Gallego dismisses new staffer relationship report as ‘gossip’

Sen. Ruben Gallego, Arizona Democrat, brushed aside a new report alleging he had relationships with at least two Democratic House staffers while he was unmarried and serving in the lower chamber, telling reporters Thursday, “I’m not going to engage in gossip.”

The New York Post reported that the relationships involved staffers who were not employed in Mr. Gallego’s own office, meaning they would not have run afoul of House rules barring members from sexual relationships with their own subordinates. The Post reported that sources said Mr. Gallego had acknowledged the relationships took place while he was single and that both women worked as aides to Texas Democrats. Mr. Gallego himself declined to address the report directly, and Fox News Digital could not independently confirm the details of the Post’s sourcing. Mr. Gallego’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, declined to weigh in on the matter when asked by reporters Thursday, instead pivoting to his planned remarks criticizing President Trump’s prime-time address to the nation that evening.

“I’m not — I’m focused on this right now,” Mr. Schumer said.

The report is the latest to touch Mr. Gallego, a first-term senator who has been mentioned as a possible 2028 presidential contender and who has spent recent months managing fallout from his friendship with former Rep. Eric Swalwell, California Democrat. Mr. Swalwell resigned from the House in April after multiple women, including a former staffer, accused him of sexual assault and misconduct — allegations he has denied. Mr. Gallego, who once called Mr. Swalwell his best friend in Congress and chaired his 2020 presidential campaign, said afterward that the friendship had “clouded my judgment” as rumors about Mr. Swalwell’s conduct circulated in Washington for years.

The Swalwell fallout also drew scrutiny to Mr. Gallego himself. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Republican, filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee in April alleging Mr. Gallego committed sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations. The committee dismissed the complaint last month, telling Mr. Gallego it found no evidence his conduct violated federal law, Senate rules or related standards. Mr. Gallego called the dismissal vindication for accusations he characterized as right-wing conspiracies. Ms. Luna was unmoved, writing on X that the allegations were not conspiracy theories and that Mr. Gallego was “a gross example of representation.”