Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is facing renewed scrutiny after a report detailed years of campaign-funded travel and personal expenses, including a Super Bowl trip taken with former Rep. Eric Swalwell and his wife using funds from a joint political account the two Democrats shared.
According to POLITICO, Gallego’s campaign finance records show spending on a series of trips to destinations including Disneyland, Disney World, Chicago and Miami, along with thousands of dollars in child care-related expenses paid through campaign or political accounts.
The report comes as Gallego reportedly prepares for increased national attention ahead of a potential 2028 presidential campaign and seeks to put distance between himself and Swalwell, a longtime friend, former roommate and political ally.
Among the expenses highlighted was a trip to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, in 2023. The outing reportedly involved Swalwell and was funded through a joint campaign account shared by the two lawmakers.
POLITICO also reported that Gallego paid his mother-in-law $400 for child care on at least one occasion and has withdrawn more than $18,000 for child care-related expenses since 2019.
Gallego defended the spending, arguing that campaign-related child care expenses are permitted under federal election rules.
“This is not breaking news,” Gallego said in a statement. “With the rising costs of child care and the burden it has on the budgets of American families, Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House alike regularly travel with their wives and children, as is permitted by the FEC.”
Federal Election Commission regulations do allow campaigns to cover certain child care, travel and meal expenses when they are directly connected to campaign activity. Expenses that would have existed regardless of a campaign, however, generally are not permitted under those exemptions.
The controversy arrives as Gallego has reportedly hired former Biden White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates to help manage communications surrounding both the spending questions and his longstanding relationship with Swalwell.
Bates is expected to assist with responses to media inquiries and any potential interactions with the Senate Ethics Committee, which could face pressure to review the spending detailed in the report.
More over at Politico:
SCOOP: Sen. Ruben Gallego repeatedly used campaign cash to fund luxury outings with his wife and to care for his children since launching his campaign for Senate in 2023, including attending the Super Bowl using a joint campaign account with Eric Swalwell.https://t.co/Osq33JrHr5
— Irie Sentner (@iriesentner) June 21, 2026
