

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