Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on Tuesday said he is not the man accompanying Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) in a viral video showing the former California gubernatorial candidate with a woman in a compromising situation.
Gallego has been viewed as one of Swalwell’s closest friends in Congress but has begun distancing himself since five women came forward with rape and sexual assault allegations against Swalwell.
“This is an example of the lies,” Gallego said when asked if he was the other man in a viral post. “No, I was not sitting next to him. I was not in the room. I don’t even know where it happened.”
After the allegations about Swalwell started coming out last week, a video went viral of him kissing a woman who is not his wife. Another man appears in the video, and rumors that it was Gallego took off. The face of the second man in the video is not clear.
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The congressman from Arizona said “right-wing political operatives” are “pushing the narrative” that he was in the room with Swalwell during which the woman appears to be in a compromising situation.
When asked if he “ever engaged in any inappropriate sexual misconduct or behavior towards your staff, other staff, other women outside of your marriage,” Gallego responded simply, “No.”
Gallego initially jumped to defend Swalwell when the victims first stepped forward, describing the alleged abuser as his “best friend in the world.” The Arizona representative chaired Swalwell’s 2020 presidential bid and participated in campaign events, and the two took a vacation to Qatar together.
Gallego initially framed the situation as a political attack because some polls had placed Swalwell as the leading candidate in California’s governor race.
When Swalwell succumbed to the growing political pressure to bow out of the race, and eventually resigned from Congress, Gallego did an about face on his support for the California congressman.
“It hurts,” Gallego said. “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.”
Swalwell was a trusted friend who was welcomed in family settings, Gallego said, but that trust has diminished.
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Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign in California after a former staffer, along with several other women, came forward alleging that he had raped them or committed sexual misconduct. He later announced that he would resign from Congress because the allegations have “distracted” him from his duties.
Gallego previously released a statement that said he was unaware of the sexual harassment and assault claims, but when pressed by reporters Tuesday, the Congressman said he was aware of rumors that Swalwell was “flirty.” He said he dismissed the rumors because of the closeness of their families.
“You know his wife, you see this, you see that relationship,” Gallego said. “You know that maybe this just isn’t true.”