This is just embarrassing for Lauren Boebert
Following in Rudy Giuliani’s footsteps is never a wise choice these days, years after his breathtaking fall from grace as “America’s mayor.” However, Rep. Lauren Boebert managed to do just that, even outdoing Giuliani in public embarrassment. Both of them tried their hand at Cameo, hoping to make an extra buck to fund their right-wing, conspiratorial agenda. However, while Giuliani got duped into reciting nursery rhymes and praising his critics, Boebert shut herself down just a day or so into opening an account.
Boebert launched her Cameo account over the weekend, promising personalized messages for fans. Then, after media reporting about House ethics rules on honoraria, Boebert’s account suddenly went dark on Monday morning, according to a report from The Hill. The ethics rules bar members of Congress from accepting payments for speeches, appearances, or similar services. Although the rules aren’t clear about whether Cameo’s personalized videos count as “honoraria,” testing it out is risky.
Boebert’s short-lived, anticlimactic stint on Cameo could have been avoided had she done her homework and considered the rules just a day sooner. Perhaps this latest controversy is a blessing in disguise for Boebert, as she will now avoid the pitfalls that so easily tripped up Giuliani. In one example, Giuliani let himself get tricked into praising journalists and human rights activists who had investigated his former client, Derwick Associates. He was also mocked after performing a bizarre rendition of “I’m a Little Teapot.”
While Giuliani’s experience on Cameo will be remembered for his bumbling from one embarrassment to the next, Boebert’s misstep highlights her rush to sign up for a money-maker without first thinking things through. Cameo, a straightforward service that “offers personalized videos from your favorite stars,” is not inherently controversial. But when the likes of Boebert and Giuliani get involved with something, their toxic mix of incompetence and impulsivity tend to derail their own efforts.
Boebert won the recent election, but only after jumping ship to a different district mid-race following last year’s vaping and groping scandal. Expect another two years of the same from Boebert, as she follows Giuliani and others in circling the drain.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month