Rep. Lauren Boebert is pushing back against allegations that she had sexual relationships with members of her congressional staff, including two women, calling the claims false and criticizing media outlets that reported on them.
The Colorado Republican addressed the controversy in a video posted to X after a sworn ethics complaint filed by David Wheeler of American Muckrakers accused her of having sexual relationships with three current or former staff members.
“I hate to spoil the fan fiction, but y’all need to do better,” Boebert says in the video.
The complaint, first reported by the Colorado Times Recorder, alleges Boebert had relationships with former district director Clarice Navarro, current chief of staff Raven Finegan, and former chief of staff Jeffrey Small. It also alleges Navarro received a $200,000 payment after threatening to bring her own complaint before the House Committee on Ethics.
Boebert has denied the allegations in their entirety.
“I have never had a sexual relationship or an inappropriate romantic relationship with any member of my staff—past or present,” Boebert says in a statement released by her congressional office.
Navarro has also denied the allegations involving her, calling them false and defamatory.
Boebert has specifically rejected claims that she had sexual relationships with women. In an interview with Sources Sayfounder Juliegrace Brufke, she says she is neither lesbian nor bisexual and denied ever being sexually involved with a staff member.
The congresswoman also criticized Wheeler, pointing to previous accusations his organization made against her. In 2022, CNN found that American Muckrakers had circulated a photograph falsely identifying another woman as Boebert while making separate allegations about her.
“You are all aware that this is coming from the same desperate hack CNN caught in 2022 publishing a photo of another woman as me,” Boebert says in the video.
She argues that coverage of the new complaint affected not only her, but current and former employees whose names have now become part of the story.
“This reaches into the homes of people who have dedicated years of service to Coloradans alongside of me,” she says.
The timing of the complaint could also affect whether the House Ethics Committee takes it up immediately. Under committee procedures, complaints submitted within 60 days of an election involving a member who is a candidate are not accepted during that period.
The committee has not publicly announced an investigation stemming from the filing.
Boebert ended her video response with a joke about the attention surrounding her congressional staff.
“No, I’m not hiring,” she says.
The accusations remain allegations, and no finding from the House Ethics Committee has established that the alleged relationships or payment occurred.
Photo courtesy of social media
