Jayson Boebert, the ex-husband of Representative Lauren Boebert, broke his silence on a restraining order obtained by the congresswoman after he was charged in connection to two domestic altercations last month.
Lauren Boebert obtained a temporary restraining order against her ex-husband last Friday. In her request for the order, Boebert made several allegations against him, including name-calling, making harassing phone calls and "abusing children in the household.
Newsweek reviewed the order, which applies to the Colorado Republican congresswoman and three of their children.
Jayson Boebert responded to the report in an interview with Westword, a Denver, Colorado-based news magazine. He alleged that he was never served with the order and only learned of it when an Associated Press reporter contacted him for a statement. He described the order as "cruel and unfair."
"It is a prison sentence to keep me from my family," he said.
The order allegedly stems from three incidents, including one on February 2 in which Jayson Boebert allegedly entered Lauren Boebert's home "without permission" and allegedly destroyed personal property. However, Jayson Boebert told Westword that no threats were made and that nothing was damaged.
"I never saw Lauren that day. We had a brief text conversation where she asked me if she could use the trailer or if her stuff was already in there. In my response, I mentioned that the trailer was too much for her boyfriend, and I also requested that her Aspen boyfriend and one of her staff not be on the property," he said.
Newsweek reached out to Lauren Boebert's office, the Garfield County Sherriff's Office, and attorneys representing Jayson Boebert for comment via email.
He added that he believes the order is "a way for justification of a district swap" for his ex-wife.
"One of the reasons Lauren and I had argued on the night of January 6 was because of the move to the 4th [Congressional District] and her never seeing the boys," he said.
Boebert announced late last year that she would not seek reelection in Colorado's Third Congressional District and instead run in the Fourth District.
Critics have suggested the move is so she could avoid a competitive race in her current seat after barely eking out a victory in her 2022 race, as the Fourth Congressional District is viewed as the most conservative in the state. However, she has maintained that the move was due to personal reasons.
Under the terms of the temporary order, Jayson Boebert is prohibited from making contact with his ex-wife or their three children, who are still underage, nor may he come within 100 yards of them. Per the copy of the order obtained by Newsweek, there are no exceptions to this mandate.
A court date is slated for Thursday, February 8, to make a permanent determination on the order.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
