An ethics complaint filed Sept. 17 by watchdog David B. Wheeler alleges Rep. Lauren Boebert had sexual relationships with three staffers — Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, Raven Finegan and Jeffrey Small — and that a $200,000 payment was made after Ratzlaff’s departure. The filing cites a 2018 House rule banning sexual relationships between members and staff and describes encounters in an office, a campaign vehicle and hotel rooms billed to the campaign. Ratzlaff denies the claims, Boebert’s office has not commented, and the House Ethics Committee has not confirmed a review; some financial details cited in the complaint remain unverified by reporters.
Ethics Complaint Alleges Boebert Had Affairs With Three Staffers and a $200,000 Post-Departure Payment
Lauren Boebert
An ethics complaint sworn under oath was filed with the House Ethics Committee alleging that Rep. Lauren Boebert engaged in sexual relationships with three members of her congressional staff and that a $200,000 payment was made after one staffer’s departure.
Who Filed the Complaint: The filing was submitted on Sept. 17 by David B. Wheeler of the watchdog group American Muckrakers. It names former District Director Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, District Chief of Staff Raven Finegan, and former Chief of Staff Jeffrey Small as the staffers involved.
Allegations and Context: The complaint cites a House rule introduced in February 2018 that prohibits sexual relationships between members of Congress and their staff — a regulation previously referenced during the committee’s 2019 inquiry into former Rep. Katie Hill. According to the filing, alleged encounters occurred in Ratzlaff’s congressional office, inside a campaign-funded vehicle and in hotel rooms billed to the campaign.
The document references more than $449,000 in salary paid to Ratzlaff and an additional $200,000 disbursement after she left Boebert’s office. It states the $200,000 payment was made in March 2025 after Ratzlaff resigned and allegedly told Boebert she intended to file her own ethics complaint. Colorado Times Recorder reported the complaint alleges Boebert arranged the $200,000 payment to dissuade Ratzlaff from pursuing a complaint.
Responses and Verification: Boebert’s office did not respond to requests for comment from the Recorder mentioned in the filing. Ratzlaff has publicly called the claims "entirely false and defamatory." The House Ethics Committee has not announced a formal review of the new complaint as of this writing.
Media outlets covering the filing noted limitations in the public record: some reporting relies on notes from unnamed sources that were not attached to the filing, and outlets such as Raw Story said they could not independently verify the payroll and campaign finance figures cited in the complaint.
Public Reactions and Broader Context: The filing drew a sarcastic public response from former Rep. Matt Gaetz, an ally of Boebert, who mocked an X post alleging a threesome and asked anyone with video to release it. NPR has reported that Gaetz himself faced a separate ethics probe related to sexual misconduct allegations; he denies those charges.
The complaint arrives amid broader scrutiny of congressional conduct. Earlier this year Boebert publicly criticized colleagues after the resignations of two House members, quipping to reporters:
"Yeah, go to church. Find Jesus. Like, why is everybody so horny here?"
Separately, Boebert faced public attention in September 2023 after surveillance video showed her and then-boyfriend Quinn Gallagher being asked to leave a Beetlejuice musical in Denver; she apologized and later said she had ended the relationship.
Bottom Line: The complaint contains serious allegations that, if substantiated, could implicate House rules restricting relationships with staff. At present, the House Ethics Committee has not confirmed an investigation and several key details in the filing — including financial figures and some source materials — have not been independently verified by reporting outlets.
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