EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is firing back at accusations she directed staffers to create so-called “burner” accounts to boost her image online, telling Fox News Digital the claims are from “bitter exes” and lack any real proof.
“When a story relies on ‘anonymous former staffers,’ it’s journalist-speak for ‘We didn’t have anything real, so we called the bitter exes,’” Mace said, responding to a recent article published by Wired magazine.
The article cited former aides and consultants, including a deposition from political consultant Wesley Donehue, to allege Mace used burner accounts and even automated bots to amplify her political messaging.
But Mace, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, isn’t buying it.
“Unlike some folks, I don’t need a burner phone to tell the truth,” she said. “I say what I mean, I mean what I say, and I post it from my real account, with my name on it. Accountability starts there.”
At a time when anonymous sources dominate headlines, Mace is leaning into her reputation for saying the quiet part out loud.
“I’ll keep telling the uncomfortable truth,” she added. “And if it makes you squirm, good. That means you’re finally paying attention.”
Mace has built her brand on fighting for survivors of sexual assault, including her own, and advocating for policies that protect women and parental rights. She has taken public stands on legislation to preserve Title IX protections for biological women and expand access to resources for survivors of violence.
Earlier this month, she called out a transgender activist accused of threatening to “assassinate” her, saying, “You don’t have to agree with me, but threatening a mother and congresswoman with violence isn’t protest, it’s criminal.”
In the interview, Mace pointed to her real-world experience in tech, a rarity in Congress, as a major asset in crafting meaningful policy.
“Well, for starters, I actually understand the intricacies of technology, which already puts me ahead of most of Washington,” Mace said, referring to her background as a self-taught computer coder. “We’re writing policy focused on protecting your data, cracking down on cyber threats, and pushing back against Big Tech censorship.”
Her hands-on experience, she said, helps her spot both software flaws and political spin.
“It turns out writing code teaches you to spot bugs in software and in political BS,” Mace said.
When asked how she keeps her office’s online work grounded in conservative principles like accountability and leadership, Mace didn’t miss a beat.
“I lead with facts, I speak for the people who sent me here and I don’t hide behind consultants or filtered statements,” she said. “Being accountable means saying the hard stuff, standing your ground and not running from a fight, even if it makes the media clutch their pearls.”
As for the viral video online showing what appeared to be a stack of burner phones, Mace had a laugh at the spectacle.
“About as many burner phones as Wired has credible sources for ‘burner-gate,’” she quipped.
She even poked fun at claims on social media with a tongue-in-cheek AI-generated image of herself holding two Bernese Mountain dogs outside the Capitol, captioned it, “It’s true. I have multiple berners!”
Mace made it clear she sees this controversy as more smoke than fire, one she believes won’t distract her from the work of legislating and representing her district.
Mace is the first woman to graduate from South Carolina’s Citadel and the first woman elected to represent Charleston in Congress.
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