Arizona’s Latino Senator Ruben Gallego is under pressure after acknowledging that he heard rumors for years about allegations against his colleague Eric Swalwell, who resigned this week from his House seat over allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I heard rumors about him (…) but when you know someone closely, you know his wife, you can’t believe it’s real,” Gallego told reporters in Washington, when questioned about his closeness with Swalwell and not having acted upon learning about the rumors from his Democratic counterpart.
Swaldell scandal ‘splashes’ Ruben Gallego
🚨 BOMBSHELL: Former Ruben Gallego staffer says she rejected his sexual advance, reported it to chief of staff – and was FIRED in retaliation!
She is expected to FULLY expose @RubenGallego very soon.
Congress has whispered about this for years.
Now it’s exploding just as his… pic.twitter.com/fZf87kbr4n
– Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) April 15, 2026
“I was wrong. I trusted this man. I’m human,” Gallego defended, after several Republicans seized the moment to question his credibility and judgment and even Senator Kari Lake called him a “silent accomplice.”
Former Democratic House member Eric Swalwell resigned Monday after facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
These allegations include allegations of improper behavior towards various individuals in professional and personal contexts.
Swalwell, 44, had a long career within the Democratic Party and in 2020 was a presidential pre-candidate, a process in which Gallego acted as campaign manager.
Gallego, the first Latino to win a Senate seat for Arizona, was Swalwell’s partner in the House of Representatives for eight years between 2015 and 2023.
“Look, we would socialize. We would go out. But I never saw him engage in any predatory behavior, harassment, sexual assault or anything like that,” Gallego told the local press, concluding, “I regret not paying more attention.”
In addition to Gallego, other Democrats began to distance themselves from Swalwell, who for years emerged as a close ally of then-Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A link that, according to the specialized media The Hill, was key in his rise within the party.
For her part, Democratic Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez told local media that she was “glad” Swalwell was leaving the Senate and added that Republican Corey Mills “should be on the list” for his sexual harassment allegations.
On Monday, along with Swalwell, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales also resigned from his post over allegations of harassment against a female staffer, who ended up committing suicide.
Filed under: Senator Rubén Gallego
With information from EFE
