Magazine: Jan. 6 protest organizers say they met with Boebert before insurrection

Organizers of the Jan. 6 protests that led to a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol were allegedly in communication with Rep. Lauren Boebert’s office in the lead-up to the event, according to a news story published Sunday evening.

Two organizers told Rolling Stone that they met with “close to dozen” Republican members of Congress or their staff while planning protests against the 2020 presidential election results aimed at keeping former President Donald Trump in power, according to the story. The magazine did not name the two organizers. The story describes one as a Jan. 6 rally “organizer” and the other as a “planner” and says both are communicating with U.S. House investigators who are looking into the insurrection.

Along with Boebert, those organizers said they communicated with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). 

Additionally, Rolling Stone noted that it has evidence that Boebert was in contact with those two organizers on Jan. 6.

Boebert, who currently represents the majority of Eagle County in Congress, responded to the article on Monday afternoon by tweeting a statement. 

“I had no role in the planning or execution of any event that took place at the Capitol or anywhere in Washington, D.C. on January 6th. With the help of my staff, I accepted an invitation to speak at one event but ultimately I did not speak at any events on January 6th. Once again, the media is acting as a messaging tool for the radical left,” it reads in part. Boebert was slated to speak at the Wild Protest on Jan. 6.

Boebert’s involvement with the insurrection has been under scrutiny since the aftermath of that day. Critics specifically point to tweets she sent on Jan. 6, notably two that she sent minutes after the Capitol was breached that relayed information about where members of Congress were, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Earlier that morning, Boebert tweeted “Today is 1776.”

U.S. House Committee on Ethics decided in June not to investigate Boebert’s alleged role in the insurrection. 

Morgan Carroll, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, said in a statement that the new reporting confirms that the “crime against our democratic republic had collusion from the inside.”

“Congresswoman Lauren Boebert met with Trump rioters to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and she used her power and access as a member of Congress to help the insurrectionists,” Carroll said. 

“The clear goal was the violent interruption of vote counting and certification and the overthrow of the US government to install Donald Trump into an office he did not win. Our democracy is at stake, and those members of Congress like Lauren Boebert who aided the insurrectionists must be held accountable.”

Rep. Donald Valdez, a Democrat running to unseat Boebert next year, called Boebert a “traitor” in a tweet reacting to the article.

“This explosive report reveals that Jan. 6 rioters coordinated directly with Lauren Boebert and her staff. If true, the only word for this is ‘sedition,’” he wrote. 

Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Colorado Newsline, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and Twitter.