A sworn complaint filed with the U.S. House Committee on Ethics on September 17, 2026, accuses Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) of engaging in sexual relationships with three members of her congressional staff and of arranging a $200,000 payment to one of them to prevent an ethics filing. Boebert, 39, has denied every allegation, calling them “utterly false” through a spokesperson. The named staffers have also issued denials.
The Lauren Boebert staffer allegations were filed by David B. Wheeler, founder of the political action committee American Muckrakers, who signed the complaint under penalty of perjury. The filing identifies three current and former senior aides by name and cites exhibits drawn from House payroll records, Federal Election Commission filings, court records, and unnamed on-the-record sources.
The House Ethics Committee has not announced whether it will open a formal review of the complaint.
The Three Staffers Named in the Complaint
The ethics complaint identifies three individuals, all of whom served or currently serve in senior positions within Boebert’s congressional office:
Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff served as Boebert’s district director from January 2021 through January 2025. Before joining Boebert’s staff, Navarro Ratzlaff was a Colorado state representative and a U.S. Department of Agriculture official during the first Trump administration. She ran Boebert’s district operation for four years and is the central figure in the complaint’s most detailed allegations.
Raven Finegan is Boebert’s current district chief of staff and remains on the congresswoman’s payroll as of the filing date.
Jeffrey Small served as Boebert’s chief of staff from 2021 to 2025.
If substantiated, the alleged relationships would violate the House rule adopted during the congressional response to the #MeToo movement. That rule flatly prohibits members from engaging in sexual relationships with anyone they directly supervise, regardless of whether the relationship is consensual. The only exception exists for relationships that predate the supervisory arrangement, such as a married couple.
What the Complaint Alleges About Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff
The most detailed portion of the complaint focuses on the alleged relationship between Boebert and Navarro Ratzlaff.
According to the filing, the two maintained a years-long relationship that included encounters in Boebert’s district office, in a vehicle for which mileage was reimbursed by the campaign, and in hotel rooms paid for with campaign funds.
The complaint also points to financial records showing that Navarro Ratzlaff received approximately $30,650 in year-end bonuses from House funds during her time on staff, as well as a $5,000 campaign payment described as “fundraising consulting.”
The most significant financial allegation involves a payment of approximately $200,000. According to the filing, after Navarro Ratzlaff left Boebert’s office in January 2025, she informed the congresswoman that she intended to file her own ethics complaint. The complaint states that a payment of roughly $200,000 followed in March 2025.
Wheeler acknowledged in the filing that he does not know the source of the money. The passage describing how the payment was verified is redacted in the publicly released version of the complaint.
What the Complaint Alleges About Finegan and Small
The allegations involving district chief of staff Raven Finegan and former chief of staff Jeffrey Small are significantly less detailed than those concerning Navarro Ratzlaff.
For Finegan, the complaint cites public photographs as supporting evidence. According to reporting from the Colorado Times Recorder, the exhibits for this allegation consist of a Google Images printout of Instagram posts, several of which were birthday tributes from the staffer to Boebert. No additional supporting evidence for this specific allegation has been publicly released.
The complaint also references unnamed sources whose notes were not included in the publicly available version of the filing.
The Gaetz Claim
In a blog post published alongside the complaint, Wheeler’s American Muckrakers included an additional claim from an unnamed source alleging that Boebert and Navarro Ratzlaff had a sexual encounter with former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
American Muckrakers stated that it never claimed a video of the alleged encounter existed, and no such video has surfaced.
Gaetz responded publicly on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “I am requesting that anyone with video of me in this alleged ‘threesome’ release said evidence IMMEDIATELY! Unedited, please.”
I am requesting that anyone with video of me in this alleged “threesome” release said evidence IMMEDIATELY!
Unedited, please. https://t.co/2PRp3BZFGZ
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) September 19, 2026
No independently verified evidence supporting this specific claim has been produced.
Lauren Boebert’s Direct Response
Boebert’s initial response came through a spokesperson in a statement provided to multiple news outlets, including People and Newsweek. The statement 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.”
Hey, “journalists!”
This one’s for you: pic.twitter.com/kn33jONEV4
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) September 20, 2026
The spokesperson also challenged the complaint’s origins, saying the claims came from “an activist who has long recycled sensational claims, including numerous baseless accusations previously fact-checked as false.”
On Saturday, September 20, Boebert spoke directly to the news outlet Sources Say News, stating: “Well, 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.”
Regarding the Gaetz claim specifically, she responded: “Creative, I’ll give him that!”
According to the New York Post, Boebert has maintained a restraining order against Wheeler since 2022.
Also Read: Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman Divorce Timeline: From Marriage to Final Split
Responses From the Named Staffers and Boebert’s Ex-Husband
Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff issued a direct denial to the Colorado Times Recorder. “These allegations regarding me are entirely false, defamatory, and beyond ridiculous,” she said. “There is absolutely no truth to any part of this claim.”
Navarro Ratzlaff’s ex-husband, Jace Ratzlaff, was quoted in the American Muckrakers release as saying, “I assumed this would eventually surface.” However, when reached by the Colorado Times Recorder, he declined to elaborate, saying: “Divorce is painful. I have children. I’m three years post-divorce. This is not my issue.”
