‘Objectively falsehoods’: Nancy Mace sues man for defamation

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Eric Bowman, a man she previously accused – along with others – of involvement in sex crimes during a February speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, according to media reports.

The lawsuit, filed in Charleston court, accused Bowman of making false and defamatory statements about the Republican lawmaker in a series of social media posts, which she called “objectively falsehoods,” according to The State. The complaint includes several examples of Bowman’s social media posts and claims he acted “with a reckless disregard for the truth.”

Mace says Bowman published his “statements without support or any attempt to verify the veracity of such statements.” Bowman’s claims, the new lawsuit says, “undermine both her ability to execute the duties of her office and the citizenry’s confidence in such abilities,” The State reported Monday.

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Mace is seeking both monetary and punitive damages from Bowman, according to the filing. The legal action comes months after Mace, in a February speech, named four South Carolina men, including Bowman, as being involved in the drugging, filming, and sexual assault of women.

Mace said she believed she may have been a victim herself.

Mace’s is the second lawsuit to result from her floor speech,” according to The State. “In March, another man mentioned by Mace, Brian Musgrave of Fort Mill, filed his own defamation lawsuit against the congresswoman. Musgrave denied any involvement in or knowledge of the illegal activity Mace has talked about.”

Mace’s floor speech is protected by the Constitution’s "speech and debate" clause, the publication added. But Musgrave’s lawsuit focuses on statements Mace allegedly made outside of Capitol Hill and on her social media account.