Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has vehemently rejected ethics complaints filed by political operative David Wheeler, leader of American Muckrakers, which alleged she engaged in relationships with three members of her congressional staff. Boebert's rebuttal, delivered through a video posted on X, centered on procedural grounds, asserting that the House Ethics Committee rules prevent the panel from even accepting Wheeler’s filing. The controversy unfolded this week, adding a new chapter to an ongoing contentious relationship between the congresswoman and Wheeler.
"Hey journalists, you all ran a smear and called it news. Some sloppy, desperate, obsessive hack stamps under oath on a fake filing so you’ll write penalty of perjury in the headline." Representative Lauren Boebert, Colorado Republican
Wheeler's complaint accused Boebert of having relationships with former district director Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, former chief of staff Jeffrey Small, and current chief of staff Raven Finegan. All three individuals have issued denials of the allegations. The filing also referenced House disclosure documents and anonymous sources to support its claims, with one additional allegation referencing a three-way encounter involving former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Navarro Ratzlaff. Gaetz publicly ridiculed this specific assertion.
Boebert, 38, swiftly addressed the claims, not by denying the substance directly in her initial procedural challenge, but by highlighting what she described as critical flaws in the complaint's submission. She pointed to two specific House Ethics Committee rules. First, the committee is barred from accepting outside complaints filed within 60 days of an election cycle. Boebert emphasized this timing requirement as evidence that the filing was non-viable from its inception. Second, any complaint not submitted directly by a member of Congress must be certified in writing by a sitting lawmaker. According to Boebert, no such certification accompanied Wheeler's filing.
“That’s right, ethics isn’t even allowed to accept this garbage,” Boebert stated in her video response. She further criticized media outlets for covering the story, stating, “Hey journalists, you all ran a smear and called it news. Some sloppy, desperate, obsessive hack stamps under oath on a fake filing so you’ll write penalty of perjury in the headline.” She added, “It’s a scam and you fell for it. No member of Congress certified in writing that his salacious BS attack was made in good faith and warrants review as required by Ethics.”
The allegations invoked congressional rules established after the #MeToo movement, which forbid lawmakers from pursuing relationships with staffers under their direct supervision. Despite the seriousness of the claims, no indication has emerged that the House Ethics Committee intends to take up Wheeler’s filing, an outcome consistent with the procedural obstacles Boebert identified in her response.
This recent exchange marks a continuation of a protracted dispute between Representative Boebert and David Wheeler. In 2022, Boebert was granted a civil protection order against Wheeler, which remains relevant to their ongoing interactions. That same year, Wheeler’s organization circulated claims suggesting Boebert had previously worked as an escort, publishing images that were later identified as depicting an entirely different woman. CNN examined those earlier claims and found them without support. Wheeler subsequently acknowledged that his research into Boebert had been “sloppy” and contained “inaccuracies” approximately a year after the escort claims were widely circulated. The fallout from that earlier dispute led to litigation, with Wheeler filing a defamation suit against Boebert after she threatened legal action against him. Multiple claims within that suit were later recommended for denial, and Wheeler’s group ultimately withdrew the case entirely.
In her latest video message, Boebert also expressed frustration over the impact of the allegations on her staff, whose names and photographs became public fixtures in the media coverage. “I know that you’re more than willing to attack me and shame my household, but this is different and you crossed a line,” she said. “I hope you think about the impact that this could have on them and their families the next time you rush to print without doing a little bit of research.”
Boebert has previously confronted sex-related controversies publicly. In April, following separate scandals involving Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and then-Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-AZ), she offered reporters a blunt assessment: “Go to church. Find Jesus. Why is everybody so horny here?” Her own public record includes a widely publicized incident from 2023, when she was removed from a "Beetlejuice" performance at a Denver theater for violating venue policies on vaping and photography while engaged in physical contact with then-boyfriend Quinn Gallagher. Boebert later apologized for that episode.