Jayson Boebert, the congresswoman’s ex-husband, also denied the allegations when contacted by American Muckrakers. “I think it is all a fairy tale made up propaganda,” he said. “I don’t believe any of that. Bad sources.”
Neither Raven Finegan nor Jeffrey Small has issued a public statement as of this writing.
Who Is David Wheeler and What Is American Muckrakers?
David B. Wheeler is the founder of American Muckrakers, a political action committee that has targeted Boebert for several years. The organization describes itself as a watchdog group.
This is not the first time Wheeler has made public accusations against Boebert. In June 2022, American Muckrakers launched a website that alleged, among other claims, Boebert had previously worked as a paid escort. The site initially used a photograph of a different woman, one of several errors Wheeler later acknowledged and characterized as “sloppy.” He continued to stand behind the underlying allegation. Boebert threatened legal action over the 2022 claims but never filed a lawsuit.
The current complaint was signed under penalty of perjury. Under federal law (28 U.S.C. 1746), an unsworn declaration signed under penalty of perjury carries the same weight as a sworn affidavit. However, it is important to note that the complaint is a filing by an outside party, not an official committee determination. The allegations have not been independently substantiated.
The House Rule at the Center of the Complaint
The House rule referenced in the complaint was adopted in 2018 as part of the congressional response to the #MeToo movement. Officially part of House Resolution 724, the rule prohibits members of Congress from engaging in sexual relationships with any employee they directly supervise.
The rule applies regardless of whether the relationship is consensual. The sole exception is for relationships that predate the supervisory arrangement, such as when a married couple works in the same office.
If the House Ethics Committee opens a review and finds the allegations credible, potential consequences for a member found in violation range from a formal reprimand to censure. However, the committee has not indicated whether it will take up Wheeler’s filing.
The Evidence Question: What Is and Is Not Publicly Available
The complaint relies on a combination of publicly verifiable records and claims from unnamed sources. These two categories of evidence carry very different levels of weight.
Publicly verifiable records:
- House payroll records confirm that Navarro Ratzlaff, Finegan, and Small were all employed in Boebert’s office during the stated periods
- FEC filings confirm campaign expenditures referenced in the complaint, including hotel room payments and vehicle mileage reimbursements
- The $30,650 in year-end bonuses and the $5,000 “fundraising consulting” payment appear in official records
Claims not publicly verified:
- The existence of sexual relationships between Boebert and any of the three named staffers
- The $200,000 payment to Navarro Ratzlaff (the verification passage is redacted)
- The alleged encounter involving Matt Gaetz
- The testimony of unnamed sources whose notes have not been included in the published version of the complaint
This distinction is significant. Public payroll and campaign finance records can establish who worked for Boebert, how much they were paid, and how campaign funds were spent. They cannot, on their own, establish that sexual relationships occurred.
Boebert’s History of Controversies
The current ethics complaint is the latest in a series of public controversies that have surrounded Boebert during her time in Congress. She was elected to represent Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District in 2020 and later switched to the 4th District in 2024.
Notable prior incidents include:
- In September 2023, Boebert was captured on surveillance video in a Denver theater during a performance of “Beetlejuice: The Musical” in what became a widely reported incident involving disruptive behavior with a date
- In June 2026, she abruptly ended a Fox News Digital interview after being asked about alleged interactions with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)
- She filed for divorce from Jayson Boebert in May 2023, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple has four sons
- She has since begun a relationship with real estate broker Kyle Pearcy
- A previous ethics complaint filed by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) related to the events of January 6, 2021, was dismissed by the Ethics Committee in June 2021
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Lauren Boebert staffer allegations?
A sworn complaint filed with the House Ethics Committee on September 17, 2026, accuses Rep. Lauren Boebert of engaging in sexual relationships with three staffers she directly supervised: former district director Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, current district chief of staff Raven Finegan, and former chief of staff Jeffrey Small. The complaint also alleges that Boebert arranged a $200,000 payment to Navarro Ratzlaff to prevent her from filing her own ethics complaint. All parties have denied the allegations.
Who filed the ethics complaint against Lauren Boebert?
The complaint was filed by David B. Wheeler, founder of the political action committee American Muckrakers. Wheeler signed the filing under penalty of perjury. His organization has targeted Boebert with other allegations in the past, including claims in 2022 that were later acknowledged to contain errors in their presentation.
What House rule did Boebert allegedly violate?
The complaint cites the House rule adopted in 2018 during the #MeToo reckoning, which prohibits members of Congress from having sexual relationships with any employee under their direct supervision. The rule applies regardless of consent. The only exception is for relationships that existed before the supervisory arrangement began.
Has the House Ethics Committee opened a review?
As of September 21, 2026, the House Ethics Committee has not announced whether it will open a formal review of the complaint. The filing is from an outside party and does not represent an official committee finding.
What did Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff say about the allegations?
Navarro Ratzlaff told the Colorado Times Recorder: “These allegations regarding me are entirely false, defamatory, and beyond ridiculous. There is absolutely no truth to any part of this claim.”
What did Lauren Boebert say in response?
Boebert told Sources Say News: “Well, 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.” Her spokesperson called the allegations “utterly false” and described them as a politically motivated stunt.
Also Read: Brandi Glanville Health Battle Leaves Her With Only Two Hours Each Day
Last Updated on September 21, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
