Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego filed paperwork Tuesday to establish a legal defense fund in response to an ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The IRS filing followed Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s unverified accusations of sexual misconduct against Gallego in April, which the Arizona Democrat has denied. Luna asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune to investigate the “disturbing allegations,” some of which she said were “sexual in nature” while others involved violations of campaign finance laws.
Thune previously confirmed to reporters that the accusations are under investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, according to News Of The United States (NOTUS).
Gallego’s office told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the senator set up the fund because he is “under attack from right-wing conspiracy theorists.”
“Senator Gallego is under attack from right-wing conspiracy theorists like Anna Paulina Luna, the Trump Administration, and their cronies. This White House has made clear it is their priority to abuse their power and target political enemies. Senator Gallego will not stand for it,” Gallego spokesperson Jacques Petit said.
In response to Gallego, Luna’s office told the DCNF that Gallego is not to be trusted and held firm that the sexual misconduct allegations were credible.
“Gallego fake-cried at a press conference and lied about his knowledge of Swalwell’s misconduct,” a Luna spokesperson told the DCNF. “His credibility is nonexistent, and everyone knows about his drunken escapades at Tune In. This also isn’t the first time he’s been investigated for sexual harassment/misconduct; he was previously investigated while serving in the legislature.”
“The real question people should be asking is: Why did he feel the need to inappropriately touch female staffers? And why was he sending allegedly sexually explicit texts to a female reporter?” the spokesperson added.
Luna said in April that a woman and her attorneys wanted to go on-the-record about an alleged incident that occurred between her and Gallego. The senator stated that he had never engaged in any sexual misconduct or any other inappropriate behavior with women.
Gallego came under scrutiny when former Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress over allegations of sexual assault and harassment. Several women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including a former staff member who alleged he initiated intimate contact when she was incapable of giving consent.
Following the resignation, Gallego claimed that Swalwell “lied” to him about his personal past. Gallego served as chairman for Swalwell’s failed 2020 presidential bid and has repeatedly been described as Swalwell’s “best friend.”
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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