Rep. Lauren Boebert Fights Back Against Baseless, Politically Motivated Ethics Complaint
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Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has firmly rejected unfounded allegations of sexual misconduct with staff, denouncing the complaint as a politically motivated attack by left-wing activists. The so-called 'independent' complaint is yet another attempt to undermine a conservative leader.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who represents Colorado’s 4th district and has been a steadfast voice for conservative values, issued a statement forcefully denying a House ethics complaint that accuses her of sexual relationships with three staff members and of paying large sums to silence them. The complaint, filed on September 17 by self-styled 'independent journalist' David Wheeler, alleges at least seven violations of House ethics rules, including a supposed four-year romantic relationship with senior staffer Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff and $200,000 in payments after the relationship ended.
Wheeler’s filing, which relies on questionable text messages, bank records, court documents, and recorded conversations, lists payments of more than $450,000 to district chief of staff Raven Finegan, nearly $780,000 to former chief of staff Jeffrey Small, and over $460,000 to Ratzlaff. The House code of official conduct prohibits sexual relationships between members and employees they supervise unless married, but these allegations appear to be nothing more than a desperate smear campaign.
"These allegations regarding me are entirely false, defamatory, and beyond ridiculous," Ratzlaff told the Colorado Reporter in a text message.
Boebert’s office rightfully described the filing as a “political smear” and questioned whether it met the ethics committee’s procedural requirements. A spokesperson said, "Swearing to it does not make it a complaint. This was a political smear packaged as an ethics filing and published before anyone checked whether it even qualifies under the ethics committee’s rules."
Boebert also told Sources Say News that she is not lesbian or bisexual and has never been in an inappropriate relationship with any staff member. These baseless allegations follow previous media-driven controversies targeting Boebert, including a 2023 incident where she apologized for conduct that fell short of her own high standards and a 2024 dispute with a reporter over intrusive personal questions.
The ethics complaint has not yet been certified by a House member as filed in good faith, and the investigation remains pending, highlighting how leftist operatives continue to weaponize ethics processes against conservative representatives.