Lauren Boebert calls coverage of the ethics complaint a smear
Lauren BoebertUnited States representative for Colorado’s 4th congressional district
Rep. Lauren Boebert responds to news coverage of an ethics complaint, in a video posted to X on Sept. 20, 2026.
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Video: Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert on X). Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Full video attached to the post; response begins “You all ran a smear...”)
Boebert called the complaint a “salacious BS attack,” said no House member had certified it for review, and argued the House Ethics Committee could not accept it within 60 days of an election. She described the coverage as a smear and rejected the allegations.
“You all ran a smear and called it news.”
Original post
Official statement
Reporting
Other statements by Lauren Boebert in this case
Every statement by Lauren Boebert
Where this statement fits
Did Lauren Boebert have prohibited relationships with staff or misuse official or campaign funds?
David B. Wheeler publicly released a complaint dated September 17, 2026 alleging that Rep. Lauren Boebert had prohibited relationships with supervised employees and misused official or campaign funds. Former district director Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff denied the allegations involving her. Boebert denied inappropriate or sexual relationships with staff, and an unnamed representative rejected the complaint's allegations more broadly. The House Ethics Committee has not publicly confirmed accepting or investigating the submission, which falls within its 60-day preelection complaint window.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Boebert's X post attaches a video responding to coverage of a complaint filed with the House Ethics Committee. The direct post is the primary record; Mediaite independently reports and quotes the video's substantive statements. The complaint's allegations remain disputed.
Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Official statement
About this source
Boebert’s congressional office rejects the complaint’s allegations, describes the filing as politically motivated, and discusses the House Ethics Committee’s complaint procedures. Those procedural and factual characterizations are attributed to the office, not treated as a committee determination.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Mediaite reports and quotes Boebert’s September 20 video response. It reports her characterization of the filing and press coverage; it does not establish whether the House Ethics Committee will accept or investigate the complaint.
Before the quotation
A complaint released by David B. Wheeler alleged prohibited staff relationships and financial misconduct; Boebert and her representative had previously denied the allegations.
After the quotation
House Ethics procedures describe certification requirements for complaints from nonmembers and a 60-day restriction for complaints concerning candidates. This record attributes Boebert’s broader characterization of the complaint and news coverage to her.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Boebert characterized the complaint as false and the coverage as a smear, rejecting the allegations rather than addressing each allegation individually in the excerpted statement.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- David B. Wheeler
More from this case
Read the full caseWheeler asks for inquiry into the basis of Higgs's pay
“If that pay is tied to a family relationship rather than to the duties, it violates the House rule”Read statement
David B. Wheeler says he committed no crime and calls Boebert's perjury accusation a threat dressed up as a press release
“Boebert didn't answer the records. She answered by accusing me of a crime. Her official House press release was published on a taxpayer-funded government website says I "likely committed perjury and broke a federal law." Read that again: a sitting member of Congress used her official office to accuse a private citizen of a federal crime, in writing, on a .gov domain paid for by the public. I committed no crime. My complaint is sworn under 28 U.S.C. § 1746, the standard federal perjury exposure for a false statement, and it asks the Ethics Committee to do its job and investigate. That's not a rebuttal. That's a threat dressed up as a press release.”Read statement
David B. Wheeler says his Boebert complaint is built on House disbursement records, FEC filings, text messages and named sources who gave written statements
“On September 17, I filed a sworn ethics complaint against Rep. Lauren Boebert with the House Ethics Committee. It isn't built on rumor. It's built on House disbursement records, FEC filings, text messages, and named sources who gave written statements.”Read statement
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- Lauren Boebert calls coverage of the ethics complaint a smear
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/1322-boebert-called-the-complaint-a-salacious-bs-attack
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Lauren Boebert calls coverage of the ethics complaint a smear". First published: 2026-09-21. Last updated: 2026-09-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/1322-boebert-called-the-complaint-a-salacious-bs-attack