Nancy Mace’s Staff Reportedly Used Fake Social Media Accounts to Boost Her Image | Headline USA
(José Niño, Headline USA) Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., allegedly ordered congressional staff members to create fake social media accounts to monitor public sentiment and artificially inflate her online reputation, according to a Wired investigation published in May 2025.
The controversy reflects a broader pattern of escalating scandals and erratic behavior that former staffers described to New York Magazine in February 2026, with some suggesting it may be time for Mace to step back.
Former staffers told Wired that Mace, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, instructed them to establish multiple burner accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. These fake profiles were used to reply to comments “saying things that weren’t true” to defend and promote the congresswoman, according to People.
The allegations gained credibility through a sworn deposition from political consultant Wesley Donehue, whose firm assisted Mace’s campaigns before severing ties. Donehue described Mace as a “computer nerd or a computer geek” and testified extensively about her alleged use of “Twitter burner accounts.”
Former staffers also claimed Mace deployed automated bots across social media platforms to amplify her political messaging. Multiple sources reported she frequently described herself as a “self-taught coder,” allegedly making this claim “at least weekly, if not daily.”
Mace denied the allegations. Her communications director Sydney Long called the report “laughable,” stating she had “never been asked to create a burner account.” Mace dismissed the sources as “bitter exes” and told Fox News that “Unlike some folks, I don’t need a burner phone to tell the truth. I say what I mean, I mean what I say, and I post it from my real account, with my name on it.”
In a Fox News appearance, Mace displayed multiple cellphones and iPads, seemingly responding to the burner account allegations.
The controversy represents just one element of Mace’s rapidly deteriorating political situation. In February 2025, she delivered an extraordinary House floor speech accusing her former fiancé Patrick Bryant and three other men of rape and sexual misconduct. Bryant’s lawsuit alleged Mace hacked his phone and installed data extraction software to recover deleted files for leverage in property disputes.
The House Ethics Committee announced in January 2026 it was investigating allegations against Mace. Though the committee released no specifics, Mace’s office responded with a letter addressing “lodging expenses and reimbursement practices,” according to a report by POLITICO. Sources suggest the probe involves using House staff for campaign purposes.
Her office experienced some of the highest turnover rates in Congress from 2021 to 2024. Former staffers described being commanded to clean Airbnb rental properties, bring liquor after midnight, and boost her standing on Reddit forums ranking the “hottest women in Congress.”
Sources believe her chances of receiving an endorsement from Donald Trump have fallen to nearly zero. Most observers expect Mace may not even win her own Low Country district when the June 9 primary arrives.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino