Key facts
- Representative Lauren Boebert has denied allegations of sexual relationships with staffers and paying one to remain silent.
- An ethics complaint filed by journalist David Wheeler alleges Boebert had sexual relationships with three staff members.
- The complaint claims Boebert paid a senior staffer $200,000 after an alleged affair ended.
- Boebert's office called the allegations "utterly false" and part of a "politically motivated" campaign.
- Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, named in the complaint, denied any relationship with Boebert.
- A spokesperson for Boebert stated the complaint had not been certified by a House member.
Representative Lauren Boebert has vehemently denied allegations of sexual relationships with staff members and paying one to keep quiet, labeling the claims as "utterly false" and part of a "politically motivated" smear campaign. The accusations are detailed in an ethics complaint filed on September 17 by independent journalist David Wheeler, founder of the American Muckrakers political action committee.
According to the complaint, which The Guardian has reviewed but not independently substantiated, Boebert, who represents Colorado's fourth congressional district, allegedly committed at least seven violations of House ethics rules. Wheeler stated his group possesses direct knowledge of the alleged relationships through text messages, bank records, court documents, and recorded conversations.
Among the prominent allegations is a purported four-year "romantic and sexual relationship" with senior female staffer Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, followed by a $200,000 payment when Ratzlaff allegedly threatened to file an ethics complaint. The complaint also alleges sexual relationships with Raven Finegan, a congressional employee and district chief of staff, and Jeffrey Small, who served as her chief of staff from 2021 to 2025. Financial records attached to the complaint detail payments exceeding $450,000 to Finegan, nearly $780,000 to Small, and over $461,000 to Ratzlaff.
House ethics rules prohibit members from engaging in sexual relationships with employees under their supervision, unless married, with consent not being a defense. The allegations surface as Boebert has often promoted her Christian values and has been critical of same-sex relationships.
Boebert, through a statement from her office, called the allegations "defamatory, and beyond ridiculous." Ratzlaff also denied the claims in a text message to the Colorado Reporter, stating, "There is absolutely no truth to any part of this claim." Jace Ratzlaff, Ratzlaff's ex-husband, reportedly told Wheeler he "assumed this would eventually surface" but declined further comment.
A spokesperson for Boebert questioned the complaint's legitimacy, noting that a House member must certify such filings in good faith, which had not yet occurred. The spokesperson characterized the filing as a "political smear" that did not meet the ethics committee's rules. Boebert herself told Sources Say News, "I’m not a lesbian or bisexual, and I have never, ever been in any inappropriate relationship, nor have I ever been sexually involved with any staff."
This complaint follows previous controversies involving Boebert, including an incident at a Denver theater in September 2023 for which she apologized, and a disturbance involving her ex-husband in January 2024. In June, Boebert ended an interview with Fox News Digital when allegations of a relationship with Congressman Thomas Massie were raised.