Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is facing mounting scrutiny over his relationship with former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) following a sexual misconduct scandal that forced the California congressman to suspend his gubernatorial campaign and resign from Congress.
“An important question everyone should be asking: what did Senator Ruben Gallego know and when did he know it?” journalist Yashar Ali wrote on X.
Gallego, a longtime ally of Swalwell, chaired his short-lived 2020 presidential campaign and served alongside him in Congress for years. He endorsed Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid on March 26, with the Arizona Mirror describing the two as “one of Gallego’s closest friends in Congress.”
The pair’s relationship extended beyond politics. In 2021, they traveled with their spouses to Qatar on a luxury trip, where they met with officials linked to a controversial charity and posed for photos riding camels in the desert.
Gallego initially defended Swalwell as reports emerged that the congressman could soon face sexual misconduct allegations.
“When you are in first place, is when they target you,” Gallego wrote on April 7. “Eric is a fighter and he will win the Governors race.”
He also criticized Democratic influencer Arielle Fodor, known as “Mrs. Frazzled,” who had predicted that the allegations would derail Swalwell’s campaign.
Days later, however, Gallego reversed course. In an April 10 statement, he said he was “shocked and upset” by the accusations and regretted defending Swalwell “prior to knowing all the information.”
The allegations — including claims that Swalwell raped a former staffer and acted inappropriately toward other women — have since drawn widespread attention and triggered a criminal investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Some observers have questioned Gallego’s claim that he was unaware of the alleged behavior, which critics say had been widely known in political circles.
“I’ve covered Eric Swalwell since he was a member of the Dublin City Council,” wrote Bay Area journalist Steven Tavares. “Shortly after being elected to Congress in 2013, his behavior towards women was known by all levels of our local government and the Alameda County Democratic Party.”
Gallego entered Congress in 2015. A 2018 CNN report on sexual harassment in Congress cited multiple sources who independently identified “one California congressman” for pursuing female staffers.
The woman accusing Swalwell of rape had worked on his 2019 presidential campaign — which Gallego chaired — and later in his congressional office until 2021. Her account was detailed in a San Francisco Chronicle report that Gallego referenced when withdrawing his endorsement.
The controversy has also drawn renewed attention to Gallego’s personal history. He divorced his first wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, less than a year after entering Congress. He filed for divorce while she was nine months pregnant, describing the marriage as “irretrievably broken,” a claim she disputed. Details of the case became public in 2024 after court records were unsealed.
Swalwell resigned from Congress on Monday, saying he would take responsibility for his “mistakes” while continuing to deny the allegations as “false.” (RELATED: Eric Swalwell: Taken Out By His Own Democrat Hit Squad)
In a subsequent statement, Gallego said Swalwell was “no longer fit” to serve and again maintained he had “no knowledge” of the alleged misconduct.
“I trusted someone who I believed was a friend,” Gallego wrote, “but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew.”
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liar
Gallego knew nothing about this, although most other people around them did.
He knew nothing! Riiiight! And pigs can fly!
Looks as though gallego lies as much as schiff does.