The Senate Ethics Committee has dismissed sexual misconduct and campaign finance violation allegations against Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

“We are writing to inform you that the Select Committee on Ethics (the Committee) dismissed a complaint filed against you by Representative Anna Paulina Luna,” the six committee members wrote in a letter to Gallego.

“Specifically, the complaint alleged campaign finance violations and inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature,” it continued.

More from The New York Times:

The committee said it had reviewed statements by individuals identified in the complaint, as well as campaign finance reports, expenditure reports from the clerk of the House of Representatives and other documents.

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Representative Anna Paulina Luna, Republican of Florida, first made accusations against Mr. Gallego, who is mulling a run for president in 2028, in an April interview with CBS News.

Ms. Luna had played a key role in forcing the resignations of two House lawmakers, one Republican and one Democrat, accused of sexual misconduct, and was on the warpath to rid Congress of other harassers.

She claimed she knew of a woman who was going to come forward and publicly disclose a sexual incident involving Mr. Gallego. Ms. Luna said that Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader, had assured her the matter would be investigated.

Mr. Gallego vehemently denied the charge and proactively reached out to the Senate Ethics Committee and offered to cooperate with an investigation.

Mr. Gallego has been under scrutiny ever since Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, resigned from Congress this year and suspended his campaign for governor after allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staff member and engaged in misconduct with other women. Mr. Swalwell has denied the allegations.

However, Axios reports the Justice Department has now launched a probe against the Arizona senator for “suspected campaign finance violations.”

“The DOJ investigation stems from a ‘whistleblower complaint’ out of Southern California, according to a source familiar with the probe,” Axios congressional reporter Kate Santaliz wrote.

Axios explained further:

Gallego used a political committee’s PAC to fund excursions to Miami, Chicago, Disneyland and Disney World with his family, Politico first reported.

“[President] Trump is targeting Senator Gallego while the most weaponized Department of Justice in history is turning a blind eye to Trump’s unprecedented corruption,” a Gallego spokesperson told Axios in a statement.

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“It’s the least surprising news of the week that this comes immediately after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared Senator Gallego of right-wing smears pushed by the administration,” the spokesperson added.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

Earlier this month Axios reported that Gallego had hired former Biden deputy press secretary Andrew Bates to focus on crisis communications, including any dealings with the Senate ethics panel or fallout from Gallego’s friendship with former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.).

 

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