JUST IN: Democrat Senator Under Federal Investigation

Democrat Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is now under federal investigation over allegations of campaign finance violations.

The DOJ investigation centers around whistleblower complaints that allege Sen. Gallego used campaign funds to fund multiple family trips, pay for childcare, and buy tickets to Super Bowl LVII.

Here are the details:

SCOOP: Sen. Ruben Gallego is under federal investigation for suspected campaign finance violations

The DOJ investigation stems from a "whistleblower complaint" out of Southern California, according to a source familiar with the probe.

w/ @MarcACaputo https://t.co/N8QZ1kQT9M

— Kate Santaliz (@kate_santaliz) June 29, 2026

The New York Post dove deeper into the specifics:

Last week, Politico reported that Gallego tapped into a joint campaign account with his ex-buddy, disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), to attend Super Bowl LVII in Arizona with his wife in 2023.

The “Swallego Victory Fund,” which both Gallego and Swalwell set up in October 2022, held a fundraiser at the big game and spent over $37,000 between tickets and meals.

Federal Election Commission records also show Gallego has spent $18,000 from his political action committee and campaign coffers on child care since 2019, including a $400 payment to his mother-in-law for babysitting.

Gallego also took his family on trips to Disney World and Disneyland, where he participated in PAC retreats. Records show the Disneyland excursion cost close to $1,500 for accommodations, not including flights.

The senator also reported thousands of dollars worth of campaign-funded travel to St. Barts, Miami and Chicago with his family.

“He just spends his campaign account like it’s his personal slush fund,” a source familiar with Gallego’s spending habits told Politico. “He’s using campaign cash to live a luxury lifestyle.”

These are serious allegations that could very well derail Sen. Gallego’s political future, as he considers a potential 2028 presidential run.

But, Gallego’s team has dismissed the investigation as political persecution by the Trump administration.

Axios reported:

Driving the news: The DOJ investigation stems from a “whistleblower complaint” out of Southern California, according to a source familiar with the probe.

• Gallego used a political committee’s PAC to fund excursions to Miami, Chicago, Disneyland and Disney World with his family, Politico first reported.

What they’re saying: “[President] Trump is targeting Senator Gallego while the most weaponized Department of Justice in history is turning a blind eye to Trump’s unprecedented corruption,” a Gallego spokesperson told Axios in a statement.

• “It’s the least surprising news of the week that this comes immediately after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared Senator Gallego of right-wing smears pushed by the administration,” the spokesperson added.
• The Justice Department declined to comment.

News of the DOJ’s investigation comes right after the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a misconduct complaint against Sen. Gallego.

NBC News reported further on that:

The Senate Ethics Committee has dismissed allegations of misconduct by Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., after an investigation.

In a letter obtained by NBC News, the six committee members, led by Chair James Lankford, R-Okla., and Vice Chair Chris Coons, D-Del., said the panel “did not find evidence” for the specific allegations Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., gave the committee.

In a letter obtained by NBC News, the six committee members, led by Chair James Lankford, R-Okla., and Vice Chair Chris Coons, D-Del., said the panel “did not find evidence” for the specific allegations Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., gave the committee.

“We are writing to inform you that the Select Committee on Ethics (the Committee) dismissed a complaint filed against you by Representative Anna Paulina Luna,” the senators wrote in a letter to Gallego.

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The letter, dated Friday, was provided by a source familiar with the investigation and has not previously been reported.

“Specifically, the complaint alleged campaign finance violations and inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature. In response to your request for an investigation, the Committee referred these allegations to you and requested additional information on April 17 and May 15, 2026. Based on the investigation of the Committee, the Committee did not find evidence that your actions violated Federal law, Senate Rules or related standards of conduct.”

The committee said it considered information in the complaint, statements by people identified in it and campaign and congressional office expenditure reports.

Sen. Gallego released a statement after the Ethics Committee tossed out the complaint:

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The dismissal by the Ethics Committee reaffirms what I have said about these accusations from the beginning: they were right-wing conspiracies peddled by far-right activists like Anna Paulina Luna, the White House, and their allies.

I look forward to an apology from Rep. Luna…

— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) June 29, 2026

The dismissal by the Ethics Committee reaffirms what I have said about these accusations from the beginning: they were right-wing conspiracies peddled by far-right activists like Anna Paulina Luna, the White House, and their allies.

I look forward to an apology from Rep. Luna for weaponizing the ethics process while refusing to investigate historic corruption that’s making life harder for families.

In the meantime, I will continue fighting for Arizonans and holding Trump Republicans accountable for high costs and new wars.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who first brought the complaint, was quick to respond to him:

These are not conspiracy theories. You’re a gross example of representation. Need I mention you leaving your pregnant wife during your Campaign for Senate? There are plenty of people who know about your antics.

The good news about DC is everyone talks, and eventually the… https://t.co/fxmgbD0xWf

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) June 29, 2026

These are not conspiracy theories. You’re a gross example of representation. Need I mention you leaving your pregnant wife during your Campaign for Senate? There are plenty of people who know about your antics.

The good news about DC is everyone talks, and eventually the reporters come forward with your texts. Do yourself a favor and keep raising for your legal defense fund. Once a creep always a creep, and you’re gonna need it.

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While the Senate Ethics Committee may have refused to investigate Sen. Gallego, this case is far from over.

Now, we’ll see how well Sen. Gallego’s claims of innocence hold up under the DOJ’s microscope.