Ruben Gallego

Democratic

Senator
State: AZ

Arizona

via: timesnownews.com

Senator Ruben Gallego Accused Of Relationships With Staffers, Refuses To Deny It

Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego.

Democratic Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego had sexual relationships with at least two House staffers during his time in Congress, according to a New York Post report, which cites multiple sources. The report claims that Gallego, 46, admitted to one source that he had been involved in two relationships, both with aides who worked for Texas Democrats. A second source told the outlet they had recently become aware of these relationships, and a third source independently confirmed at least one of them.

According to the sources cited in the report, both relationships were consensual and took place during the decade Gallego spent representing Phoenix in the House before his 2024 election to the Senate. One of the women involved was in her twenties, notably younger than Gallego at the time.

Concerns Over Power Dynamics

One source described the relationships as part of a larger pattern of questionable judgment calls, pointing specifically to the uneven power dynamic that comes with an elected official dating people who work under him in some capacity. That source went further, questioning what other undisclosed episodes might still be out there. Both relationships are believed to have happened while Gallego was unmarried.

Ethics Committee Complaint Was Dismissed

The report comes about a month after the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a separate complaint against Gallego filed by Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican. That complaint had alleged campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct.

According to the report, the committee, chaired by Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, never asked about Gallego's relationships with House staffers, likely because members were not aware of them. Instead, the panel's review stayed narrowly focused on the specific allegations Luna had presented.

Gallego's Response

Shortly after the story published, Gallego was approached by an NBC News journalist on Capitol Hill and asked about the report. He replied that he was not going to engage in gossip. When pressed again on whether the reporting was accurate, he repeated the same response.

Separately, after the Ethics Committee dismissed Luna's complaint, Gallego had described her allegations as right-wing conspiracies pushed by far-right activists, naming Luna, the White House, and their allies, and called for an apology.

Broader Context

Questions about Gallego's personal conduct had already been circulating following the April resignation of his close friend and fellow Democrat, Representative Eric Swalwell of California, after multiple women accused Swalwell of sexual harassment or assault. Gallego has said he had no knowledge of Swalwell's alleged misconduct.

Luna had made additional claims in the weeks before the Ethics Committee's dismissal. In an April 16 CBS News interview, she alleged that a woman was preparing to come forward about an incident involving both Gallego and Swalwell that she said was sexual in nature. Then on April 23, Luna posted on social media that she had heard from four women describing repeated and uncomfortable advances, comments, or touching from Gallego.

After Gallego criticized her following the Ethics Committee's dismissal of her complaint, Luna responded online, suggesting that more information would eventually surface and urging him to continue raising money for a legal defense fund.

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Ruben Gallego

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Senator Ruben Gallego Accused Of Relationships With Staffers, Refuses To Deny It