A sworn ethics complaint filed against Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) alleges she engaged in sexual relationships with three congressional employees under her supervision and participated in financial arrangements intended to conceal one of the alleged relationships.
The complaint was filed Sept. 17 with the U.S. House Committee on Ethics by David B. Wheeler of American Muckrakers. The filing names current and former Boebert staffers Clarice Navarro, Raven Finegan and Jeffrey Small as well as former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
The allegations have not been proven, and the filing of a complaint does not establish that Boebert violated House rules or federal law.
Navarro, Boebert’s former district director, strongly denied the accusations in a statement to the Colorado Times Recorder.
“These allegations regarding me are entirely false, defamatory, and beyond ridiculous,” Navarro said. “There is absolutely no truth to any part of this claim.”
Boebert’s office did not respond to requests for comment from either American Muckrakers or the Colorado Times Recorder before their reports were published.
The complaint alleges Boebert and Navarro maintained a relationship between 2021 and January 2025, when Navarro’s employment with the congresswoman ended. American Muckrakers says its filing relies on House payroll records, Federal Election Commission filings, court documents and information from sources it says had direct knowledge of events.
The complaint also alleges Navarro received approximately $30,650 in year-end bonuses over four years and claims those payments were connected to the alleged relationship rather than her official work.
It further points to a $5,000 campaign payment made to Navarro in July 2022 that was reported as “Fundraising Consulting.” The complaint alleges the consulting work was not performed and claims the payment was intended to secure her silence.
The most significant financial allegation involves an approximately $200,000 payment that the complaint claims was made around March 2025 after Navarro allegedly indicated she planned to file an ethics complaint against Boebert.
The filing says the source of that money is unknown and asks congressional investigators to examine the transaction.
The complaint separately alleges Boebert had relationships with Finegan, her current district chief of staff, and Small, her former chief of staff. Those claims also remain unverified.
House Rule XXIII prohibits a member of Congress from engaging in a sexual relationship with a House employee working under that member’s supervision, except when the two people are married.
The complaint lists seven alleged violations involving House rules and federal statutes and asks the Ethics Committee to create an investigative subcommittee and refer any evidence of potential criminal conduct to the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission, per American Muck Crackers.
As of Sept. 19, the House Ethics Committee had not publicly announced a formal investigation into Boebert over the complaint. The committee says submissions are generally handled confidentially and that it is often unable to publicly disclose the status of a particular complaint.
The Colorado Times Recorder also noted that Wheeler previously publicized allegations against Boebert in 2022 that included errors he later acknowledged, while continuing to defend his broader claims. That history does not determine the validity of the new complaint, but the accusations contained in the latest filing remain allegations unless independently substantiated or established through an official investigation.
