GOP rep accused of billing taxpayers $12K for renting out her $1.6M D.C. townhouse

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) – one of former President Donald Trump's biggest acolytes in Congress — reportedly claimed $12,000 in reimbursements relating to her $1.6 million Capitol Hill townhouse that she rented out online.

According to photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Mace posted her luxurious DC home on the vacation rental site Vrbo, advertising it as "perfectly situated a block from the Capitol" and "perfect for short events where proximity to the [C]apitol is ideal." The advertisement referred to the home as "the DuPont house," complete with three bedrooms that have a king size bed, a queen size bed and a bedroom with two twin-size beds.

"Built in 1905, this is a traditional Capitol Hill 3- story rowhouse," the posting read, advertising its 2,400 square feet of living space. "Use of the all brick outdoor patio, kitchen and main level are available for quick events for 10-24 guests."

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The New Republic reported that Mace took advantage of a new Congressional expense program that doesn't require receipts to claim reimbursements in excess of $12,000. The program is meant to help members get some relief from the costs they incur from having to simultaneously maintain two households — one in their home districts, and one in Washington, DC, which is one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.

However, the program isn't supposed to reimburse mortgage principal or interest costs, but only the costs of maintaining a house, like insurance and property taxes. Members can claim up to $34,000 in food and lodging reimbursements each year, meaning Mace's $12,000 is within that limit. But that didn't stop the House Ethics Committee from opening an official inquiry into the South Carolina Republican, as the New York Times recently reported.

"Representative Mace has violated House Ethics Rules by repeatedly seeking reimbursement for lodging in excess of the actual monthly expense of maintaining her co-owned townhouse in Washington, D.C., resulting in a misuse of taxpayer funds for purposes unrelated to her official duties," read a complaint submitted to the ethics committee.

Mace has blamed her staff for the error, which is unlikely to ease tensions within the far-right congresswoman's office. In late 2023, she lost virtually all of her senior staff, who accused her of fostering a "toxic work environment."

In January, her former chief of staff — who reportedly left with the office's popcorn machine — announced he was running against her in the Republican primary race for her district that will be decided tonight.

Mace reportedly made staff uncomfortable by discussing her sex life around her subordinates. One former staffer told the New York Post that she "frequently made sexual references in the office and discussed things that were not appropriate in a work environment."

Click here to read The Daily Mail's full report, and click here to read additional reporting by the New Republic.