Nancy Mace: ‘I WILL NOT BE SILENCED’

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by JENN WOOD

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In a stunning escalation of an already volatile civil case, South Carolina congresswoman (and 2026 gubernatorial candidate) Nancy Mace filed a five-page letter directly attacking the judge overseeing her litigation, accusing him of presiding over a “kangaroo court,” enabling perjury, and attempting to silence her candidacy — while declaring she will not comply with a court-ordered gag order.

The filing (.pdf), submitted January 21, 2026 in Charleston County, is not a motion, brief, or formal pleading. Instead, it is a signed personal letter to retired S.C. circuit court judge Donald B. Hocker — the jurist appointed by the S.C. Supreme Court to oversee a consolidated docket of civil cases tied to Mace, her former fiancé Patrick Bryant, and multiple related parties.

“I respectfully inform this Honorable Court: I will not be SILENCED,” Mace wrote, invoking the First Amendment, Biblical authority, and her status as a sitting member of Congress — all while announcing she has fired her attorneys (.pdf), intends to represent herself, and seeks removal of the case to federal court.

Mace also made it clear she will continue speaking publicly about the case despite pending contempt proceedings.

The filing represents a sharp break from conventional courtroom practice — and places Mace on a direct collision course with the judge who now holds authority to sanction her.

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A LETTER — NOT A MOTION

Mace’s submission was filed pro se, even though she had been represented by counsel days earlier. In it, she informs the court that she has “relieved my previous counsel” and is seeking new representation — while simultaneously asserting that any attempt to enforce the gag order against her is unconstitutional and unenforceable.

Mace accused Bryant and Sullivans Island, S.C. businessman Eric Bowman — defendants in the underlying sexual-assault lawsuit — of using the court to “accomplish what they could not accomplish through intimidation and harassment: my silence.”

At multiple points, the letter shifts from legal argument to personal invective as Mace:

• Labeled the proceedings a “kangaroo court”
• Claimed the system “treats victims like criminals”
• Alleged that opposing counsel filed “fictitious and false statements under oath”
• Suggested judicial bias and moral failure

“I am begging you to do what is right, what is moral, and what is Biblical,” Mace wrote.

She also claimed she is “leading every legitimate poll” in the governor’s race — a statement untethered from any court filing — and argued that enforcement of the gag order constitutes irreparable political harm.

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RELATED | SANCTIONS SHOWDOWN

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WHY THIS MATTERS PROCEDURALLY

Mace’s letter landed days after Bryant asked Judge Hocker to impose sanctions on his ex-fiancée and her attorney for allegedly submitting fabricated legal citations and nonexistent cases in opposition to a temporary restraining order.

That sanctions motion accused Mace’s counsel of filing a 24-page memorandum riddled with false authority — then attempting to quietly repair the damage by submitting an “amended” brief without disclosing that the original citations were fabricated.

If sustained, that motion could result in monetary sanctions, attorney discipline referrals, or further evidentiary consequences.

Now, Mace has cut ties with that same legal team — opting to personally (and aggressively) confront the judge overseeing both the sanctions request and a separate motion to hold her in civil contempt.

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The Constitution doesn't let courts gag victims to spare their abusers from embarrassment.

Some South Carolina attorneys should read that twice.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) January 22, 2026

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‘THE OUTCOME IS RIGGED’

The January 21 letter from Mace followed a sweeping contempt motion filed earlier this month which accused the congresswoman of repeatedly violating a court-ordered gag order imposed in late November.

That order barred all parties from making public statements about the litigation after Judge Hocker concluded that escalating rhetoric threatened the fairness of the proceedings.

According to the contempt filing, Mace violated the order within hours of its issuance, continuing to post about the case, distributing campaign materials accusing Bryant of rape and child sexual exploitation, and commenting publicly on Bowman’s criminal matters.

Those allegations are now reinforced by private text messages submitted under oath in a January 21 affidavit (.pdf) from Bryant — messages in which Mace allegedly discussed defying the gag order, removing Judge Hocker, and willingly going to jail rather than staying silent.

“The outcome is rigged,” Mace wrote in one November 28, 2025 message — the same day the gag order was entered.

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She continued by suggesting judge Hocker had “no need to get reelected by the people, no need to get reelected by the legislature, and no need to be appointed by the governor in the future.”

“We may want to consider having the judge removed,” she added.

In another message, Mace allegedly escalated the rhetoric even further.

“The judges up until this point have been ruling in favor of the victims,” she wrote. “This guy comes along with no incentive to be fair and is now ruling in favor of the predators and against the victims. The outcome is rigged.”

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THE UNDERLYING LAWSUIT

The litigation stems from a May 2025 civil lawsuit filed by Alexis “Ali” Berg, who accused Bryant, Bowman, and others of drugging, sexually assaulting, and secretly recording her while she was unconscious during a 2018 incident.

Those allegations closely mirrored claims Mace had already placed in the national spotlight during her now-viral “scorched earth” speech on the floor of the U.S. House — where she said she had “accidentally” discovered photos and video of a rape on Bryant’s phone.

As FITSNews has previously reported, Berg later testified under oath that she has never seen the alleged video, does not possess it, and learned of the alleged assault secondhand — a gap that has fueled Bryant’s repeated requests for an in-camera review of any materials Mace claims to have.

That evidentiary dispute sits at the heart of the case — and underlies many of the procedural fights now consuming it.

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RELATED | GAG ORDER SHOWDOWN

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A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO THE COURT

What makes Mace’s latest filing unusual is not just its tone — but its posture.

Rather than responding through counsel or awaiting rulings on pending motions, the congresswoman personally addressed the judge, declared the court system morally corrupt, and announced her intention to continue speaking regardless of judicial consequences.

“When I delivered my floor speech almost one year ago, I brought handcuffs and said: ‘If anyone would like to arrest me for standing up for women, here are my wrists,’” she wrote. “That offer stands today.”

Judge Hocker has not yet ruled on the contempt motion, the sanctions request, or Mace’s effort to remove the case to federal court.

For now, the letter stands as a sworn filing — and a stark illustration of how a case that began as a civil dispute has evolved into a test of judicial authority, attorney conduct, and the limits of political defiance inside a courtroom.

Whether the court views the filing as protected speech — or further evidence of willful noncompliance — may soon determine what comes next.

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THE LETTER…

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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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