Sen. Ruben Gallego is facing renewed scrutiny over how his campaign-related political committees have spent donor funds after reports highlighted expenditures on family travel, childcare expenses, and fundraising events, including a Super Bowl trip organized with former Rep. Eric Swalwell, as reported by Fox News.
According to campaign finance records reviewed by Politico, Gallego’s leadership PAC and campaign committees paid for travel to destinations including Saint Barthélemy, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Miami, and Chicago.
A source familiar with the senator’s finances told the outlet that Gallego frequently traveled with family members and used donor funds to help cover childcare expenses.
“He just spends his campaign account like it’s his personal slush fund,” the source told Politico.
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“He’s using campaign cash to live a luxury lifestyle.”
Campaign finance filings show that Gallego’s campaign and leadership PAC collectively spent more than $18,000 on childcare-related costs. Among the expenditures was a $400 payment to his wife’s mother.
Gallego defended the spending, telling Politico that such expenses are permitted under federal campaign finance rules.
“This is not breaking news,” Gallego said.
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“With the rising costs of childcare and the burden it has on the budgets of American families, Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House alike regularly travel with their wives and children, as is permitted by the FEC.”
One of the more notable expenditures involved a joint fundraising committee established by Gallego and Swalwell. Records show the committee purchased tickets to Super Bowl LVII in 2023 as part of a donor fundraising event.
According to reports, the event cost more than $37,000 and offered contributors the opportunity to attend the game and participate in a brunch with the lawmakers in exchange for qualifying donations.
The fundraising effort reportedly generated just under $8,000 in profit for each lawmaker before the committee ceased operations.
A spokesperson for Gallego told Politico that the “tickets were purchased at fair market value” and added that “hosting donors and supporters at sporting events in their areas is a common, bipartisan practice.”
The report also examined travel expenditures tied to Gallego’s leadership PAC. A source familiar with the spending told Politico that a trip to Saint Barthélemy was connected to a birthday celebration for the employer of Gallego’s wife.
The same source alleged that a trip to Miami, which included approximately $9,000 in charges at a beachfront hotel, coincided with his wife’s birthday.
Gallego’s office disputed suggestions that the trips were personal in nature. A spokesperson told Politico that the Saint Barthélemy travel was part of “a multi-stop political and fundraising swing — as senators regularly do.”
Regarding the Miami trip, the spokesperson said Gallego and his wife “attended several widely attended political events and fundraisers.”
Federal campaign finance law prohibits lawmakers from using funds from their principal campaign committees for personal expenses unrelated to campaign activities. Leadership PACs, however, operate under broader spending rules that permit expenditures connected to fundraising efforts.
Reports noted there is no indication that any of Gallego’s leadership PAC expenditures violated federal law.
The controversy comes as Gallego is reportedly weighing a possible presidential campaign in 2028 following his 2024 Senate victory in Arizona.
According to Politico, some individuals within his political circle have privately expressed concerns about how he would fare under the intense scrutiny of a national campaign.
His longtime friendship with Swalwell has also drawn attention. Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor and resigned from Congress following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Separately, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has urged the Senate to investigate Gallego over allegations involving sexual misconduct and campaign finance issues. Gallego has denied the accusations.
IRS records reviewed by Politico show that Gallego established a legal defense fund last month.
“Any person close to Gallego would know that he is one of the most vetted candidates after his tough 2024 campaign, where millions of dollars were spent against him,” said Jacques Petit, Gallego’s communications director.
“Despite that, he overperformed the top of the ticket. Now he is focused on delivering for Arizonans and electing Democrats in 2026.”
Fox News Digital reported that Gallego did not respond to its request for comment.
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