Lauren Boebert removes name from business filings tied to oil and gas consulting firm
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert has removed her name from business
paperwork linked to the oil and gas consulting firm run by her husband, Jayson,
after drawing scrutiny for nearly $1 million in payments it received from Terra
Energy, a drilling company operating in her district.
The Garfield County Republican was previously listed as the
registered agent for JLB903 LLC, which in turn was the legal designee for
Boebert Consulting, the oil and gas business run by her husband. New paperwork
filed last week with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office by Boebert’s
campaign treasurer Mike McCauley, a Salt Lake City accountant, removed the
congresswoman’s name from JLB903. Instead, the company now lists itself as the
registered agent, which is permissible according to the Secretary of State’s
website.
The changes, made after The Colorado Sun reported the
congresswoman’s ties to Boebert Consulting, distance Boebert from the two
companies, which are registered to the couple’s home in Silt. But it’s not
clear what ownership or stake, if any, Lauren Boebert has in either company.
A spokesperson for Boebert’s congressional office did not
answer a question last month about whether the congresswoman is an owner of
Boebert Consulting, and did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
The filings with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office
also put both Boebert Consulting and JLB903 LLC, which were previously listed
as delinquent, back in good standing.
The companies are under scrutiny after Boebert disclosed
nearly $1 million in payments Boebert Consulting received in 2019 and 2020 for
consulting work with Terra Energy, which operates in Boebert’s district on the
Western Slope. That income was reported on Boebert’s financial disclosure as
being paid directly to Jayson Boebert, but the congresswoman’s office later
said the money was paid to Boebert Consulting. The payments were not reported
in the financial disclosure Boebert filed while running for the 3rd
Congressional District.
Boebert, who sits on the House Natural Resources Committee,
has been a major cheerleader for the oil and gas industry, often citing her
husband’s work.
The congresswoman’s office has said she does not work for
Boebert Consulting, but hasn’t said whether she has a stake in the firm. Terra
Energy previously told The Colorado Sun that Jayson Boebert “has provided
contract drilling services as an on-site drilling foreman to Terra since 2017.”
One of Boebert’s critics, former state Rep. Bri Buentello, a
Pueblo Democrat, has since filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional
Ethics calling for an investigation into the payments by Terra Energy to
Boebert Consulting.
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