On Saturday night, three years to the day after supporters of Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol building, election objecting Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is the subject of an active police investigation into an alleged physical altercation with her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, at a restaurant in her district Saturday night.
The Silt Police Department confirmed an “active investigation” in a phone call Saturday night, but would not comment further. A Boebert aide told The Daily Beast that no one was arrested.
According to the aide, on Saturday, Jayson Boebert had called the police to the Miner’s Claim restaurant in Silt, claiming that he was a “victim of domestic violence.” The aide emphasized that Lauren Boebert denies any allegation of domestic violence on her part, and that the events as depicted in social media posts on Saturday were not accurate.
ADVERTISEMENT
An anti-Boebert super PAC called “American Muckrakers” first publicized the rumor of the incident Saturday night, in eye-popping posts on X, formerly Twitter. On Sunday, Jayson Boebert told The Daily Beast that the details of the altercation on American Muckrakers was accurate and that his ex-wife had “punched” him in the face multiple times. Jayson Boebert also purported to have a witness to the events and said that he took back his claim that police were too aggressive with him: “I respect our officers and appreciate what they have to endure. I shouldn’t have said anything negative toward them. I was unhappy.”
Jayson Boebert added that he was going to phone the police and ask them to call off the investigation.
In an official statement to The Daily Beast on Sunday, Lauren Boebert said: “This is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason I’m moving. I didn’t punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested. I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options.” (Boebert recently announced she would be moving to a new, more conservative district in her bid to win a third term in 2024. She narrowly won reelection in her current district in 2022 by only 500 votes.)
While The Daily Beast has not been able to verify the specific claims about the incident, on Saturday night, the aide to Lauren Boebert provided more detail about the events as Congresswoman Boebert had described them
In the early evening on Saturday, the aide said, it was already getting physical. Lauren Boebert had driven to her ex-husband’s house to pick up one of her sons for dinner at her mother’s house. Jayson Boebert was home, the aide said, and as Lauren Boebert and her son were leaving for the car, he tried to move in close to hug her; she put her hand on his chest to keep him back, the aide said.
When Jayson Boebert called later that evening to apologize, he asked if they could meet in person. Lauren Boebert agreed; however, the aide said, she wanted to go to a public place, anticipating that—especially given the alleged behavior earlier that day—he might be confrontational. The congresswoman “didn’t want it to be he said/she said” situation, the aide said.
They chose to meet at Miner’s Claim, a restaurant in Boebert’s small hometown of Silt. (Miner’s Claim is, apparently, the only game left in town, now that the Boeberts have closed their old restaurant, Shooter’s.)
Inside, at the table, Jayson Boebert apparently started “being disrespectful,” “being an asshole,” and getting “lewd,” the aide relayed. The alleged behavior revolted Lauren Boebert, but that seemed to make her ex more aggressive, the aide said. There was then apparently a physical altercation of indeterminate severity.
Jayson Boebert “made a motion” towards his ex-wife, “to grab her.” It was “an aggressive move, not romantic,” the aide relayed.
As Lauren Boebert described it, the aide said, she tried again to keep him back and in the process “put her hand in his face, put her hand on his nose.” (The Muckrackers’ post describes a violent confrontation, with the congresswoman landing two punches on her ex’s nose. The aide said that Boebert maintains she didn’t punch him.)
Jayson Boebert, apparently outraged, called the police, claiming that he was “a victim of domestic violence,” the Boebert aide said. Lauren Boebert then called the non-emergency number and told the police there was no domestic violence, and that she’d be happy to speak with an officer at the restaurant.
The police did come, but they arrested no one, the aide said, adding that a friend drove Boebert home, and that she and her former husband were both safe.
Contacted Saturday night, Silt police would not comment other than to confirm an “active investigation” into the alleged events, along with the existence of a police report.
Jayson Boebert told The Daily Beast on Sunday, “I made a mistake. We both overreacted. I only want what’s best for [the] boys and I still love her very much. We both share some hurt deep down inside ... It seems we just keep pushing each other further apart.”
“I want the best for her,” he added. “It’s probably just best that I remain silent.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Jayson Boebert after he initially declined to comment on Saturday night.
