Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) donated $19,000 from former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) campaign to the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, according to FEC filings released Wednesday. The donation came in early May, about a month after Swalwell resigned from Congress amid allegations of sexual misconduct and assault, which he has denied.
Gallego and Swalwell were close allies and friends during their decade together in the House. In April, four women, including a former congressional staffer, accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct and assault. The former staffer alleged that Swalwell raped her twice. Swalwell denied the allegations, suspended his campaign for California governor, and resigned from Congress shortly after the allegations became public.
Gallego acknowledged his friendship with Swalwell at a Capitol Hill news conference, stating, 'My friendship with him, our family’s friendship together with him, clouded my judgment, and I was wrong — I deeply, deeply regret that.' He also noted that their families were very close, with their children attending baseball camp together and sharing family dinners.
Gallego, who won his Senate seat in 2024 and is reportedly considering a 2028 presidential bid, is also under investigation by the Department of Justice over alleged campaign finance violations. A Gallego spokesperson accused President Donald Trump of using 'the most weaponized Department of Justice in history' to target the senator while 'turning a blind eye to Trump’s unprecedented corruption.'
Meanwhile, Swalwell paid over $360,000 to attorney Sara Azari from his congressional and gubernatorial campaign accounts just weeks after resigning. A $50,000 payment was made on April 24 for 'Legal [and] Accounting Services,' raising questions about its purpose amid the sexual abuse allegations. Three other payments totaling $250,000 were made in early May for 'campaign legal compliance,' according to California state records.
Azari defended Swalwell in an interview with NewsNation, stating, 'The fact that, you know, a day later, years later, or whatnot, you maybe had shame around what you did, or maybe you were in a relationship and shouldn’t have done what you did, doesn’t make it rape.' She also released a long statement defending Swalwell.