The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., for potential violations of campaign finance laws. The probe comes after allegations that the senator used campaign donations to fund personal travel for himself and his family.
According to reports, Gallego allegedly used campaign money for trips to Miami, Saint Barthélemy, Disneyland, Disney World, and Chicago. He also reportedly used funds to attend the 2023 Super Bowl in Arizona. Gallego has maintained that the Super Bowl tickets were a legitimate campaign fundraising expense.
The senator's leadership PAC was also reportedly used to reimburse him for $18,000 in childcare costs.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Gallego defended his fundraising practices, stating, "candidates must go where the money is to raise money." He also commented on the personal travel allegations, suggesting that traveling with family is permitted by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and is common practice for members of Congress. Following the dismissal of ethics complaints related to these allegations, Gallego characterized them as "right-wing conspiracies peddled by far-right activists."
The DOJ investigation was revealed less than a day after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared Gallego of the complaints.
Gallego was noted to have been a close associate of former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct. Swalwell admitted to making "mistakes" but denied criminal behavior.
