Nancy Mace Scores Another Legal Victory

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by JENN WOOD

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South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace scored a decisive victory in Charleston County Court this week, as circuit court judge T.J. Rode issued financial sanctions totaling roughly $50,000 against attorney Barrett Brewer, Charleston entrepreneur Patrick Bryant and GLT2, LLC — a company belonging to Bryant. Rode determined the group violated court rules in a case Mace has long described as a “fictitious blackmail scheme.”

Filed on Thursday (October 30, 2025), Rode’s order followed the court’s blistering interim ruling last month which found GLT2 and Brewer misused the judicial process in an attempt to subpoena and depose Mace and others without authorization.

Judge Rode concluded Brewer and GLT2’s actions lacked any good-faith basis – imposing $48,456.74 in sanctions to cover attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Mace and Jane Doe, the woman who accused Bryant and others of sexually assaulting her in 2018.

In his order (.pdf), Rode found that GLT2’s conduct went “well beyond negligence,” describing a pattern of discovery abuse that included unauthorized subpoenas, secret depositions and misleading filings under multiple shell companies.

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In his order, Rode found counsel’s actions “were taken in knowing disregard of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure,” noting that “Rule 27 is not a method of discovery before (a) suit is brought” and that using it that way “warrants sanctions.”

Under South Carolina law, a Rule 27 petition is reserved for rare circumstances — such as when a person needs to preserve testimony or evidence before a lawsuit is officially filed. It’s used, for example, if a witness is elderly, gravely ill, or about to disappear — situations where vital evidence could be lost forever.

The rule is not designed to let lawyers dig for information or test allegations before filing a case. The official commentary puts it plainly: “It is not a method of discovery before suit is brought.”

When used improperly — as Judge Rode determined it was in this case — it becomes an abuse of process. Brewer and GLT2 issued subpoenas and held depositions before any court approved them, which the judge said “warrants sanctions.”

The sanctions order also noted Brewer’s failure to correct errors in filings, his refusal to withdraw the petition after repeated warnings, and his decision to proceed with the deposition of political strategist Wesley Donehue despite lacking judicial approval.

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RELATED | LEGAL WIN FOR NANCY MACE

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NANCY MACE RESPONDS

Mace — who intervened in the case alongside Jane Doe — celebrated the ruling online, calling it a “very rare and scathing decision” that affirmed her claims of legal retaliation.

“WE WON!!! LAW AND ORDER WON TODAY!” Mace posted. “In a VERY RARE and scathing ruling, the Honorable Judge Rode issued financial sanctions against Attorney Barrett Brewer, Patrick Bryant, et al for breaking the law, weaponizing the court system and lawfare against a sitting member of Congress and r*pe victim Jane Doe.”

She continued, “They’ve been ordered to pay approximately $50k in sanctions in the fictitious case targeting me and r*pe victim Jane Doe. To everyone who called me a liar — hope you’ve got a big checkbook. You’re next. HOLD THE LINE.”

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WE WON!!! LAW AND ORDER WON TODAY!??In a VERY RARE and scathing ruling, the Honorable Judge Rode issued financial sanctions against Attorney Barrett Brewer, Patrick Bryant, et al for breaking the law, weaponizing the court system and lawfare against a sitting member of Congress… pic.twitter.com/DUEEy4Ny3Y

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) October 30, 2025

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As FITSNews previously reported, the sanctions stem from a Rule 27 petition filed by GLT2, LLC — an entity formed by Bryant just ten days after Mace accused him and several other men of sexual misconduct during a February 2025 speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

That petition sought to depose Donehue and others under the guise of pre-suit discovery but was found by the court to be an improper fishing expedition designed to intimidate Mace and potential witnesses.

The case also overlaps with a separate civil lawsuit filed by Jane Doe, who accuses Bryant, John Osborne, Eric Bowman, and others of sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious in 2018. Her amended complaint now names GLT2 as a retaliatory vehicle used to harass victims once the allegations became public.

The $50,000 sanction is one of the most severe disciplinary rulings issued in a South Carolina civil court this year — and a rare judicial finding of bad-faith litigation conduct involving an attorney and a sitting member of Congress.

For Mace, the ruling is both personal and political. The congresswoman has framed the outcome as proof that the courts “will not tolerate lies, harassment, or weaponizing the justice system against victims.”

Meanwhile, Bryant continues to deny the underlying allegations of assault and retaliation, maintaining that his legal actions were “appropriate and lawful responses” to false accusations.

FITSNews will continue to follow developments in the Jane Doe civil case, any related criminal proceedings, and the broader legal fallout from this sanctions ruling.

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THE ORDER…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.

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