Ruben Gallego in August 2024 (Photo: Gage Skidmore | Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint against Sen. Ruben Gallego, saying in a letter that it found no evidence that the Arizona Democrat violated House rules or federal law.
Earlier this year, Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna filed a complaint with the six-member committee, alleging that the senator violated campaign finance laws and engaged in what the letter described as “inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature.”
Gallego wrote social media post Monday’s “dismissal by the Ethics Committee confirms what I have said all along about these accusations: They were right-wing conspiracies spread by far-right activists like Anna Paulina Luna, the White House and their allies.”
“I look forward to MP Luna’s apology for weaponizing the ethics process while refusing to investigate historic corruption that makes life difficult for families,” Gallego added.
Luna wrote social media post in response to Gallego’s post that he did not consider the complaints to be “conspiracy theories.”
“The good news about DC is that everyone is talking and eventually reporters are sending your texts,” she wrote. “Do yourself a favor and keep collecting for the legal defense fund. Once a jerk, always a jerk, and you’re going to need it.”
The Ethics Committee wrote letter on June 26 that it “reserves the right to reconsider this case should the Commission become aware of additional facts.”
Ethics Committee Chairman James Lankford, R-Okla., ranking member Chris Coons, D-Del., Idaho Republican Sen. James Risch, Hawaii Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer and New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen signed the letter.
Luna did allegations against Gallego in April, just after California Republican Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales resigned in connection with accusations of sexual harassment.
In an April 15 social media post addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, she wrote that “it looks like the Senate has its own garbage to take out. @LeaderJohnThune You need to look into the allegations made against one of your senators, it’s very disturbing. My boss will be contacting your boss.”
