CHARLESTON — In a win for U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a federal judge tossed out a defamation lawsuit against the congresswoman by ruling she was acting within her official duties when she accused a Fort Mill man of being a sexual predator in a speech on the House floor and in other statements.

The decision carries national implications, demonstrating the broad legal shield federal lawmakers have when making statements as part of their official duties, even when those statements involve serious or criminal allegations.

Ruling from the bench Aug. 20, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel acknowledged that some of the defamation claims had merit but then he affirmed that members of Congress remain covered by the Westfall Act, which shields them from lawsuits over official duties.

The act, he

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