MORNING HEADLINES | Attorneys sent an open letter Thursday to U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (S.C.-1) that starkly refuted her blockbuster claim of sexual abuse by one of the four men accused of predatory behavior.
The letter sought proof or a retraction within 10 days and threatened legal action if neither were provided. Mace has reportedly not yet responded to the letter.
Earlier this month, Mace alleged in a widely publicized speech on the floor of the U.S. House that she found thousands of sexually predatory recordings on the phone of ex-fiance Patrick Bryant. She accused him and three other men of rape, sexual exploitation and domestic abuse – allegations they have since denied.
The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) previously confirmed Bryant was the only subject of an investigation, but did not confirm investigations with any of the other three men named.
The Bland Richter Law Firm on Feb. 27 sent Mace an open letter on behalf of Brian Musgrave, one of the other three men Mace named during her speech. The letter said allegations against Musgrave were baseless.
“Brian does not have the luxury of a bully pulpit in the form of the floor of Congress to address the many accusations you leveled against him on February 10, 2025,” the letter said. “This open letter is going to have to suffice for now, although we are prepared to take additional action as set forth below should it be made necessary.”
The letter said Musgrave had nothing to do with Mace’s allegations and that he did not own a camera, nor did he have the ability to access any camera Mace found. The letter said there were three paths forward:
- “Show us the evidence in the form of metadata that links Brian Musgrave to these alleged acts, and we will cease our pursuit of this matter;
- “Retract the allegations against Brian Musgrave and issue an apology;
- “Refuse either of the options and we will bring an action to test the limits of your protection under the speech and debate clause [of the U.S. Constitution] and/or the Westfall Act.”
The letter said Mace had 10 days to address its demands before attorneys moved forward to seek “judicial relief.”
In Friday’s issue of the Charleston City Paper:
CP OPINION: Conservatives must stand up to Trump. “The foundational question for any conservative movement is always the same: What, exactly, are we trying to conserve? At its best, American conservatism has sought to conserve what it sees as the founders’ vision: small government, individual liberty, rule of law and a wary skepticism about man’s grander imaginings.”
- CP CARTOONS: Ariail: Whitewash
- CP CARTOONS: Stegelin: No country
CP NEWS: Cartoonist Ariail’s pen skewers, delights every week. Back in September 2021, longtime colleague Robert Ariail started a new venture — a cartoon strip in the Charleston City Paper. It’s a weekly project he wanted to do for years. All of us should be thankful for that.
CP NEWS: Immigration fears reinforce education gaps in Charleston County schools. Hispanic students in the Charleston County School District (CCSD) are falling further behind with no small thanks to fears surrounding immigration after President Donald Trump took office in January, according to school and community leaders.
CP NEWS (updated): Feds charge 8 in sweeping North Charleston corruption investigation. Federal authorities on Wednesday charged two members of North Charleston City Council and two others with federal crimes in a sweeping public corruption investigation related to bribery, extortion, money laundering, wire fraud and other kickback schemes. Another council member and three others were indicted.
CP FOOD: King Street’s CO reopens after lengthy renovation. When CO, a 12-year-old Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant, closed for renovations in February 2024, longtime customers had a bit of a scare.
CP ARTS: Lowcountry collage artist finds new success, ditching 9-to-5. Carrie Wooden walked away from a successful corporate career to embrace a life of unbounded creativity and the unexpected support of Charleston’s thriving artistic community.
CP MUSIC: moe. returns to Charleston with new music, revived spirit. The opening track of an album ideally should set the tone for what you’re about to hear. Think “Gimme Shelter” from The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed, or “Finest Worksong” from R.E.M.’s Document. These are tracks that kick the door open rather than bothering to knock, establishing themselves with authority.
In other Friday headlines:
City of Charleston evacuates Dockside condos, townhomes, citing safety concerns. Officials in Charleston have announced additional evacuations for residents next to the Dockside Condominiums, citing safety concerns.
Old Towne Creek Park to open with new amenities by early 2026. Charleston County Parks released an update on the construction of Old Towne Creek County Park with an anticipated opening in late 2025 to early 2026.
Former rehab center employee accused of stealing $157K from comatose residents. A former Riverside Health and Rehabilitation center employee in North Charleston has been charged with five counts of wire fraud after allegedly stealing money from residents.
Community weighs in on possible merging of Dorchester County school districts. Several members of the Dorchester School District Two and Dorchester School District Four communities had the opportunity to voice their concerns on the possibility of the two districts merging together.
S.C. stands to lose up to $40M in federal road funding without hands-free driving law. The state stands to lose $40 million to $80 million in annual federal highway funding. That threat could be what finally pushes a “hands-free” measure to passage.
S.C. House passes bill to revive K-12 vouchers. The bulk of the funds will go unused. S.C. House Republicans on Wednesday easily passed their plan for reviving K-12 private tuition payments in South Carolina, as the floor debate provided new insight into how parents are using their taxpayer-funded scholarships.
S.C. eyes crypto legislation. State Sen. Daniel Verdin, R-Laurens, reportedly has spent the last month feeling optimistic about his cryptocurrency bill that proposes the state begin accepting digital currencies and become a friendlier place for digital asset mining.
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