This chronology tracks the events that materially clarify the relationship question among Lauren Boebert, Stephen Varela, and Rural Colorado United. It is not a full biography of either person.
2020-08-19 - OpenFEC records Rural Colorado United's first file date. The retained OpenFEC package resolves the committee as C00755678, an unauthorized independent expenditure-only committee, with George Autobee as treasurer. Source type: federal campaign-finance record.
2020-09-24 - Colorado Times Recorder reports Rural Colorado United's anti-Boebert billboard / website campaign and identifies Stephen Varela and George Autobee as Rural Colorado United co-founders in the context of criticism of Boebert's veterans-policy posture. Source type: reporting.
2020-10-01 - Colorado Times Recorder reports that Rural Colorado United, described as formed by Pueblo residents Stephen Varela and George Autobee to educate voters about Boebert, referenced Boebert lien records in a news release. Source type: reporting.
2020 cycle - OpenFEC committee totals show Rural Colorado United with $308,955.80 in independent expenditures. Filtered Schedule E output against Boebert returns anti-Boebert rows with support / oppose indicator O. Source type: federal campaign-finance record.
2022-03-18 - The official TRACER detail-page capture lists THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT VARELA FOR SD3, committee 20225042504, with date registered 2022-03-18. The same page lists complaint ED2022-16, now closed. Source type: Colorado state campaign-finance record.
2022-03-26 - The official TRACER detail-page capture displays Varela's candidate affidavit date for the Senate District 03 record. Source type: Colorado state campaign-finance record.
2022-09-09 - The official TRACER detail-page capture lists complaint ED2022-60, now closed. Source type: Colorado state campaign-finance record.
2022-09-14 - Colorado Times Recorder reports allegations in the ED2022-60 complaint concerning candidate-affidavit, financial-disclosure, and expenditure-report issues. This is allegation reporting; the current repo does not preserve complaint orders. Source type: reporting.
2022 cycle - OpenFEC committee totals show Rural Colorado United with $41,279.13 in independent expenditures. Filtered Schedule E output against Boebert returns anti-Boebert rows with support / oppose indicator O. Source type: federal campaign-finance record.
2023-01-19 - CDE's official news release says Varela was sworn in as a Colorado State Board of Education member representing Congressional District 3 after a Republican vacancy committee appointment. Source type: official state agency release.
2024-01-10 - OpenFEC records first-file date for STEPHEN VARELA FOR COLORADO, committee C00865501, Varela's 2024 federal principal campaign committee. Source type: federal campaign-finance record.
2024-01-11 - Colorado Times Recorder reports that Varela launched a campaign for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, the seat Boebert had previously held before switching districts. The same report notes Varela's earlier role in forming an anti-Boebert PAC. Source type: reporting.
2024 cycle - OpenFEC committee totals show STEPHEN VARELA FOR COLORADO with $292,479.31 in receipts and disbursements. The same package shows LAUREN BOEBERT FOR CONGRESS with $4,822,754.48 in receipts and $5,434,885.03 in disbursements. Selected Schedule B / by-recipient slices show shared payees, but not coordination. Source type: federal campaign-finance record.