The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the campaign spending of Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., according to Axios and The Washington Examiner.
A source told Axios the probe began after a whistleblower complaint in Southern California. A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Gallego is the subject of the investigation for potential violations of campaign finance laws. The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed it.
The Politico findings
A week earlier, Politico reported that Gallego used campaign money on family trips to Miami, Saint Barthélemy, Disneyland, Disney World and Chicago. It also said he used $18,000 from his leadership PAC to reimburse himself for childcare costs.
The same reporting examined a committee called the Swallego Victory Fund, which Gallego and then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., formed in October 2022. The two lawmakers, their families, donors and staff attended the 2023 Super Bowl in Arizona, and they described the gathering as a fundraiser for the fund. The committee raised $56,505, all but $900 of it logged by the FEC between Jan. 31 and Feb. 13, 2023, Politico reported. It spent $34,700 on event tickets and about $2,715 at The Henry, a Phoenix brunch restaurant. The fund raised nothing after March 2023 and shut down in 2025.
Gallego has defended the spending. “This is not breaking news,” he told Politico, according to the report. “With the rising costs of child care and the burden it has on the budgets of American families, Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House alike regularly travel with their wives and children, as is permitted by the FEC.” He has insisted the Super Bowl tickets were a legitimate fundraising expense.
Ethics Committee, then DOJ
On Monday the Senate Ethics Committee closed an inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations, finding no evidence that Gallego broke Senate rules or applicable law, according to a letter his office released and Axios reported. The committee said it keeps the authority to revisit the allegations if new evidence emerges, including evidence that could come from the federal investigation.
After the complaints were dismissed, Gallego called them “right-wing conspiracies peddled by far-right activists,” NPR reported. The Justice Department investigation became known less than a day later.
Gallego was close to Swalwell, who resigned from Congress after a series of sexual misconduct allegations, including claims of rape and sexual assault. Swalwell admitted to “mistakes” and denied criminal behavior. He was running for governor of California at the time.
Sources
- Report: Sen. Ruben Gallego Faces DOJ Probe Over Campaign Spending
- Dem senator faces DOJ probe after allegations of spending campaign funds on luxury lifestyle
