The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) related to luxury outings and family trips paid for with campaign donations, The Post confirmed.
The DOJ probe into possible campaign finance violations by the potential 2028 Democratic presidential, first reported by Axios, stems from a whistleblower complaint out of Southern California.
News of the investigation surfaced just hours after the Senate Ethics Committee rejected a complaint filed against the Arizona Democrat accusing him of campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct.
“[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 said in a statement to Axios.
“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.
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.”
Gallego is adamant that he didn’t break any campaign finance rules, specifically noting “the FEC has stated that childcare may be reimbursed,” in an X post last week.
The senator’s office and the DOJ did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
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