The House Ethics Committee confirmed Friday it is investigating allegations against conservative Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
The committee kept details tight, revealing only that the Office of Congressional Conduct sent the matter over on Dec. 2, 2025, and that the review is officially underway.
Lawmakers on the panel stressed the announcement should not be treated as a verdict, warning against jumping to conclusions before any findings are made public.
“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 panel said in a statement.
A quick civics lesson for those who missed it:
The Constitution explicitly protects members of Congress from being arrested for doing their jobs – legislating and explaining their legislation. It's in Article I. The Speech or Debate Clause.
So, naturally, I sent out pocket… pic.twitter.com/Kg1k32C7oo
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) January 16, 2026
The committee also promised it will lay out its next steps no later than March 2, keeping the clock ticking on a process that could drag well into an election year.
The investigation gained traction after reporting that Mace’s office sent a response letter from her attorney directly to the Ethics Committee addressing claims tied to her lodging expenses and reimbursement practices.
That letter came from William Sullivan Jr., a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, who pushed back hard on the foundation of the allegations.
Sullivan questioned whether the Office of Congressional Conduct even disclosed if Mace’s ex-fiancé or a business associate played a role in fueling the probe.
He also took aim at the credibility of the materials reviewed by the Office, which reviews complaints from outside sources about House members and staff.
“The referral appears to rely heavily on unverified materials originating from individuals with personal or adversarial motives, while leaving unanswered whether those individuals contributed to the information underlying the OCC’s analysis,” Sullivan wrote.
Mace has publicly rejected the allegations before, arguing the inquiry is politically and personally motivated rather than grounded in facts.
In a November statement referenced by her office, the South Carolina Republican described the probe as retaliation and flatly denied any wrongdoing.
The dispute centers on questions surrounding Mace’s Washington housing costs, an issue that drew attention after reporting on her congressional expense filings.
According to 2024 reporting, Mace, who co-owns a $1,649,000 Capitol Hill townhouse purchased in 2021 with her then-fiancé Patrick Bryant, expensed $27,817 in 2023, averaging more than $2,300 a month.
The same reporting noted she logged lodging expenses exceeding $3,000 in January, March and May of that year, based on congressional data.
Mace countered those figures by laying out her own math, claiming her actual costs far outpaced what she received back.
She said she incurred more than $100,000 in lodging expenses in Washington and received about $29,000 after taxes in reimbursements.
“Do the math,” Mace commneted. “Bryant is terrified he might go to jail. And if he does, my female constituents will be safer for it. This just goes to show how broken the system is when a predator can viciously go after his victims in this way and is permitted to do so regardless of the facts.”
The unfolding ethics review quickly spilled into South Carolina politics, where rivals seized on the news as a test of character and transparency.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Alan Wilson’s gubernatorial campaign weighed in, framing the investigation as a serious matter for voters.
“South Carolinians expect honesty, accountability, and integrity from those who seek public office,” a campaign spokesperson commented.
“When an elected official becomes the subject of an ethics investigation, it raises serious and legitimate concerns that deserve transparency and answers.”
Mace announced that she was throwing her hat in the South Carolina governor’s race in August of 2025.
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Elsewhere in Washington on Friday, the Department of Justice issued subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
The subpoenas accuse the two Democrats of interfering with federal law enforcement operations, according to reporting, and are tied to a Justice Department investigation.
The probe centers on a federal statute involving conspiracy to impede a federal investigation, escalating an already volatile standoff in Minnesota.
Walz blasted the move as politically motivated, lumping it into what he portrayed as a larger pattern of targeting Democrats.
“Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin,” Walz remarked in a statement. “Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”
“The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” he added.
Frey echoed that defiance, accusing the administration of trying to bully local leaders into silence.
“This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets,” Frey commented.
“I will not be intimidated. My focus will remain where it’s always been: keeping our city safe.”
The subpoenas landed amid a massive federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, where nearly 3,000 federal agents have been deployed.
The Department of Homeland Security has described the effort as the largest operation in its history, aimed at arresting people suspected of being in the country illegally and investigating alleged fraud.
The heavy federal presence has sparked protests and pushback from local officials.
Tensions exploded after Minnesota resident Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, followed by another incident Wednesday evening in which a federal officer shot and injured a man.
Walz and Frey have repeatedly accused federal agents of fueling disorder and eroding public safety through hostile maneuvers.
Frey drew national attention after Good’s death by delivering a profanity-laden message telling ICE to “get the f**k out of Minneapolis.”
Minnesota and the Minneapolis escalated the fight this week by suing the Trump administration, calling the DHS deployment a “federal invasion” that violates the Tenth Amendment.
NEW: US officials confirm to @CBSNews the Department of Justice is investigating both @GovTimWalz and @MayorFrey for conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement. Dep AG Todd Blanche has called both out for “encouraging violence against law enforcement.” @WCCO
— Jonah Kaplan (@JonahPKaplan) January 16, 2026
“As long as federal agents are in our city acting unconstitutionally against our neighbors, we will continue to push back with everything we got,” Frey commented about the lawsuit.
After the Thursday shooting involving an ICE agent, Trump threatened to unleash the Insurrection Act to quell the lawlessness in the Gopher State.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump posted to Truth Social.
One day later, Trump struck a more measured tone while leaving the White House for Palm Beach, Florida.
“I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it,” he stated to reporters.
Senior Justice Department officials also made their presence known on the ground.
ICE operates in thousands of counties without incident. Men and women doing their jobs, protecting us from criminal aliens.
Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement. It’s disgusting.
Walz… https://t.co/govuUtcDVN
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) January 15, 2026
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche tweeted that he met with the U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis and met with federal agents.
“We support those performing their lawful duties to protect public safety and will PROSECUTE anyone attacking or obstructing them,” Blanche wrote on X.
Attorney General Pam Bondi closed the week with a cautionary message posted Friday night.
“A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law,” Bondi tweeted.
