Eric Swalwell and Ruben Gallego spent campaign cash to party at Puerto Rican resorts, records reveal

Neither Gallego or Swalwell has publicly posted photos together from the big day, according to the Daily Mail, despite questions about their overlapping presence and expenses.

However, additional reporting from Politico Playbook in 2021 indicated Swalwell was present at the wedding in its Monday, June 7, 2021 edition.

Rep. Linda Sanchez was also reported to have attended.

Her campaign spending records show $1,809.79 charged to the Hyatt Regency, along with an additional $540.93 labeled as a “lodging deposit” made on May 18, 2021.

Requests for comment from multiple offices regarding the expenses were not immediately returned.

Federal law prohibits the use of campaign funds for personal expenses, raising questions about the nature of the resort charges tied to the event.

Gallego and Sydney Barron Gallego were legally married in December 2019 in Washington, DC, at the National Gallery of Art.

The couple later went public with their engagement in February 2020 ahead of what was described as a June 2021 ceremony in Puerto Rico.

Sydney Barron Gallego works as Director of Government Advocacy at the National Association of Relators, focusing on housing and legislative strategy targeting House Democrats.

She previously worked on Hilary Clinton’s campaign and with the Senate Democrats campaign arm.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Gallego addressed his relationship with Swalwell, saying he had no knowledge of any inappropriate behavior, though he had heard he was “flirty.”

At one point, he became emotional while discussing the situation.

“And it hurts, the fact that he hurt a lot of people, and it pisses me off that now we all have to deal with all of his BS, his family, the poor victims that are still going to have to seek justice,” Gallego said.

He also sharply criticized his former colleague, saying Swalwell “became very good at being a predator.” He further claimed Swalwell “lied to all of us” during his tenure on the House Judiciary Committee, where he was active in efforts tied to Donald Trump’s impeachment.

Swalwell recently announced he would resign from Congress after being engulfed in allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims of rape, sexual assault, and unsolicited messages and images.

He had also suspended his California governor campaign shortly before stepping down and apologized to his family and staff while denying the accusations.

The two men were previously known to be close during their time in Congress, with their families maintaining friendly ties.

Gallego said he had reached out to Swalwell’s wife through a mutual acquaintance as the allegations surfaced.

Gallego’s own personal history has also drawn scrutiny.

He is in his second marriage, having previously filed for divorce from Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego while she was pregnant.

Court records show he informed her on Dec. 15, 2016 that their marriage was over.

He later moved to seal the divorce filings the same day, citing their status as “high-profile public officials” and the likelihood of media scrutiny.

He subsequently fought efforts by the Washington Free Beacon to unseal the records.

In those filings, Kate Gallego said she was unaware of his intention to end the marriage and described herself as “without knowledge” of his claim that it was “irretrievably broken.”

The divorce was finalized in April 2017. She went on to serve on the Phoenix City Council before being elected Mayor of Phoenix in March 2019.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters