Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego from Arizona has been reportedly using campaign funds for lavish family outings since launching his Senate bid in 2023, as first mentioned by Politico on Sunday.
Gallego accessed his political action committee (PAC), known as “Juntos PAC,” to cover trips to places like Disney World, Chicago, and Miami. He also utilized a joint campaign account to attend the 2023 Super Bowl alongside the troubled former Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell from California.
After his election, Gallego set up a separate JUNTOS PAC to raise and spend funds that weren’t tied directly to his official campaign committee. As of May 31, the PAC had raised around $1.5 million. FEC records indicate that these funds were also used for family travel and related campaign expenses.
Additionally, the Arizona senator reimbursed about $18,000 in childcare expenses since 2019, which included $400 paid to his mother-in-law for babysitting his kids. The PAC funded a trip to Miami Beach for his wife Sydney’s birthday and to St. Barts for a boss’s birthday celebration. They also incurred nearly $1,500 for a vacation rental in Chicago. A Gallego spokesperson claimed the trip was a “multi-destination political and fundraising event,” without mentioning any birthday celebrations, according to Politico.
The couple stayed at the Loews Hotel in Miami Beach, which cost over $9,000.
Gallego’s office didn’t respond promptly to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Legally, lawmakers can use campaign funds for travel, food, and childcare, so long as it isn’t for “personal use.” Leadership PACs, like Gallego’s, aren’t bound by the same personal use provision, allowing for broader spending as long as they have a fundraising objective.
Gallego remarked that he adhered to FEC rules during a time when childcare costs were becoming increasingly burdensome. “This isn’t breaking news,” he said. “As childcare costs climb and strain family budgets, it’s common for members of Congress—Democrats and Republicans—to travel with their families as allowed by the FEC.”
With an annual salary of $174,000 and an estimated net worth of $122,000, Gallego’s financial standing contrasts with the average American’s median weekly wage of $1,235, translating to about $64,000 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Reportedly, the Arizona Democratic Party also used a joint campaign account with Swalwell for attending the 2023 Super Bowl in Arizona. Swalwell had to resign from Congress in April amid accusations of sexual misconduct.
Following his resignation, Gallego asserted that Swalwell had been untruthful about his past. Gallego had previously been chairman of Swalwell’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign and was often referred to as Swalwell’s “best friend.”
About twenty days after Gallego announced his Senate campaign, he, Swalwell, Swalwell’s chief of staff Yardena Wolf, and several donors attended the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. This event was advertised as a fundraiser for the Swalrego Victory Fund, a joint committee initiated by Gallego and Swalwell in October 2022, which raised $56,505.
Former Democratic Congressman John Conyers had hosted a Super Bowl fundraiser in 2010, charging a steep ticket price, while Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was also noted to have attended the 2023 Super Bowl.
Looking ahead, Gallego is a candidate for the 2028 presidential race.
