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

Washington —  The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona for possible campaign finance violations, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

The case was prompted by a whistleblower complaint in Southern California, one of the sources added. 

The investigation focuses on Gallego's usage of campaign funds since 2019 for family trips, according to a source familiar with the probe. Federal Election Commission records show that Gallego has billed his campaign accounts for trips to Puerto Rico, Nantucket, Miami and other places.

Federal records also show that in 2023, a political action committee set up by Gallego and former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California spent over $37,000 on tickets and meals for the Super Bowl. According to records, the committee has since been terminated.

Swalwell and Gallego's PAC held a fundraiser in connection with the 2023 Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, to raise money for Gallego's election, he has previously told Fox News.

Swalwell resigned from Congress in April and ended his bid for California governor after several women accused him of sexual misconduct. Swalwell has denied the allegations.

Gallego has denied campaign finance wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime. He has not been contacted by the Justice Department about any potential or ongoing probe, according to a person familiar with the matter granted anonymity to speak frankly about the situation. Subjects of Justice Department investigations are not typically notified in the early stages and often find out about probes when an indictment is sought, records are subpoenaed or seized through a court-authorized search, or a search warrant is executed.

In a statement, a spokesman for Gallego dismissed the investigation as politically motivated. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment.

"Trump is targeting Senator Gallego while the most weaponized Department of Justice in history is turning a blind eye to Trump's unprecedented corruption," the spokesman said. "It's the least surprising news of the week that this comes immediately after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared Senator Gallego of rightwing smears pushed by the administration weeks ago." 

Caleb Burns, a partner at the law firm of Wiley Rein and co-chair of its Election Law & Government Ethics practice, said an investigation into impermissible personal use of campaign funds is highly fact-specific and will depend on the extent to which there is a link to a campaign purpose.

"Members of Congress will routinely spend campaign funds to travel or go to an event because there is a clear campaign purpose associated with it, for example, a campaign fundraising event they are attending," Burns told CBS News.  "The more attenuated the campaign connection, the more viable a claim that campaign funds were spent for personal use."

The investigation was first reported by Axios.

The bipartisan Ethics Committee dismissed an unrelated complaint against Gallego last Friday, his office said earlier Monday. GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida referred alleged misconduct to the bipartisan panel in April, saying the allegations were "sexual in nature" and involved campaign finance violations. Gallego denied those allegations at the time.

A letter to Gallego from the committee said it "did not find evidence that your actions violated federal law, Senate rules or related standards of conduct." Gallego's office made the letter public.

The committee also said Gallego provided "full cooperation" throughout its investigation. The panel said it considered statements offered by individuals identified in the complaint, Federal Election Commission reports, House and Senate expenditure reports and other information. 

"As always, the Committee retains the authority to revisit this matter should additional facts become known to the Committee," the ethics panel said.