Rep. Lauren Boebert Attempts to Dismiss Serious Allegations of Misconduct with Staffers
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Representative Lauren Boebert has denied credible allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with three of her staff members, dismissing the ethics complaint as fabricated and attacking the whistleblower.
Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO), a far-right figure known for her inflammatory rhetoric, has denied engaging in sexual relationships with any of her staffers, rejecting an ethics complaint that accused her of having affairs with three employees, including two women. Boebert, who previously secured a civil protection order against the complainant, David Wheeler, labeled the complaint a 'smear' and questioned its validity under House Ethics Committee rules—rules that often serve to shield powerful politicians from accountability, as they require certification by a lawmaker and bar complaints within 60 days of an election.
David Wheeler, head of the watchdog group American Muckrakers, alleged that Boebert had inappropriate relationships with former district director Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, former chief of staff Jeffrey Small, and current chief of staff Raven Finegan. Wheeler even suggested a possible threesome involving former Rep. Matt Gaetz, another controversial right-wing figure. Predictably, all three staffers denied the allegations, a common occurrence when power dynamics are at play.
'You all ran a smear and called it news,' Boebert said in a video posted on X, dismissing the complaint as 'garbage' and claiming it was not eligible for review by the ethics panel—a convenient technicality for those in power.
Wheeler has previously filed complaints against Boebert, including a 2022 allegation that she worked as an escort, which was later debunked. Boebert now threatens legal action over the current accusations, focusing on the supposed harm to her aides and their families, rather than addressing the substance of the claims. This episode highlights the challenges of holding powerful politicians accountable in a system that often protects them.