Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Democrat viewed as a rising star in his party and potential 2028 presidential contender, is facing new allegations that he had sexual relationships with at least two congressional staffers during his time in the House of Representatives.
The New York Post reported Thursday that Gallego admitted to the relationships with two House aides, according to one source. A second source independently confirmed learning of the relationships, while a third confirmed one of the affairs, which reportedly involved staffers working for Texas Democrats.
The relationships are said to have occurred during Gallego’s time representing Phoenix in the House and were described by one source as part of a broader “pattern of mistakes and missteps.” The source pointed to the inherent power imbalance between a member of Congress and junior staff, noting that one of the women was significantly younger than Gallego at the time.
The Post reported that both relationships were consensual and are believed to have occurred before Gallego married his current wife, Sydney, in 2021. Gallego’s office did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
The allegations surfaced weeks after the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint filed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL). According to the Post, committee investigators never asked about the alleged staff relationships because the claims were not included in Luna’s complaint.
“Ethics looked in the wrong place,” one source familiar with the matter said.
Rumors about Gallego’s personal conduct intensified after the downfall of his longtime friend and former roommate, former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
Swalwell resigned from Congress earlier this year after multiple women accused him of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and inappropriate behavior. Gallego initially defended Swalwell before later withdrawing his support after additional accusations emerged.
Luna has repeatedly suggested Gallego’s own conduct warranted further scrutiny. In April, she claimed that a woman was preparing to come forward regarding an alleged incident involving both Gallego and Swalwell. Days later, she said she had heard from four women alleging “multiple and uncomfortable/inappropriate advances/comments/touching” by Gallego. Following the Ethics Committee’s dismissal of Luna’s complaint, Gallego characterized the claims as “right-wing conspiracies peddled by far-right activists.”
“The good news about DC is everyone talks, and eventually the reporters come forward with your texts,” Luna responded on X. After the Post published its report Thursday, NBC News reporter Frank Thorp asked Gallego directly about the allegations. “I’m not going to engage in gossip,” Gallego replied. When pressed on whether the report was true, the senator repeated: “I’m not going to engage in gossip.”
Despite the growing controversies, several Democratic operatives have previously told reporters that Gallego continues to harbor ambitions to run for president in 2028.
Gallego also remains under scrutiny over a separate Justice Department investigation into his campaign spending.
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