Sen.Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona who was a key ally of disgraced former Rep.
Eric Swalwell, used campaign cash to fund luxury trips with his family and to cover his childcare expenses, according to campaign finance filings and a source familiar with his finances.Gallego, through his leadership PAC, has paid for trips to the Caribbean island getaway of Saint Barthélemy, Disneyland, Disney World, Miami and Chicago, finance filings show.A source familiar with Gallego’s spending told Politico that the lawmaker would often bring his family along for the luxury jaunts, and use donor cash to pay for babysitting services."He just spends his campaign account like it’s his personal slush fund," the source said.
"He’s using campaign cash to live a luxury lifestyle."Campaign finance records show that Gallego’s leadership PAC and his campaign have collectively paid over $18,000 to cover childcare costs, including a $400 payment to his wife’s mother.FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SPENDS EYE-POPPING AMOUNT OF CAMPAIGN CASH ON LUXURY HOTELS, 'TOP-TIER' LIMO SERVICESSen.Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., walks out of the Senate Chamber in Washington, D.C., on Dec.
11, 2025, after two opposing health care bills intended to curb rising premiums failed.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)"This is not breaking news," he told Politco of expenses for child care and family travel.
"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."In one campaign expense, Gallego and Swalwell established a joint fundraising committee that they then used to pay for tickets to watch Super Bowl LVII in 2023.The event, which cost over $37,000, was billed as a fundraising operation where they recruited donors to attend the game and have brunch with them in exchange for a sufficiently high campaign contribution. The duo of lawmakers e...