Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego filed paperwork Tuesday to establish a legal defense fund in response to an ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The IRS filing followed Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s accusations of sexual misconduct against Gallego in April, which the Arizona Democrat has denied. Luna asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune to investigate the “disturbing allegations,” some of which she said were “sexual in nature” while others involved violations of campaign finance laws.
Thune previously confirmed to reporters that the accusations are under investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, according to News Of The United States (NOTUS).
Gallego’s office said he set up the fund because the senator is “under attack from right-wing conspiracy theorists like Anna Paulina Luna, the Trump Administration, and their cronies,” according to Just the News.
Luna said in April that a woman and her attorneys wanted to go on-the-record about an alleged incident that occurred between her and Gallego. The senator stated that he had never engaged in any sexual misconduct or any other inappropriate behavior with women.
Gallego came under scrutiny when former Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress over allegations of sexual assault and harassment. Several women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including a former staff member who alleged he initiated intimate contact when she was incapable of giving consent.
Following the resignation, Gallego claimed that Swalwell “lied” to him about his personal past. Gallego served as chairman for Swalwell’s failed 2020 presidential bid and has repeatedly been described as Swalwell’s “best friend.”
Gallego’s office and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
