Ethics panel opens investigation of Rep. Nancy Mace over housing costs

Congressional Ethics Committee Launches Investigation into Rep. Nancy Mace Over Housing Reimbursements

The House Ethics Committee has initiated an investigation into allegations that Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, improperly claimed excessive reimbursements from a congressional housing assistance program designed to help lawmakers maintain residences in Washington, D.C.

According to a report released Monday by the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), there is “substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mace engaged in improper reimbursement practices” during her second term in office from 2023 to 2024. The investigation claims Mace received approximately $9,500 more than her actual costs for the Washington home she shared with her then-fiancé.

The program in question was established to help members of Congress manage the financial burden of maintaining dual residences – one in their home district and another in the nation’s capital. It provides subsidies for food, travel, and lodging expenses that lawmakers incur while fulfilling their congressional duties.

Mace has firmly denied the allegations, characterizing the investigation as “partisan” in nature. Through her attorney, William Sullivan Jr., she argued that the committee had “ignored” evidence she provided in her defense. In a December letter to the committee, Sullivan suggested that Mace’s former fiancé, with whom she ended her relationship in late 2023, had been “engaged in an ongoing campaign to discredit and injure the Congresswoman through false narratives.”

The letter further claimed that the OCC declined to disclose whether the former fiancé had any involvement in initiating or participating in the investigation. Sullivan expressed concern that the Ethics Committee referral “appears to rely heavily on unverified materials originating from individuals with personal or adversarial motives.”

The OCC report noted that Mace “refused to interview” as part of its probe, hampering investigators’ ability to determine “how or why Rep. Mace decided to seek the maximum allowable reimbursement when it exceeded her expenses incurred.” While acknowledging that “Mace’s lodging expenses may have exceeded the maximum allowable reimbursement for some months,” the report concluded that available evidence “suggests Rep. Mace did not take appropriate measures to ensure she sought reimbursement for expenses actually incurred.”

The chairman of the House Ethics Committee, GOP Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, confirmed that the committee received the referral in December. Guest emphasized that the decision to investigate does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing, and the committee will refrain from further public comment until the investigation concludes.

This ethics probe comes at a sensitive time for congressional oversight and accountability. In recent years, the public has shown increasing concern about how elected officials manage public funds and navigate potential conflicts of interest. The case highlights the complex financial arrangements that members of Congress must manage while serving in Washington while maintaining ties to their home districts.

Mace, now in her third term representing South Carolina’s 1st congressional district, has emerged as a prominent voice among House Republicans. First elected in 2020 after defeating incumbent Democrat Joe Cunningham, she has positioned herself as a conservative with an independent streak on certain issues.

The Ethics Committee has not announced a timeline for completing its investigation, which will determine whether any formal action or sanctions against Rep. Mace are warranted.