In another attempt to distance himself from former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, Sen. Ruben Gallego claimed the two weren’t close from 2021 onwards.
Gallego told CNN correspondent Ana Navarro-Cardenas on “Bleep! With Ana Navarro” that he wasn’t really around Swalwell from 2021 onward because he was busy focusing on his remarriage, running his Senate campaign, and raising his children.
Swalwell faces multiple accusations that allege sexual impropriety, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and/or rape. Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor and resigned from Congress following the accusations.
“The Swalwell I knew isn’t the Swalwell I’m hearing about,” said Gallego. “A lot of these things happened where I was missing or not around because I was focusing on my family.”
A timeline compiled by Saguaro Group and Arizona Capitol Insight founder Brian Anderson indicated otherwise, however.
Anderson’s blog, FOIAzona, catalogued over a dozen shared travels or in-person interactions between the two from 2021 onward, not counting the hundreds of social media interactions.
The two vacationed together to Qatar in 2021 amid the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and went to Germany the following year for the Munich Security Conference.
There are also multiple instances in recent years where Swalwell spent campaign funds during travels to Arizona.
The pair were so close over the years that they babysat one another’s children.
YIKES 🚨 @RubenGallego just told @AnaNavarro he didn't know about @EricSwalwell b/c he was "missing" and "not around" since 2021
Here are only A FEW of Gallego's interactions and vacations with Swalwell from '21 to '23
SOURCE: https://t.co/d3CSKSosEjhttps://t.co/CrGVqfKwUZ pic.twitter.com/PSIzG2gZdw
— Brian Anderson (@AZBrianAnderson) April 28, 2026
Contrary to what some have claimed, Gallego denied they were ever roommates while in Congress together. The senator also claimed there were no red flags evident to him in his decade-long friendship with Swalwell.
The close relationship between Gallego and Swalwell prompted many to speculate that Gallego not only knew about Swalwell’s misdeeds, but had committed some of his own.
Gallego has previously denied one allegation of sexual misconduct, which was brought up by Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. The congresswoman claimed that a woman who worked for him would be coming forward to go on record about a sexual incident with Gallego. Luna alleged to have referred those allegations to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.
Gallego denied the allegation, and told Navarro the fact that the woman hadn’t come forward was proof that it wasn’t true. Gallego called Luna a “tool” for the “MAGA/Trump crowd.”
Gallego also faced an allegation from a former lawmaker which claimed he was among the number of congressional members who’d engaged in sexual forays in the House basement office buildings.
Gallego publicly dumped Swalwell as a best friend by retracting his endorsement and urging his expulsion from Congress. Not half an hour later, Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress.
In the Monday interview with Navarro, Gallego denied that it was “an open secret” that Swalwell was untrustworthy around female staffers.
“I don’t think anyone heard anything of that nature that Eric Swalwell could not be trusted with young staff or staff in general,” said Gallego.
Gallego dismissed the claims that his quality time with Swalwell consisted of drinking at night, saying rather that those evenings were dinners with the whole family. He said it was a rare occasion where the two were out drinking together.
Be the first to comment