Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, a close friend of the disgraced former California Congressman Eric Swalwell, is distancing himself from the swirling allegations of sexual misconduct that have recently come to light. Gallego asserts he was unaware of any inappropriate actions by Swalwell, despite having previously heard that his friend had a “flirty” demeanor.

Swalwell, a Democrat who was once a strong contender for California governor, is now facing serious accusations from five women, including claims of rape and assault. These allegations have significantly derailed his political aspirations.

While Swalwell has firmly denied the charges, he has admitted to past “mistakes” and has issued a public apology to his wife, acknowledging the turmoil the situation has caused.

During a press conference in his office on Tuesday, an emotional Gallego expressed his shock and disappointment over the revelations. He broke down in tears, emphasizing the trust he once placed in Swalwell and the betrayal he feels in light of the allegations.

“It hurts, knowing that he has caused harm to many people,” Gallego stated. “It infuriates me that we all have to manage the consequences of his actions—his family, and especially the victims who are now seeking justice.”

‘And it hurts, the fact that he hurt a lot of people, and it pisses me off that now we all have to deal with all of his BS, his family, the poor victims that are still going to have to seek justice,’ Gallego said.

Turning on his longtime friend and colleague, he said that Swalwell ‘became very good at being a predator.’

He also noted that he ‘lied to all of us’ while he held senior roles on the House Judiciary Committee, and was an active voice in the fight to impeach Donald Trump.

Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego holds a press conference in his office on Tuesday, April 14th to dicscuss his ties to him longtime friend Eric Swalwell 

Swalwell and Gallego on Capitol Hill in September of 2021

Gallego also called the women accusing Swalwell ‘courageous,’ adding that they ‘still deserve justice, and promised that he would turn over any requested legal evidence in cases against his longtime friend.

Swalwell filed his resignation from Congress with the Clerk of the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon after a fifth woman came forward with scathing allegations.

Swalwell and Gallego have been close throughout their time in Congress, and their families appear to be friendly as well. 

Gallego noted that he had contacted Swalwell’s wife through a friend regarding the allegations swirling around her husband. 

The Arizona politician’s personal life came under scrutiny during his Senate race. 

He is now married to his second wife, after filing for divorce from his first wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who was pregnant at the time of the filing.

Divorce records show that he allegedly told his ex-wife, current Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, their marriage was over on December 15, 2016.

Gallego filed a motion to seal the divorce records on the same day he filed them and later fought with the Washington Free Beacon to keep them sealed after the conservative outlet sued for access.

Divorce records in Arizona are usually public, however, Gallego filed to have their records sealed because ‘each party is a high-profile public official,’ and their case would ‘likely receive intense scrutiny from the media.’

In the filings, Kate appeared to have been surprised by Gallego’s characterization of their marriage as ‘irretrievably broken’, and responded in court that she was ‘without knowledge’ of his intentions.

Their divorce was finalized in April 2017. At the time, Kate was a member of the Phoenix City Council, and she went on to be elected the Mayor of Phoenix in March 2019. 

Eric Swalwell and his wife Brittany Watts attend the CORE Gala 2022

Lonna Drewes reacts during a press conference alleging US Representative Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted her alongside a photo of Drewes with Swalwell (R) on April 14, in Beverly Hills, California

More women are rumored to be ready to come forward with their own accusations. 

The latest accuser Lonna Drewes spoke alongside her attorneys in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

She accused Swalwell of drugging her and raping her in 2018 after the opening of a restaurant.

Swalwell allegedly raped and choked her, and also noted, ‘While he was choking me, I lost consciousness. I thought I died.’

Even an announcement of Swalwell’s departure from Congress doesn’t seem to be stemming the flow of accusations of sexual improprieties being hurled his way.

Lisa Bloom, attorney for the accuser Drewes, told reporters that Swalwell’s then-impending resignation was a bid to dodge accountability, not an act of it.

‘Once he steps down, the Ethics Committee no longer has jurisdiction to impose consequences on him,’ she said.

The US House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Swalwell on Monday. 

A video of Swalwell and a woman in bed — with at least two other individuals apparently present — circulated on X on Monday. One of the individuals in the video is thought to be Gallego.

At least five women have now accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including rape, sexual assault, and unsolicited messages and photos.

Annika Albrecht, the Swalwell accuser who came forward Tuesday morning, told CBS that, ‘For me, justice won’t be until he can’t ever harm a woman ever again, and he has faced the consequences for the women that he has harmed.’

Albrecht said she too had been invited to meet Swalwell in a hotel room – adding it was ‘very clear what the connotation was.’ She now finds herself thinking about ‘how lucky I am that I didn’t go to that hotel.’

Annika Albrecht, Ally Sammarco and influencer Cheyenne Hunt spoke to CBS News about the allegations against Democratic Swalwell

Images show Annika Albrecht (Annika Haug) in a meeting with Congressman Eric Swalwell and other college students

Another image linking Swalwell and Albrecht

Swalwell announced on Monday that he will resign his Congressional seat after being engulfed by explosive sexual assault and misconduct allegations. The Democrat – who suspended his run for California governor on Sunday – apologized to his family and staff, but insisted the claims are false.

Pressure had been mounting since Friday, when the San Francisco Chronicle published a bombshell report in which multiple women accused him of misconduct.

A former staffer told CNN over the weekend that Swalwell raped her while she was drunk – and that despite her attempts to push him away during the encounter, ‘He didn’t stop.’

He has denied the allegations and vowed to fight them – but over the weekend his political career went into freefall.

In a statement Monday, Swalwell confirmed he would resign from the House but gave no date for his departure. ‘I am deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility for the mistakes I did make,’ he said.

He added that he was aware of efforts to force an immediate expulsion vote, warning it would be wrong to remove a lawmaker without due process ‘within days of an allegation being made.’