'I'm Going There.' Rep. Nancy Mace Vowed to Prove Allegations Against Her Ex by Showing 'My Naked Body' in a Congressional Hearing. Did She Deliver? Let's Examine the Evidence.

Joe Raedle. Getty Images.

Putting politics aside, I feel that I take a backseat to few, if any, Americans when it comes to my admiration for Congresswoman Nancy Mace. I'm agnostic when it comes to her voting record, so I honestly don't know her position on the issues of the day. But her work in the UFO Hearings has been exemplary. 

Her candor with her supporters, admirable:

And while some might not appreciate her discussing intimate details of her personal life around the office:

… personally, I respect her openness and her honesty. Count me among those non-feminist males who appreciate a strong, confident, independent woman in positions of power. And that is Rep. Mace.

And she's needed those qualities. The Congresswoman has been very public about her claims she was the victim of a sexual predator who filmed her and other women in the nude without their consent or knowledge:

… women without their knowledge, permission or consent. 

He stored these images for YEARS. And the victims didn’t know. 

He is the inspiration for many bills I’ve filed since uncovering what he did to so many women.  The Sue Voyeurs Act and the Stop Voyeurs Act among them.  

He still roams free. Free to continue filming women without their knowledge.  

I aim to stop this behavior with and protect his many victims with this legislation.

And to draw attention to her very noble, worthwhile and important cause, Rep. Mace vowed to "show my naked body on one of the videos" in a congressional hearing:

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… their liberty. 

He meticulously organized and categorized these images. 

And he stored these images of all these women for YEARS without telling them.  

He still walks free. No accountability. No jail. No restitution for his victims. Nothing. 

He’s still free to rape and film without consequence.  

My bills will hold predators and rapists like Patrick Bryant accountable.  

I will hold the line for women and victims EVERYWHERE. With EVERY fiber of my being.

Let me interject here to say that the man she's accusing has vociferously protested his innocence. He's released a statement which reads in part:

I categorically deny the false and outrageous claims made by Nancy Mace. I have never raped anyone. I have never hidden cameras. I have never harmed any woman. These accusations are not just false—they are malicious and deeply personal.

My mistake was loving and trusting someone who later weaponized our relationship.

Nancy Mace made these claims only while standing in Congress, purportedly shielded by legal immunity. If she believed them to be true and there was evidence to support her accusations, she would say them outside the chamber—away from her public role and protections and pursue them through proper legal channels. She has not done so, because she cannot.

That too is important. These are allegations only. "Innocence until proven guilty" is a foundational pillar of our society. Everyone has the right to their day in court where they can face their accuser. 

So how do we prove who's telling the truth? To sort fact from fiction in this very public dispute that's being played out in the very halls of power that we the taxpayers are paying for? We deserve to know what happened, regardless of how the evidence is presented. And since Congresswoman Mace vowed "I'm going there" and showing her naked body, well then we have an obligation to view the video. It's unpleasant. An invasion of a good woman's privacy. But evidence to help determine the guilt or innocence of an accused man. So we have a sacred responsibility to have a look. Difficult though it may be.

Here's what she produced:

Um, OK. We can all acknowledge how difficult this had to be for Mace. And again, no one wants to see nude images of anyone that is illegally obtained. By definition, that makes the person in the video victim of a crime. But as jurors in the court of public opinion she has summoned all Americans to, we must. Actual jurors are required by law to look at unpleasant evidence all the time. It's why we call it jury "duty." 

All that said, I have to declare this evidence inconclusive. Mace flat out said there would be naked images. What we see here is an indistinct, translucent, vaguely human-shaped blob. A Shadow Person in the background of a Blumhouse horror movie. The Smoke Monster from LOST. Something that neither proves her ex-fiancee's guilt or exonerates him. And so, is an example of the classic mistake of overpromising and under-delivering. 

In a way, I think we can all be relieved. We've been spared the harsh reality of having to look at this bold, courageous woman in a state of victimhood. Unfortunately, we're no closer to the truth. Let's just hope we get there, so true justice can be done.