Lauren Boebert Denounces Ethics Complaint as 'Fan Fiction'

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has vehemently denied allegations of sexual relationships with three of her staffers, labeling the claims as "fan fiction" and a "salacious BS attack." The congresswoman responded in a video posted on X late Sunday, directly addressing a House Ethics Committee complaint filed on September 17.

The complaint accused Boebert of engaging in inappropriate relationships with "employees of the House who worked under her supervision," including two women, and alleged that she paid one staffer $200,000 to maintain silence. Boebert criticized the timing of the complaint, pointing to House Ethics Committee procedures that generally prohibit accepting complaints filed less than 60 days before an election in which the subject is a candidate. She also accused media outlets of running a "smear" rather than reporting news.

"It’s a scam, and you fell for it," Boebert stated, adding that the Ethics Committee is not permitted to accept such complaints. She referred to David Wheeler of American Muckrakers, who filed the complaint citing anonymous sources, as a "sloppy, desperate, obsessive hack." Boebert argued that news organizations failed to adequately vet Wheeler's accusations before publishing the story, asserting that they had "crossed a line" and risked impacting the individuals named and their families.

Earlier, Boebert released a statement through a representative calling the complaint "reckless" and "utterly false." The statement characterized the complaint as a "politically motivated stunt designed to manipulate the ethics process, create headlines, smear me, and generate clickbait." It further stated that the accusations originated from an activist known for sensational and baseless claims.

Boebert, who divorced her husband Jayson Boebert in 2023 after 17 years of marriage, has been subject to public scrutiny regarding her personal life. In late 2023, she was escorted out of a Denver theater performance with a male companion due to a disturbance. She and Colorado real estate broker Kyle Pearcy made their relationship public last year, drawing criticism for Halloween costumes that some perceived as making light of former President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

The Colorado Times Recorder noted that Wheeler has previously made unsubstantiated claims about Boebert, including suggesting in June 2022 that she had worked as a paid escort. Clarice Navarro, identified in the complaint as Boebert’s district director from 2021 to 2025, called the accusations "entirely false, defamatory, and beyond ridiculous." Navarro's ex-husband, Jace Ratzlaff, offered a brief comment to Muckrakers, stating, "I assumed this would eventually surface. I’ll have no further comment on this topic."