Complaint against Ruben Gallego dismissed by Senate Ethics
Committee found no evidence of violations hinted at by Anna Paulina Luna, Gallego says
The Senate Ethics Committee has dismissed a complaint against Sen. Ruben Gallego following an investigation of “alleged campaign finance violations and inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature,” according to a letter released by the Arizona Democrat.
The probe came as Congress grappled with a wave of sexual harassment allegations and as Gallego faced scrutiny for his friendship with former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who resigned in April amid accusations of misconduct.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., previously posted on X about an unidentified senator with claims of “inappropriate advances” against them, later specifying in a CBS News interview that she was referring to Gallego.
“I have now heard of 4 women who have had multiple and uncomfortable/inappropriate advances/comments/touching, etc. from Senator Gallego. This is not made up and the Senate is being awfully quiet about it,” Luna wrote on X in April.
Gallego denied any wrongdoing and asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate him. He also denied prior knowledge of misconduct by Swalwell, a close friend of his for many years. Before resigning from Congress, Swalwell apologized for any “mistakes in judgment” but denied allegations against him.
In the letter released by Gallego, dated June 26, Senate Ethics members write, “The Committee did not find evidence that your actions violated Federal law, Senate Rules, or related standards of conduct.”
“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,” Gallego said in a statement.
Congressional ethics has been in the spotlight for the last several months after the accusations against Swalwell and former Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who both resigned amid widespread calls for their ouster from Congress. While mostly limited to the House, members and staff on both sides of the aisle have pushed for changes to how Congress addresses sexual misconduct. They have also questioned the speed and transparency of the congressional ethics process, complaining that the highly secretive House and Senate Ethics panels move too slowly.




