Justice Department investigating Sen. Ruben Gallego's use of campaign funds, sources say

Key Points:

• The Justice Department has initiated an investigation into Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona over possible campaign finance violations related to his use of campaign funds for family trips since 2019, triggered by a whistleblower complaint.
• Federal records indicate Gallego billed his campaign for trips to locations such as Puerto Rico, Nantucket, and Miami, and a PAC co-founded by Gallego and former Rep. Eric Swalwell spent over $37,000 on Super Bowl tickets and meals in 2023; the PAC has since been terminated.
• Gallego denies any wrongdoing and has not been formally contacted by the Justice Department; his spokesperson claims the investigation is politically motivated, linking it to recent Senate Ethics Committee clearance of Gallego from unrelated allegations.
• The bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee recently dismissed an unrelated complaint against Gallego involving sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations, finding no evidence of wrongdoing and noting Gallego's full cooperation.
• Legal experts note that investigations into personal use of campaign funds hinge on whether expenditures have a clear campaign purpose, with more tenuous links increasing the likelihood of violations.