Arizona Democrat Sen. Ruben Gallego’s name has a habit of popping up when the subject of scandals in Congress arises.
After all, he was best buds with disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-14), who resigned in April amidst sexual assault allegations, reportedly served divorce papers on his first wife while she was nine months pregnant, allegedly had sexual relationships with two House staffers, was accused by GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) of sexually harassing women, and was the subject of a Senate ethics probe in June over suspected misuse of campaign funds.
Ruben Gallego served his wife divorce papers when she was nine months pregnant. He then entered into a relationship with a 25-year-old lobbyist.
— Katie Miller (@KatieMiller) June 24, 2026
The Senate Ethics Committee concluded that there was not enough evidence to prove that he used those funds to fund a lavish lifestyle, and Mr. Gallego might have thought the matter was in the rearview mirror.
He would have been wrong, because Politico revealed Saturday that the Department of Justice subpoenaed his political action committee in August and wants to know why it apparently paid for the Gallego family’s Disneyland trips among all sorts of other highly questionable expenses:
The Justice Department issued a federal grand jury subpoena — the existence of which has not been previously reported — on Aug. 21 to Gallego’s Juntos PAC. It demands that the PAC produce information related to “activities on or about” Sept. 9, 2025, as well as records and statements Gallego submitted to the Senate Ethics Committee related to its probe into allegations of misuse of campaign funds, which the panel dismissed in June.
Notably, Gallego could potentially face criminal charges over the matter:
The subpoena says it relates to an “ongoing criminal investigation” and that the requested records will be turned over to a grand jury. Its deadline was Sept. 4.
Ruben Gallego using PAC funds for vacations, including Miami, Disneyland and tickets with his bff Eric Swalwell to the Super Bowl??? https://t.co/Wj7ebauirF
— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) October 4, 2026
The subpoena came from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, which is led by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
The investigation was launched after a whistleblower claimed Gallego used campaign cash as “his personal slush fund” and lived the vida loca off donations. Must have been nice while it lasted:
[The expenses...] included trips to St. Barts, Miami, Chicago, Disneyland and Disney World with his family, more than $18,000 in reimbursements for child care, and Super Bowl tickets with the disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.).
Federal Election Commission records show that Juntos PAC made more than 20 disbursements on Sept. 9, 2025, covering charges associated with a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. That includes two charges to Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel of $891.87 and $128.73, and more than a dozen charges for meals which range in price from $6.50 to $186.24.
In a statement, a Gallego spokesman said the senator’s PAC had supplied the information demanded by the subpoena “because it has nothing to hide.” The DOJ will see about that.