- Brian Musgrave, who was accused by Congresswoman Nancy Mace of being an accessory to rape during a “scorched Earth” speech to the House of Representatives in February, has now spoken out to deny the claims Mace raised against him
- “For the rest of my life, when someone Googles ‘Brian Musgrave,’ this is going to be the thing that comes up,” he noted, per CNN. “I’m completely uncertain what tomorrow is going to be business-wise”
- Musgrave’s lawyer, Eric Bland, is challenging whether the U.S. Constitution’s protections over representatives’ speech within government chambers can apply in this particular circumstance. He argues that Mace went beyond the protection of immunity by posting her speech to social media, as well as displaying the photos and names of those she accused outside her office
In February, Congresswoman Nancy Mace took the floor of the House of Representatives to deliver a “scorched Earth” speech in which she accused four men of being sexual “predators.” Now, one of those men is speaking out.
During Mace’s 53-minute diatribe on Feb. 10, she accused her ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant of rape. Additionally, she claimed that he, Brian Musgrave and two other men recorded sex acts without her consent.
Musgrave exclusively told CNN that he was blindsided by the accusations raised against him by Mace. He further “absolutely” denied the claims and denied knowledge of any alleged crimes.
While he has hired a lawyer to combat these claims in court, Musgrave said his reputation has been forever tarnished by the incident as a whole.
“For the rest of my life, when someone Googles ‘Brian Musgrave,’ this is going to be the thing that comes up,” he noted, per CNN. “I’m completely uncertain what tomorrow is going to be business-wise.”
Musgrave’s wife, Jen, was similarly in shock, saying, “Anyone who knows him, there’s just no way it would ever be possible,” according to the publication.
“To have someone say something like that, in public, it just blew my mind,” she continued. “It made me mad to think that someone could say that without an ounce of truth behind it.”
Mace’s office did not provide further comment to PEOPLE on the allegations that she raised.
In a statement to the New York Times, Bryant said, “I categorically deny these allegations. I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name.”
The case concerning Musgrave is a particularly difficult one legally, as speeches given on the House floor are protected by the U.S. Constitution. The Speech or Debate Clause in Article 1 says that senators and representatives “shall not be questioned in any other place” for speech or debate that occurs in the Senate or the House.
Musgrave’s lawyer, Eric Bland, is challenging whether that can apply in this particular circumstance. He argues that Mace went beyond the protection of immunity by posting her speech to social media, as well as displaying the photos and names of those she accused outside her office.
“You can’t use the House floor as a bullhorn to destroy people,” Bland told CNN. “That’s not why you’re elected to office. I don’t think that’s what the protections were intended to do.”
Musgrave acknowledged his connection to Bryant, for whom Musgrave was the best man in his first wedding, and the two co-own a condo on the South Carolina coast, according to the outlet. He also acknowledged that the condo contains a camera in plain sight in the kitchen, but it is unclear if it is one of the cameras Mace referred to.
“The most control I could have over that camera would be to unplug it,” Musgrave said. He added that he doesn’t believe the allegations Mace made against Bryant.
The South Carolina congresswoman claimed that she found over 10,000 hidden camera photos and videos on Bryant’s phone before they broke up, but provided no evidence at the time. CNN reported that they had not viewed any of the videos and did not have any knowledge regarding their contents.
Mace also called out fellow Rep. Joe Wilson in her speech, pointing her finger at him as she threatened his son, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, for not prosecuting her case.
“If Alan Wilson won’t do his job as attorney general, I will do it for him,” she said. “It is your duty to prosecute rape and sexual assault and sex trafficking. You brag about protecting women and girls for the last 15 years and you’ve done nothing about it.”
In a statement, Wilson’s office told CNN, “Mace either does not understand or is purposefully mischaracterizing the role of the attorney general. At this time, our office has not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters.”
South Carolina Law Enforcement, known as SLED, confirmed to CNN in a statement that they were investigating Bryant. The agency described the ongoing case as “complex” and said it has “conducted multiple interviews, served multiple search warrants, and has a well-documented case file.”
However, according to Musgrave and Bland, the public damage may have already been done.
“To choose the House floor and think that she has an absolute sanctuary to libel an innocent person and defame them, to destroy them personally and their family — we’re not just going to sit by and let that happen,” Bland promised.
As for Musgrave, he told CNN that his life has been “completely upended.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that it happened,” he said of any legal outcomes. “We will never be able to go back to the way things were for us, which was nice and quiet and happy.”
