COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into allegations that Rep. Nancy Mace overcharged a congressional program intended to help defray housing costs for lawmakers who have residences in Washington.
Mace, a South Carolina Republican now in her third House term, denies the allegations, decrying a “partisan” process and saying officials had “ignored” her rebuttal evidence.
The Office of Congressional Conduct, after an investigation, said it believes that “there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mace engaged in improper reimbursement practices," according to a report released Monday. The office sent its findings to the Ethics panel for review.
Mace took part in a program that helps members of Congress defray the costs of their bifurcated existences between Washington and their home districts, subsidizing food, travel and lodging expenses. During 2023 and 2024, her second term in office, the report alleges Mace recouped about $9,500, “more than the true costs" for the Washington home she shared with her then-fiancé.
Noting that Mace "refused to interview" as part of its probe, the office said it “was unable to determine how or why Rep. Mace decided to seek the maximum allowable reimbursement when it exceeded her expenses incurred.”
Allowing that “Mace’s lodging expenses may have exceeded the maximum allowable reimbursement for some months,” the report said that its available evidence “suggests Rep. Mace did not take appropriate measures to ensure she sought reimbursement for expenses actually incurred.”
In a December letter filed with the committee, an attorney for Mace wrote that the congresswoman's former fiancé, with whom she ended her relationship in late 2023, had been "engaged in an ongoing campaign to discredit and injure the Congresswoman through false narratives and misuse of legal process, and that any information originating from them would raise serious credibility concerns."
Despite that, attorney William Sullivan Jr. said the office declined to disclose if the former fiancé had been involved with the investigation. He said the referral to Ethics “appears to rely heavily on unverified materials originating from individuals with personal or adversarial motives.”
GOP Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, chairman of the Ethics Committee, said the referral about Mace was received in December. The committee's decision to investigate is not evidence of wrongdoing, and Guest pointed out that the committee wouldn't make further comment until it completes an investigation.
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
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An earlier version of this story incorrectly said GOP Rep. Michael Guest was from Florida. He represents Mississippi.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is seen before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Macron said the Charles de Gaulle carrier will be escorted by frigates and its air wing. In a pre-recorded speech on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defense systems and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East.
“And we will continue this effort as much as necessary,” Macron said.
France, the U.K. and Germany have previously said that they weren’t involved in the strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel that began late last week, but were prepared to take defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones.
Macron, however, said that French forces had shot down drones “in legitimate self-defense in the very first hours of the conflict, to defend the airspace of our allies, who know they can rely on us.” He did not elaborate.
In explaining the need to move France's aircraft carrier, Macron cited Monday's strike on a British air force base on Cyprus, adding that Cyprus was a member of the European Union with which France has recently signed a strategic partnership.
“This requires our support," Macron said.
Macron also said that France has defense agreements binding the EU nation to Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as strong commitments to Jordan and Iraq.
Noting that the war had spread to Lebanon, Macron said the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group made “the grave mistake of striking Israel” and putting the Lebanese people in danger but warned against Israel launching a ground operation.
“This, too, would be a dangerous escalation and a strategic error,” he said. “Hezbollah must imperatively cease all strikes, and I call on Israel to respect Lebanese territory and its integrity.”
Reflecting France’s traditional support for the rules of international law, Macron noted that France “cannot approve” of the strikes by Israel and the U.S. on Iran because they were outside of an international mandate.
He said it would it be “desirable” to end the strikes as quickly as possible, and that lasting peace in the region can only be achieved through the resumption of diplomatic negotiations.
“And I also wish here to express the hope that the Iranian people may themselves freely decide their own destiny,” Macron added.
“That said, history never weeps for the executioners of their own people, and none of them will be mourned,” he said in reference to the killings of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iran top officials.
Macron also insisted on Iran's responsibility for the conflict.
“It is Iran that developed a dangerous nuclear program and unprecedented ballistic capabilities; that armed and financed terrorist groups in neighboring countries—Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Shiite militias in Iraq—and that supported Hamas, while always affirming its objective of destroying the State of Israel,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron leaves the podium afer his speech at the Nuclear submarines Navy base of Ile Longue in Crozon, France, Monday March 2, 2026. (Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron with members of the army at the end of his speech at the Nuclear submarines Navy base of Ile Longue in Crozon, France, Monday March 2, 2026. (Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP)
