Emotional Gallego says he heard ‘rumors’ of ‘flirty’ behavior by Swalwell but denies knowledge of sexual assault allegations

Key Points:

• Sen. Ruben Gallego expressed feeling lied to and manipulated by Rep. Eric Swalwell, a close friend and political ally, amid sexual assault allegations against Swalwell that led to his resignation from Congress.
• Gallego admitted he had heard rumors of Swalwell being "flirty" but never confronted him or witnessed any sexual misconduct, attributing his trust to Swalwell’s behavior around family and children.
• After allegations surfaced, Gallego urged Swalwell to leave Congress and the California governor’s race, which Swalwell subsequently did, while Gallego condemned Swalwell’s alleged double life and betrayal.
• Gallego plans to cooperate with investigations by releasing relevant communications if requested and intends to discuss with Senate leadership the creation of an independent body to protect staffers reporting sexual misconduct.
• Despite the controversy, Gallego denied any personal wrongdoing in his own marriage and expressed frustration over political attacks using the situation against him and his family.