AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
The House Ethics Committee announced Friday afternoon that Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) was under investigation by the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC).
As pointed out by Business Insider’s Bryan Metzger, it is not yet known why Mace is being investigated. Considering the timing at the beginning of December, it may relate to an incident at the Charleston International Airport just over a month prior, in which she reportedly berated airport police. An internal investigation report accused Mace of overreacting to a miscommunication about her travel security, causing a “spectacle,” calling the police “f*cking idiots” and “f*cking incompetent.” Mace has disputed the allegations in the report, which she claimed was “falsified.”
The press release, posted on the committee’s website, noted that Mace, who is running in a crowded GOP primary to be South Carolina’s next governor, was the subject of a matter that had been referred by the OCC on Dec. 2.
“The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” the press release noted, adding that it would “announce its course of action in this matter on or before March 2, 2026.”
According to the OCC’s website, both the House Ethics Committee and the OCC share “responsibility regarding alleged ethical violations by House Members, officers, and employees,” describing the cooperative process as follows:
The OCC is a non-partisan, independent entity established by the House in 2008 to conduct initial reviews of allegations of misconduct and, when warranted, refer matters to the Committee on Ethics, which has exclusive jurisdiction to find violations and impose punishment. The Committee on Ethics can also initiate its own investigation without a referral from OCC.
Thus far, Mace has not commented on the investigation on either her personal or congressional accounts on X. Her only tweet since the news broke about the investigation is a message warning her constituents about the frigid winter weather this weekend.
