Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego (D) is facing new allegations involving past relationships with congressional staffers during his tenure in the U.S. House, prompting renewed scrutiny as the first-term senator is viewed by some as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028.
The allegations, first reported by the New York Post, center on claims from multiple unnamed sources that Gallego engaged in consensual relationships with at least two aides who worked for Texas Democratic lawmakers.
Gallego responded briefly when questioned by NBC News, declining to directly address the claims and saying, “I’m not going to engage in gossip.”
According to the Post, three separate sources corroborated the allegations.
One source said Gallego personally acknowledged the relationships, while another said they had recently learned about the incidents. A third source confirmed one of the relationships.
The report stated that both relationships occurred while Gallego represented Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in the House and that the interactions were consensual.
The senator was not married at the time the relationships allegedly occurred.
One source characterized the incidents as part of a broader “pattern of mistakes and missteps and judgment calls,” while questioning whether additional information could emerge.
The allegations surfaced weeks after the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint filed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) accusing Gallego of campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct.
According to the Post, a source familiar with the matter said the Senate Ethics Committee limited its review to the allegations included in Luna’s complaint and did not examine the alleged relationships with House staffers.
The committee has not publicly confirmed that those allegations were part of its review.
After the Post published its report, Luna called for Gallego’s resignation in a post on X.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) also urged the senator to step down, while former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) argued Congress should pursue expulsion if further investigations uncover misconduct.
Gallego’s office and the two former House staffers identified in the Post report did not respond to requests for comment, according to the publication.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also declined to comment when asked about the allegations, according to The Blaze.
Since 2018, House rules have barred members from pursuing relationships with employees working directly for them, though consensual relationships involving staff employed by other congressional offices generally are not prohibited.
Allegations of sexual harassment or other misconduct remain subject to ethics rules regardless of employment status.
The Post also noted that internal ethics investigations have uncovered additional misconduct in unrelated congressional cases in recent years.
Beyond the latest allegations, Gallego is also facing scrutiny over a Justice Department (DOJ) investigation into his campaign spending.
Federal investigators are reportedly examining whether certain campaign expenditures—including travel and entertainment costs—complied with campaign finance rules.
As previously reported by Resist the Mainstream, Super Bowl travel and trips to Disney properties were among the expenses being scrutinized.
Gallego has denied wrongdoing and has argued the DOJ investigation is politically motivated.
Despite the ongoing controversies, unnamed Democratic sources told the Post that Gallego has continued to harbor presidential ambitions, though they acknowledged the allegations could complicate those prospects.
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