Sen. Gallego seeks apology after Senate ends sexual misconduct inquiry
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., wants an apology from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., after an investigation into Gallego’s behavior based on her comments came up empty-handed.
According to a letter obtained by NBC News, the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed Luna’s allegations after the panel said it “did not find evidence” to back them up. Luna’s accusation came shortly after reports alleged that Gallego’s friend, former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., sexually assaulted and harassed several women.
Gallego denied knowing anything about the allegations and later said he was “lied to.”
What were the allegations?
In late April, during the Swalwell fallout, Luna wrote on X, saying that she had “heard of 4 women who have had multiple and uncomfortable/inappropriate advances/comments/touching, etc. from Senator Gallego.” Luna also said the Senate was being “awfully quiet about it.”
Before directly calling out Gallego, Luna posted earlier allegations that multiple women had come forward in recent months with allegations against men in Congress from both parties. She said leadership in both chambers had failed to act.
“There are many young women over the last few months that have come forward about multiple MALE members of congress, both Democrat and Republican and the leadership on both sides has done nothing,” Luna wrote. “I am not going to act like it is fine. This is NOT okay.”
Days after her first post, she posted a follow-up with a direct message to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., asking him to look into what she called “very disturbing” allegations involving a senator. Her complaints ended up in the Senate Ethics Committee.
Later, during an interview with CBS News, Luna confirmed that Gallego was the unnamed senator she had referenced in her posts. CBS News reported that Gallego pushed back, labeling the allegations as “right-wing conspiracy theories being parroted by a fringe far-right member of Congress.”
Gallego echoed that statement on Monday after the ethics committee ended its inquiry.
“Today’s dismissal 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.
What’s next?
During her interview with CBS, Luna said that a woman was allegedly “coming forward with attorneys” and wanted to go on the record about “an incident that occurred between the two of them at the same time, and the event was sexual in nature,” referencing Swalwell and Gallego.
Luna did not provide further evidence regarding the allegation, and it’s unclear whether a woman ever brought a case against Gallego.
But this wasn’t the only negative press Gallego has seen recently. Gallego is also facing criticism over his use of campaign funds, as Straight Arrow previously reported.
Gallego received backlash after it was reported that he used funds from his leadership political action committee to finance family trips to Miami, Chicago and even both Disney resorts. He also reportedly used more than $18,000 in child care reimbursements since 2019.
Gallego told Politico that his use of his leadership PAC was “permitted by the FEC,” saying, “This is not breaking news.”
“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 said in a statement.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
