A U.S. senator who became a brave early backer of Maine Democrat Senate hopeful Graham Platner may not be setting the best example of ethics for his protege.
Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona has been found to have used leftover campaign money for family travel and Super Bowl seats, Politico writer Irie Sentner reported Sunday.
Platner already has enough ethical issues of his own to frame a barn, from Nazi tattoos to extramarital sexts to a fishy oyster business, so getting tied up in a new scandal tied to a key supporter is a pre-November surprise no candidate would relish.
Politico said Sunday a review of Gallego’s political 2023 records shows he repeatedly used campaign cash to fund luxury outings with his wife and to care for his children since launching his campaign for Senate that year.
He has used his leadership PAC to fund recent trips to Miami, Chicago, Disneyland and Disney World with his family, the outlet reported.
Gallego has tapped that PAC and his main campaign committee for more than $18,000 in reimbursements for child care – including $400 to his wife’s mother for babysitting.
Federal lawmakers can legally use campaign committee funds for travel, food, events and even child care, as long as those funds are not for “personal use,” meaning they may not cover activities that would exist irrespective of the campaign.
Gallego pleaded poverty when asked about the spending, citing “rising costs of child care and the burden it has on the budgets of American families.”
Earlier this year he bucked his party’s majority leader to back Platner over Gov. Janet Mills to run against five-term GOP Sen. Susan Collins this fall.
The Arizona senator’s support came as Mills was getting marquee support from Senate Democrat Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Key early support from the likes of Gallego was seen as helping Platner make the case he was a serious candidate in the face of a veteran, tested statewide candidate such as Mills.
Mills ended up being forced out of the race due to lack of support in no small part deriving from Platner’s early heavyweight out-of-state backing by Gallego and Bernie Sanders, the so-called independent Vermont senator.
Gallego is also among the Democrats named as possible 2028 presidential contenders.
Last fall, he stumped in New Jersey, Virginia and Florida, where he campaigned for Democrats who went on to win their elections.
On Friday, he traveled to South Carolina, where he took part in the Democratic Party’s “On the Road” series on Juneteenth.
He has a few issues with women as well, best buds with another low life named Eric Swalwell.
he is spending it all before they indict him and require him to stop spending campaign contributions on personal items such as Entertainment,plush dining,Disney costs and Childcare.,,,,then said its okay to CO-mingle those funds in your personal account or spent obviously on personal items and entertainment because of the economy, “prices are going up” he said. What about the rest of us ;you thief! Disrespectful lawmakers that steal from Campaign Contributions are getting money from criminal organizations so they can weaponize against their opponents, gas light about your own transgressions by the blaming “TRUMP” involved with cartels,drug trafficking and cartels.. The way he is talking and acting about his criminal activities,he is still stealing or DEFRAUDING the Government and it’s Citizen’s. Time to skip the committees,he is admitting to spending campaign funds on dinners,vacations for HIS family, Disney passes and subsequent costs, Lodging on vacation,LUXURY accommodations,meals while the rest of us struggle to buy groceries,some can’t or pay Electric Bills(some can’t) or mortgages(or rental costs) some can’t …..So Medicaid Fraud, using campaign funds to spend $18k on childcare is fraud along with all the other crimes he’s committing while under oath! If you got him admitting he spent the monopoly money funded from NGOs probably through an old Dept of Education or EPA account and there are rules to what you can and can’t spent it on why is the “Crooked SOB” still getting a Government paycheck and has a position in Congress. He needs to be OUTED. DOJ, don’t play around because he can be convicted now and thrown in prison…LETS GO! Don’t let this embezzler, Fraud master and Co-mingling-er of Campaign Funding survive another WEEK in congress…Did he spend the money or not! We don’t need to waste time with 10 committees and a congressional vote…This is also where a smart DOJ will cope a confession from someone cocky enough but yet “too” stupid to blatantly keep stealing while being watched carefully!