Lauren Boebert has denied allegations in a House Ethics Committee complaint that she had sexual relationships with three current and former staff members and paid $200,000 in hush money to one of them.
The Colorado Republican’s office dismissed the complaint as politically motivated, saying there was “no truth” to the claims and accusing its author of attempting to manipulate the ethics process.
Lauren Boebert ethics complaint denied
A spokesperson for Ms Boebert said: “Congresswoman Lauren Boebert rejects these allegations as utterly false and there is no truth to them whatsoever.”
“This is nothing more than a politically motivated stunt designed to manipulate the ethics process, create headlines, smear her, and generate clickbait,” the spokesperson added.
The complaint alleges that Ms Boebert had sexual relationships with three staff members and gave one of them the money “to secure her silence and forestall the threatened complaint”. The claims have not been established.
Her office said the complaint had been filed by journalist David Wheeler and was consistent with what it described as a pattern of false allegations against the congresswoman.
“They come from an activist who has long recycled sensational claims, including numerous baseless accusations previously fact-checked as false,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Wheeler’s website features a graphic reading “Fire Boebert” and has published a colouring book with an illustration of the congresswoman on its cover.
In response, Mr Wheeler rejected Ms Boebert’s denial and defended his reporting and sources.
“Lauren Boebert clearly has a problem telling the truth and taking responsibility for her actions,” he said. “We stand 100 percent by our story and sources… my job is to expose Lauren Boebert for the fraud she is with facts.”
The complaint comes as Ms Boebert faces growing political tensions with President Donald Trump over her support for Republican Thomas Massie and her campaign to release files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Trump has criticised Ms Boebert publicly, calling her “Weak-Minded Lauren Boebert” and accusing her of betraying the Make America Great Again movement by campaigning alongside Mr Massie. In May, he said he would consider backing a challenger to her, although she later won her primary contest.
Ms Boebert has herself been a prominent critic of politicians accused of sexual misconduct. She has called for lawmakers facing such allegations to be held accountable and recently voted to censure Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards after a House Ethics Committee finding concerning his conduct towards younger female staffers.
She has also criticised former Democratic lawmakers Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales over allegations of sexual misconduct, calling for them to lose their congressional pensions. Both men denied the allegations.
Ms Boebert is seeking re-election in Colorado’s 4th District after moving from her existing constituency. Her victory in the Republican primary positioned her for what was described as a likely easy win in the November general election.
