U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace expensed more than a total of $19,395 over a nine-month period under a tax-payer funded program that does not require lawmakers to show receipts, The Washington Post reported.

In a Washington Post article published Tuesday, Mace was one in a handful of House lawmakers who were reimbursed at least $5.2 million under a new taxpayer funded program for food and lodging while on official business in Washington last year. The program’s intent was to make it easier for lawmakers covering costs of their separate homes while being in D.C. and their districts. The program does not require the lawmakers to provide receipts.

The Washington Post’s article detailed potential abuses of the program because it lacks verification whether payment are legitimate. The program’s rules allow lawmakers to get reimbursement for days they were working or flying to D.C. The lawkmakers could not ask for more than their actual expenses, and were subject to daily spending caps determined by the General Services Administration.

The spending was bipartisan, as Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz was the program’s top spender, and California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell requested high reimbursements, as well.

Mace expensed $19,395 over nine months ended on Sept. 30, 2023, despite her owning a $1,649,000 Capitol Hill townhouse with her her former fiancé, Patrick Bryant. Her expenses average more than $2,000 a month. The Post used anonymous sources who said they warned her of reimbursement limits. The Post reported Mace expensed over $3,000 for lodging in January, March and May.

The Post reported an anonymous source had a document listing Mace’s monthly expenses for the townhouse as $1,726.

Mace denied wrongdoing and declined to explain her expenses in detail to The Washington Post. Mace’s team did not respond to requests for explanation on the expenses from The State.

The Post further reported the anonymous sources saying Mace told her staff to seek the maximum reimbursement each day the House was in session, regardless of her actual expenses. Mace’s spokeswoman denied this allegation.

“We follow all the rules for reimbursements,” Gabrielle Lipsky, a spokeswoman for Mace told The Post.

Misusing taxpayer dollars could violate federal law and House rules, Kedric Payne, former deputy chief counsel of the Office of Congressional Ethics, said to The Post.

Catherine Templeton, one of Mace’s Republican opponents in the 1st Congressional District primary and former DHEC leader, responded to the Post’s report. “Nancy Mace stole from all of us,” said Chet Martin, Templeton’s campaign manager. “She is broke, so she’s taking money out of our tax dollars to bail out her poor decision making. She should resign.”