Nancy Mace Reacts to Ethics Committee's Housing Budget Allegation

South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace took to social media Tuesday to denounce an investigation into her conduct by the House Committee on Ethics, saying, “They're coming after me because I'm fighting for you.”

In a press release on Tuesday, the committee said it was opening the inquiry because of a report from the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) on accusations that the Republican overcharged a housing program meant for lawmakers. That report said Mace may have “engaged in improper reimbursement practices,” which would mean she broke House rules.

Mace used both her official and personal X accounts to post about the investigation, which was announced around the time the House Oversight Committee released video of her questioning former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“It's no coincidence that in the same hour the tapes of me deposing the Clinton's come out, I'm slapped with a story about a BS Ethics Investigation. The American People are smarter than that,” Mace posted.

Mace also alleged that the man behind the OCC report, Omar Ashmawy, had assaulted women.

“You can either believe me, the woman who put her entire political career on the line exposing Epstein and other predators, or you can believe the (alleged) Muslim-woman-beater ‘ethics’ investigator. Your call,” she posted on her personal X account Tuesday, alongside a selfie of her looking out of a car window.

Newsweek reached out to the OCC for comment via email on Tuesday afternoon.

What Is Nancy Mace Accused Of?

Mace participated in a program that subsidizes food, travel, and lodging expenses for members of Congress traveling between their home states and Washington, D.C. The OCC alleged that during her second term in 2023 and 2024, Mace recouped about $9,500, which was "more than the true costs” for the Washington home she shared with her then-fiance.

The OCC said that Mace “refused” to be interviewed for the probe, adding that it was “unable to determine how or why Rep. Mace decided to seek the maximum allowable reimbursement when it exceeded her expenses incurred."

The report also said that "Mace's lodging expenses may have exceeded the maximum allowable reimbursement for some months," adding that the available evidence "suggests Rep. Mace did not take appropriate measures to ensure she sought reimbursement for expenses actually incurred."

In its announcement Monday, the House Ethics Committee said it would not comment further on the allegations until its review was complete.

How Has Nancy Mace Reacted?

When Newsweek reached out to Mace’s office on Tuesday, an official responded with the congresswoman’s posts about allegations against Ashmawy, adding that Mace was not taking the complaint against her seriously.

“Rep. Mace provided exculpatory evidence to the OCC. They ignored it,” a spokesperson said. “The document at the foundation of their investigation? The OCC admitted was never verified.”

“An accused woman-beater is the source of the complaint. An accused woman-beater ran the investigation. They ignored the evidence. More so, Rep. Mace is a federal whistleblower against her accuser,” the spokesperson continued. “As Speaker Johnson famously said last week when a Member sexually harassed his staffer until she lit herself on fire and died: ‘It’s too early for anybody to prejudge any of that.'”

Ashmawy is the chief counsel for the OCC. He has faced investigations over the years for alleged assault and verbal abuse of a woman at a bar in Pennsylvania in 2015; he also faced a civil suit in 217 with similar accusations, which was settled before trial. He was also arrested and charged with a DUI in 2022. His alleged conduct has previously been the subject of scrutiny by lawmakers.

“Congress should seriously examine whether a partisan OCC that retaliates against women and ignores its own evidentiary standards deserves to exist at all,” Mace’s spokesperson added.

This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.

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This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 4:12 PM.