Nancy Mace apparently overcharged taxpayers by $12,000 for a home in Washington, D.C. last year for a home she also listed as a short-term rental.
It is now the subject of a complaint to the Ethics Committee: Lawmakers are being asked to investigate whether Mace improperly sought reimbursement for costs related to his Capitol Hill home, the New York Times first reported.
Mace has the $1.6 million Capitol Hill property listed for rent, DailyMail.com can reveal.
A website active at the time of this writing lists it as open for event rentals for 10 to 24 guests and advertises the property as “perfectly situated one block from the Capitol.” Perfect for short events where proximity to the capital is ideal.’
The home was also listed on VRBO in April under the host name of ‘Ruth M.’ Ruth is Mace’s middle name.
It is unclear when it was posted on the site or for how long, but it has since been removed.
Nancy Mace overcharged taxpayers by more than $12,000 for a home in Washington, DC last year for a home she also listed as a short-term rental.
It is also unclear how many people rented the property or whether Mace was claiming expenses for the house at the time it was rented.
The new rule caps $34,000 for room and board per year. Legislators are not required to submit receipts, but are strongly encouraged to retain them.
Mace is the co-owner of a $1,649,000 Capitol Hill townhouse that she purchased in 2021 with her ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant. DailyMail.com reported that they had broken up and were fighting over the house in December.
Documents breaking down Mace’s costs seen by DailyMail.com show an estimated total of more than $12,000 more than would be allowed for his costs.
Your average allowed monthly expenses were $1,576 during 2023. You did not submit any expenses in July or August. The average amount claimed in the months she filed was $2,782. The discrepancy was first highlighted in a Washington Post report.
The home was also listed on VRBO in April under the host name of ‘Ruth M.’ Ruth is Mace’s middle name.
The difference between the expenses you claimed – $27,817 – and the costs you incurred that were eligible for reimbursement – $18,909.39 – is $12,276.40.
The highest month was October 2023 when he reported $4,176 in lodging expenses.
A quiet rule change at the start of this Congress allows members to file food and lodging expenses for days they are in Washington, DC, on official business.
About 300 members took advantage of the new rules last year and received a refund of nearly $6 million.
The Member Representation Allowance (MRA) allows members to cover hotel and rental expenses within the per diem established by the General Services Administration (GSA) for each day they are in Washington on official business.
However, it does not allow them to report expenses for mortgage payments or interest on homes they own, so members are not building equity with taxpayer funds.
Only utilities, property taxes, and home insurance can be expensed under the homeownership program. Members and their staff were expressly aware of this, according to a source who helped introduce the new system.
“At first we had a lot of questions, members were saying, ‘can we get a refund for lawn care, a refund for dry cleaning, a refund for house cleaning service?’, and we’ve really taken to it, again, to insurance, taxes and public services,” the source said.
But an email sent by Mace to staff in April 2023 and seen by DailyMail.com showed she understood she could only get a refund for utilities, insurance and taxes. In the email she expressly stated that she could not present capital and interest expenses.
Mace’s expenses reveal apparently inconsistent accounting that she attributed to her staff in an interview with DailyMail.com.
It is not the first time that Mace has been under the scrutiny of the Ethics Committee. In early 2024, the committee contacted a former member of her staff as part of an investigation into her for illegally soliciting campaign donations, two sources who were directly involved in the investigation told DailyMail.com.
Mace’s expenses reveal seemingly inconsistent accounting that she blames on her staff in an interview with DailyMail.com
It is not the first time that Mace has been under the scrutiny of the Ethics Committee. In early 2024, the committee contacted a former member of her staff as part of an investigation into her for illegally soliciting campaign donations, two sources who were directly involved in the investigation told DailyMail.com.
In October, Mace urged Fox Business viewers to donate to his campaign website during a television program from the Capitol rotunda, violating ethics rules that prohibit fundraising in federal buildings. It was right after she voted to oust Kevin McCarthy from the presidency.
“You’re absolutely right, I’m fundraising with this right now because the establishment is after me for taking a principled stance,” Mace boasted to Cavuto. “And if your viewers want to help, they can go to NancyMace.org.”
And it’s not the only time she has been accused of embezzling taxpayers’ money.
‘The congresswoman repeatedly tried to get us to use the official account to pay for family trips and business class and first class upgrades on international flights, for her and her family. She had to constantly remind him that that was illegal,” a source familiar with the office’s daily operations told DailyMail.com.
Mace declined to comment on the expenses. His office could not be reached for comment.