Rep. Doug Lamborn's Staff Ran Wife's Errands, Helped Son Apply for Job, Ethics Office Says

Staff for Republican Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn was directed to perform personal tasks for their boss and his wife including moving furniture, picking up mail and scheduling Zoom calls, according to a report by a congressional ethics monitor that referred the matter for further investigation Monday.

The Office of Congressional Ethics released its findings that "there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Lamborn misused official resources for personal and non-official purposes" and "solicited or accepted improper gifts from subordinates." The six-member board overseeing the office adopted the report unanimously and called on the House Ethics Committee to take up the matter, which could result in sanctions against Lamborn.

Lamborn called the allegations baseless in a letter sent to the House Ethics Committee last month. Calling the investigation biased and "sloppy," Lamborn said it over relies on the complaint of a former staffer who has filed a lawsuit against his former boss.

"Congressman Lamborn has been in either the Colorado House and Senate or in the U.S. House for 27 years," reads Lamborn's sharply worded letter. "He has never been accused of unethical behavior, much less found to be unethical."

Based on interviews with current and former members of the congressman's staff, the report describes how Lamborns' wife was "deeply involved in all personnel aspects" of his office.

"While it is not unusual for spouses to play a role in a congressional office or have an official email account, evidence obtained by the (Office of Congressional Ethics) indicated that Mrs. Lamborn had a role in the office that exceeded what is permissible for spouses," reads the report.

Former staffers told investigators that they felt required to comply with her requests. Those requests included campaign work or personal matters, including organizing a party after the couple's daughter-in-law became a naturalized citizen in 2020, the report states.

One staffer said requests from Lamborn's wife created additional stress and operational issues. When the staffer raised this issue with Dale Anderson, Lamborn's chief of staff, he reportedly responded by saying that "if mama ain't happy, nobody's happy."

The report notes that there was some inconsistency among staffers' accounts and Anderson did not agree to an interview with legislators. Lamborn's response points to these inconsistencies and said the office doesn't show any ethical breaches around his wife's involvement in his office. His response denies staff helped with the naturalization ceremony.

When Lamborn's son moved to Washington, D.C., in 2020, staff were directed to help him apply for a federal job. Lamborn told investigators that his son, who got a job at the Pentagon, was given the same level of help that would be given to any other constituent. But the report found staff gave him extensive assistance reviewing his résumé, job postings and conducting mock interviews.

"There were conflicting opinions amongst staffers on whether the assistance provided to Rep. Lamborn's son was in fact the type of assistance provided to ordinary constituents," the report says, noting also it wasn't clear if his son counted as a constituent.

The report also calls on the House Ethics Committee to issue subpoenas for information Lamborn and others did not turn over to the office.

In response to the report, the committee's chair and ranking member issued a letter stating the panel would be taking up the matter, but noted that additional review wasn't indicative of any violation.

Brandon Pope, Lamborn's former defense and business advisor, sued the congressman in court last year. The lawsuit accuses Lamborn of allowing his son to live rent free in a storage area in the basement of the U.S. Capitol and exposing his staff to COVID-19.