Senator Used Campaign Funds for Lavish Spending Spree

Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego cashed in on luxurious trips to Disneyland, Disney World, the Super Bowl, and more using campaign funds.

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The Arizona lawmaker used political action committee funds to pay for trips and more than $18,000 in child care since 2019, Politico reported Sunday.

Members of Gallego’s inner circle have expressed concern over his spending on behalf of his wife and children under the guise of fundraising and campaign events, according to Politico—especially as he eyes a potential 2028 presidential bid.

In February 2023, Gallego and the now-disgraced former U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell established a joint committee to raise money. The committee spent $2,715 at The Henry, a luxury brunch restaurant in Phoenix, as well as $34,700 on Super Bowl tickets, according to Federal Election Commission records.

While Gallego and Swalwell defended the spending as a fundraising effort, the Swallego Victory Fund raised no money after March 2023 and was shut down in January of last year.

Swalwell, who left office amid mounting accusations of sexual abuse and harassment, was one of the Arizona senator’s closest friends for years. Gallego has denied any knowledge of the now-ex-congressman’s alleged predatory behavior and abuse.

At the same time, Gallego has campaigned on affordability, taking aim at the very tickets he previously spent thousands of dollars on.

“The average Super Bowl ticket now costs $6,773. That’s not just a game — it’s a luxury bill,” Gallego wrote on X in February. “For too many working Americans, seeing the biggest sporting event in person would take hundreds of hours of work or months of rent just to afford one ticket.”

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Gallego concluded: “When wages don’t keep up and experiences cost more than basic needs like housing, something’s out of balance.”

The Daily Beast has reached out to Gallego’s representatives for comment.

Gallego told Politico in a statement: “This is not breaking news.”

“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.”

Earlier this month, the Daily Beast revealed that Gallego used campaign funds to take his wife on lavish trips to St. Barts and Miami.

Gallego and his wife, Sydney, traveled to St. Barts for the birthday of her boss, who is also a major Gallego campaign donor. The Gallegos also used donor money to celebrate her birthday in Miami last year.

Gallego, 32, is an employee of Texas-based health care consulting firm Adelanto HealthCare Ventures, where she serves as vice president of political strategy. She left her job at the National Association of Realtors in 2024, though her LinkedIn profile had not been updated.