Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is facing renewed scrutiny following a report alleging he previously had consensual relationships with two House staffers during his time serving in the House of Representatives, just days after the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint filed against him.
According to a Thursday report from the New York Post, Gallego acknowledged two relationships with House aides, according to one source familiar with the matter. A second source also confirmed the alleged relationships to the newspaper, while a third source confirmed one of the reported relationships.
The relationships reportedly took place while Gallego represented a Phoenix-area district in the House between 2015 and 2025. According to the report, both women worked as aides for Texas Democrats.
One source characterized the reported relationships as part of what was described as “a pattern of mistakes and missteps and judgment calls,” pointing to what the source viewed as a power imbalance between members of Congress and congressional staff. The source also said one of the staffers was reportedly “much younger” than Gallego.
“What else could there be out there?” the source asked.
Gallego did not directly comment on the reported relationships.
According to the article, the relationships are believed to have occurred before Gallego married Sydney Gallego in 2019. The senator was previously married for six years before divorcing in 2016, and the reported relationships are believed to have taken place while he was unmarried.
The report surfaced shortly after the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint filed earlier this year by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.
In a letter to Gallego, members of the Senate Ethics Committee informed the senator that the complaint had been dismissed.
“We are writing to inform you that the Select Committee on Ethics (the Committee) dismissed a complaint filed against you by Representative Anna Paulina Luna,” the committee wrote.
Luna had previously alleged that she heard from multiple women regarding what she described as inappropriate behavior by Gallego.
“I have now heard of 4 women who have had multiple and uncomfortable/inappropriate advances/comments/touching, etc. from Senator Gallego. This is not made up and the Senate is being awfully quiet about it,” Luna wrote in an April post on X.
According to the New York Post, citing an insider, the Senate Ethics Committee’s review did not examine Gallego’s personal relationships. Instead, the investigation reportedly “focused squarely on what Luna presented to them.”
Following the dismissal, Gallego argued that the committee’s decision vindicated him.
“The dismissal by the Ethics Committee reaffirms what I have said about these accusations from the beginning: they were right-wing conspiracies peddled by far-right activists like Anna Paulina Luna, the White House, and their allies,” Gallego said.
Luna responded by maintaining her accusations.
“There are plenty of people who know about your antics,” she wrote. “The good news about DC is everyone talks, and eventually the reporters come forward with your texts. Do yourself a favor and keep raising for your legal defense fund. Once a creep always a creep, and you’re gonna need it.”
The article also noted that rumors surrounding Gallego’s personal life have been discussed by critics since his close friend Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress after being accused of sexual misconduct and assault by multiple women.
Additionally, the New York Post quoted a Democratic operative who said she was not surprised by the report concerning Gallego’s relationships with staffers.
“I have witnessed firsthand his very flirtatious nature after a couple of drinks. Maybe he thinks he’s being charming? I don’t know. Guy gives me the creeps. I’ve always steered clear,” she told the newspaper.
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