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Mace files resolution requiring Ethics Committee to release all sexual misconduct reports

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Monday introduced a resolution directing the House Ethics Committee to preserve and publicly release all reports on investigations into members of Congress regarding allegations of sexual harassment of staff or of a sexual relationship with a member of their staff. 

It comes as Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) faces increasing scrutiny over allegations that he had an affair with one of his congressional staffers, who died after setting herself on fire last year. Mace called for Gonzales to resign after text messages were made public Monday that appeared to show Gonzales pressuring the staffer to share explicit pictures.

Gonzales has previously argued that the allegations are “personal smears” being used by his primary opponent to “score political points.”

“If you sexually harass someone in Congress you do not get to hide behind closed doors,” Mace said in a statement. “Tony Gonzales showed us what is happening in Congress. But he is not the only one. The American people deserve answers. Staff deserve answers. Women deserve answers. No more protection for predators in Congress. We are going to shine a light on every single one of them.”

The resolution directs the Ethics Committee to make public, within 60 days after adoption, “all reports, including any conclusions, draft reports, recommendations, attachments, exhibits, and accompanying materials, with the personally identifiable information of victims or alleged victims redacted, related to the Committee’s investigations into violations” regarding alleged sexual harassment or sexual misconduct.

The House’s code of conduct prohibits members from engaging in a sexual relationship with a staff member in their office or on a committee on which they serve, and prohibits sexual harassment of staff. The rule against sexual relationships with staff was added in 2018, as the “Me Too” movement swept the country.

There are several different ways that such allegations can reach the Ethics Committee, some of which can lead to public disclosure of the allegations and some of which do not.

If the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) investigates an allegation and the board refers it to the Ethics Committee, public release of the OCC report is required within 45 days, unless the committee extends that period by another 45 days. If the committee creates an investigative subcommittee to further probe an allegation, release of the OCC report can be delayed for a year. But if the committee votes to dismiss the matter, the OCC report does not have to be made public.

Complaints can also be made directly to the Ethics Committee by members, staff, or the public. The panel’s website says of complaints made that way: “Due to applicable confidentiality rules, the Committee is generally unable to disclose the status of or its determinations regarding any particular submission.”

There are also instances when information from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights is transferred to the House Ethics Committee, after disputes filed pursuant to the Congressional Accountability Act. The Office of the Inspector General may also send reports to the House Ethics Committee.

The committee may also undertake an investigation under its own initiative, pursuant to a resolution or direction by a vote of the full House. The panel has the jurisdiction to “administer travel, gift, financial disclosure, outside income, and other regulations; advise members and staff; issue advisory opinions and investigate potential ethics violations” under House rules.

Mace has made her personal stories of sexual assault and dating violence central to her political identity. As a state lawmaker, she gained notice for speaking out in favor of abortion ban exceptions for rape victims. And in Congress, she gave a stunning floor speech making accusations of sexual abuse, rape and voyeurism agaisnt her former fiancé and three other men. She was also one of the four House Republicans to push for the Department of Justice to release files related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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