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.