A Senate panel said it found no evidence for vague charges made by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) about an incident involving Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona).
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The Senate has dropped an ethics investigation into Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), concluding that allegations of campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct made by a colleague were without merit.
Gallego came under intense scrutiny this spring because of his close friendship with former congressman Eric Swalwell (D-California), who resigned in April after an ex-staffer accused him of sexual assault. Swalwell denied any wrongdoing, and Gallego immediately distanced himself and said he had no knowledge of Swalwell’s alleged behavior.
In the days that followed, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, an often-provocative Florida Republican, made vague charges about an incident between Gallego and a woman that was “sexual in nature.” She referred it to the Senate for investigation.
In a letter, released publicly Monday by Gallego, the Senate Ethics Committee said it had dismissed the complaint after finding no evidence that Gallego’s actions violated federal law or Senate rules.
“The dismissal by the Ethics Committee reaffirms what I have said about these accusations from the beginning,” Gallego said in a statement, “they were right-wing conspiracies peddled by far-right activists like Anna Paulina Luna, the White House, and their allies.”
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The letter, dated Friday, said the committee — a bipartisan group of six senators — requested information from Gallego on April 17 and May 15, and considered statements from people identified in the complaint, campaign finance reports and office expenditures to reach its conclusion.
“The Committee also noted your prompt contact with the Committee following media reports of the allegations and appreciated your full cooperation with the Committee throughout the investigation,” they wrote.
Gallego, who is exploring a 2028 presidential campaign, said he looked forward to an apology from Luna “for weaponizing the ethics process while refusing to investigate historic corruption that’s making life harder for families.”
But Luna doubled down Monday on social media, calling Gallego “a gross example of representation.”
“There are plenty of people who know about your antics,” she wrote. “Do yourself a favor and keep raising for your legal defense fund. Once a creep always a creep, and you’re gonna need it.”
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