The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) over questions tied to campaign-funded luxury outings and family travel, The Post confirmed.
The inquiry, first reported by Axios, is examining possible campaign finance violations involving the Arizona Democrat, who has been discussed as a potential 2028 presidential contender. The matter reportedly grew out of a whistleblower complaint from Southern California.
Word of the DOJ probe emerged just hours after the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint against Gallego that had accused 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.
The spokesperson also argued that the timing was telling, saying, “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 scrutiny follows a Politico report last week that Gallego used money from a joint campaign account created with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) to attend Super Bowl LVII in Arizona with his wife in 2023.
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The account, known as the “Swallego Victory Fund,” was established by Gallego and Swalwell in October 2022. According to the report, it hosted a fundraiser around the Super Bowl and spent more than $37,000 on tickets and meals.
Federal Election Commission filings also show that Gallego has used his political action committee and campaign funds to cover about $18,000 in child care costs since 2019. Those expenses included 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.
