Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) is denying that she punched her ex-husband after police in a Colorado city confirmed they were called to a restaurant over an alleged altercation between Ms. Boebert and her former spouse.
“I didn’t punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested,“ Ms. Boebert told news outlets in a statement. ”I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options.”
The situation unfolded in Silt on Jan. 6.
Police officers went to Miner’s Claim restaurant, after a report of an altercation between Ms. Boebert, who represents a district that includes Silt, and Jayson Boebert, whom she divorced in 2023, Silt Police Chief Mike Kite told news outlets.
Mr. Kite confirmed no one was arrested but declined to provide more details, citing an ongoing investigation.
Mr. Boebert told the Post that he contacted the Silt Police Department on Sunday morning and conveyed his position against pressing charges.
“I don’t want nothing to happen,” he said. “Her and I were working through a difficult conversation.”
Ms. Boebert said the divorce happened owing to “irreconcilable differences” in a statement in May 2023.
“It is with a heavy weight on my heart that I have filed for divorce from my husband. I am grateful for our years of marriage together and for our beautiful children, all of whom deserve privacy and love as we work through this process. I’ve always been faithful in my marriage, and I believe strongly in marriage, which makes this announcement that much more difficult,” Ms. Boebert said at the time.
“This is truly about irreconcilable differences. I do not intend to discuss this matter any further in public out of respect for our children, and will continue to work hard to represent the people of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District,” she added.
The divorce was finalized several months later.
The couple share four children and have one grandchild.
Ms. Boebert also drew attention in the fall for what staff members reported as vaping, singing, and disturbing other patrons at a show in Denver. She and a male companion were removed from the show.
Ms. Boebert has apologized for her actions, although she denied vaping despite video footage showing her blowing smoke.
“There’s no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family,” she said in a statement. “I’ve tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. That’s unacceptable and I’m sorry.”
Switching Districts
Ms. Boebert represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. She was first elected in 2020, and won another term two years later.Before joining Congress, Ms. Boebert was known for running a restaurant in Rifle where many employees carried firearms. The restaurant, run with Mr. Boebert, closed in 2022.
Ms. Boebert has taken many mainstream Republican positions as a member of Congress, including supporting Second Amendment rights and opposing abortion. She has also spoken out against gender transition surgeries for minors.
Ms. Boebert is a supporter of former President Donald Trump and a frequent critic of President Joe Biden.
In 2022, Ms. Boebert won reelection but by a narrow margin of just 546 votes out of more than 326,000 cast. She beat Adam Frisch, a Democrat who was an Aspen councilman for years.
Mr. Frisch is vying again for the seat and in late 2023 Ms. Boebert said she’s switching to Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. The seat representing that district is currently held by Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who is not seeking reelection.
Ms. Boebert said she prayed and became convinced “this is the best way I can continue to fight for Colorado, for the conservative movement, and for my children’s future.”
Ms. Boebert has a better shot of winning in the 4th district. Colorado’s 3rd district has about 7 percent more Republicans than Democrats, according to the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission.
“Colorado’s 4th district is hungry for an unapologetic defender of freedom with a proven track record of standing strong for conservative principles,” Ms. Boebert said.
She said she plans to move into the 4th district in 2024.
The incident with Mr. Boebert “is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason why I’m moving,” Ms. Boebert said over the weekend.
No Republicans have declared for the 3rd district race following Ms. Boebert’s announcement.
The race for the 4th district includes Colorado House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, and talk show host Deborah Flora.
