Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida escalated a controversy this week by accusing Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of misconduct—an allegation he denied outright.
Luna raises misconduct claims, Gallego rejects them
A Gallego spokesperson pushed back, calling the claims “right wing conspiracy theories being parroted by a fringe far right member of Congress.” The spokesperson added that Gallego “has not received notification or been contacted by the ethics committee.” Luna, for her part, tied Gallego to the political fallout surrounding Rep.
Eric Swalwell, pointing to what she described as their connections.
She said Gallego was “that was very closely tied to Eric Swalwell,” a House Democrat who resigned from Congress this week following sexual misconduct allegations.
Then Luna got more specific, though still in general terms.
She said “there is a woman that allegedly is coming forward with attorneys [and] wants to go on-record about an incident that occurred between the two of them at the same time, and the event was sexual in nature, allegedly.” When pressed for additional detail, Luna argued that even the appearance of wrongdoing should be taken seriously, saying, “I think any time that you are knowingly engaging in purchasing someone for sex, that that is something that should be taken seriously.”
Ethics inquiry disputed amid Swalwell and Gonzales resignations
Misryoum newsroom reporting indicates the ethics committee has not commented on whether it has received allegations or any formal complaint. Misryoum also reported that the allegations have not been verified.
The dispute is playing out only days after a pair of high-profile resignations in the House: Swalwell and his former GOP colleague, Rep.
Tony Gonzales, resigned within hours of each other as pressure grew to expel them from the lower chamber.
Swalwell has been accused of sexual assault and sending unsolicited nude photos, while Gonzales has been accused of having an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
Luna has been outspoken about cracking down on misconduct claims, and she previously told Misryoum that she expects other lawmakers to face similar pressure.
Interestingly, hours before Luna named Gallego, Thune told reporters he didn’t know whether the congresswoman’s allegations were credible, but said they were referred to the Senate’s Select Committee on Ethics.
And Gallego, for his part, acknowledged earlier this week that he was aware of rumors of Swalwell acting “flirty,” but later said he’d “never heard actual accusations of harassment of staff or predatory behavior toward staff,” adding that he “fell for the lies.”
In the hallway chatter around Capitol Hill—someone flicking open a laptop, someone else muttering about due process—you could feel how quickly accusations become a political test.
Still, with the ethics committee yet to confirm any formal action and Gallego insisting he was never contacted, the story hinges on whether the claims can move beyond allegations and into something verifiable.
And of course, that’s never straightforward—especially when it’s wrapped up in the aftershock of Swalwell and the fallout that followed.
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