NEW: Lauren Boebert Used Campaign Dollars to Pay Restaurant’s Rent, Utilities

FEC Findings: “Part of a Pattern of Blatant Corruption”

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s shady finances just keep getting shadier.

After the FEC began questioning the far-right Congresswoman over “apparent personal use of thousands of dollars in campaign funds” in August, Forbes and the Denver Post reported late yesterday that Congresswoman Boebert used campaign funds to pay her restaurant’s rent and utility bills.  

This disturbing news comes on the heels of revelations about Congresswoman Boebert’s husband’s own suspicious finances the Associated Press first reported on, that Boebert previously conspicuously failed to disclose $478,000 her husband made in 2020 for “consulting” for the oil and gas industry.  This raises serious concerns about attempts to buy or influence the Congresswoman’s votes and failure to follow or understand the most basic anti-corruption laws. 

The questions Boebert faces over her using campaign donations as a personal slush fund, her husband’s sudden six-figure income, and her previously reported questionable mileage reimbursement of more than $20,000 just bring more questions that the Congresswoman has to answer.

David Pourshoushtari, Spokesperson for the Colorado Democratic Party:

“It’s no coincidence Lauren Boebert and her husband became flush with cash as soon as she ran for and got elected to Congress. These new findings from the FEC are just part of a pattern of blatant corruption with Congresswoman Boebert, and her constituents (and her donors) deserve answers. It is extremely troubling that in the face of all these findings, the Colorado Republican Party has been silent.

“Whether it’s using her campaign donations to pay her restaurant’s rent, reimbursing herself tens of thousands of dollars in mileage, or apparently suddenly remembering that her husband earns nearly half-a-million annually for ‘consulting’, Lauren Boebert plays fast and loose with cash and the truth. It’s obvious by now, with zero meaningful legislative accomplishments or efforts  after nearly a year in office, that Congresswoman Boebert is only interested in rubbing elbows with big corporations and wealthy donors, all while lining her pockets.”

The last member of Congress to get caught illegally using campaign donations for personal gain was Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, who was sentenced to prison for illegally spending campaign dollars on extramarital affairs.  

BACKGROUND:

• February 3, 2021 - "Rep. Lauren Boebert’s campaign reimbursed her more than $20,000 for driving nearly 37,000 in about seven months, according to federal campaign reports." (KDVR)
• August 18, 2021 - "A letter from the Federal Election Commission to the treasurer of Boebert’s 2022 reelection campaign inquired about four Venmo payments totaling more than $6,000." (CNBC)
• August 18, 2021 - "Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert’s husband made $478,000 last year working as a consultant for an energy firm, information that was not disclosed during Boebert’s congressional campaign and only reported in her financial disclosure forms filed this week." (AP)
• August 19, 2021 - "Only now, with Boebert not just in Congress but on the House Natural Resources Committee, has she revealed that her husband made $478,000 last year working as a consultant for an energy firm." (Washington Post)
• September 22, 2021 - “Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert paid rent and utility bills with campaign funds in violation of federal campaign finance laws, new filings with the Federal Election Commission show.” (Denver Post)

###