On an unknown date, the Department of Justice opened an investigation into Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, who has been a consistent critic of Trump and his administration. The investigation is rooted in a whistleblower complaint from Southern California.
The investigation is in regard to Gallego’s use of a PAC to fund family trips to Puerto Rico, Miami, Nantucket, among other destinations. Gallego had also established a PAC with former Representative Eric Swalwell, which used money for tickets and amenities at the Super Bowl.
However, there is little, if any, public evidence of any illegal behavior by Gallego. As long as the PAC spending was campaign-related. In the case of the PAC established with Swalwell, the funds were used to buy tickets and food for supporters, so it was clearly campaign related. The trips to Puerto Rico, Nantucket, and Miami were all related to politics. Even if Gallego used the PAC money for purely personal expenses, this is legal because it was a leadership PAC.
A bipartisan Ethic Committee dismissed allegations of campaign finance violations and sexual abuse. The misconduct was alleged by Trump ally Representative Anna Paulina Luna. To use Trumpian language, this makes Gallego, who fully cooperated with the committee, “vindicated.”
Gallego’s spokesman denounced the investigation:
“Trump is targeting Senator Gallego while the most weaponized Department of Justice in history is turning a blind eye to Trump’s unprecedented corruption,” the spokesman said. “It’s the least surprising news of the week that this comes immediately after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared Senator Gallego of rightwing smears pushed by the administration weeks ago.”
CBS
