Lauren Boebert Denounces Ethics Complaint Alleging Staff Affairs as Salacious Smear
Rep. Lauren Boebert slams media coverage of a House Ethics complaint alleging improper staff relationships, citing procedural rules and calling it a scam.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — Republican Representative Lauren Boebert has issued a sharp rebuttal to recent allegations suggesting she engaged in sexual relationships with three of her staff members. In a video posted to X on Sunday, the Colorado congresswoman dismissed the claims as salacious bull**** and accused the media of spreading a scam.
The controversy stems from a complaint filed with the House Ethics Committee on September 17 by David Wheeler, co-founder of the Democratic-aligned PAC American Muckrakers. The filing alleges that Boebert maintained sexual relationships with two female employees and one male staffer.
Boebert argued that the complaint fails to meet House Ethics Committee standards, noting that the rules require nonmembers to certify in writing that such allegations are made in good faith. Furthermore, she pointed out that the committee is prohibited from accepting complaints against candidates within 60 days of an election, a window that currently applies to her reelection campaign.
The complaint, which was initially reported by the Colorado Times Recorder, claims the alleged relationships involved former district director Clarice Navarro, chief of staff Raven Finegan, and former chief of staff Jeffrey Small. It further alleges that a $200,000 payment was provided to Navarro to ensure her silence, a claim Navarro has labeled as entirely false and defamatory.
📄 POLICY WIRE WHITEPAPER PUBLISHED: PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY PRIORITIES
In her video, which has garnered over two million views, the 39-year-old lawmaker criticized news outlets for publicizing the names and photos of her staff without verifying the procedural validity of the complaint. She also targeted Wheeler, describing him as an obsessive figure who previously made unsubstantiated claims about her in 2022, which led her to obtain a temporary restraining order against him.
Wheeler responded to the congresswoman’s remarks in a statement to Newsweek, asserting that Boebert is employing a standard denial strategy to deflect accountability. He maintained that the congresswoman believes she is exempt from the laws and standards that apply to others.
House rules established in 2018 following the #MeToo movement generally prohibit members of Congress from engaging in sexual relationships with subordinates, with an exception for married individuals. A spokesperson for the House Ethics Committee declined to comment when contacted regarding the matter.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
