A spokesperson for Sen. Ruben Gallego mentioned Monday that President Donald Trump is “targeting” the Arizona Democrat with a Justice Department investigation into his marketing campaign funds.
Reacting to a report of the inquiry in Axios, the spokesperson accused the Justice Department of getting been “weaponized” and mentioned the administration was successfully attempting to quiet those that criticize it.
“Trump is targeting Senator Gallego while the most weaponized Department of Justice in history is turning a blind eye to Trump’s unprecedented corruption that’s raising costs for families, and instead targeting anyone who gets in their way — like the Federal Reserve, members of Congress doing their oversight duty, and now Senator Gallego,” the spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
The spokesperson mentioned Gallego’s workplace didn’t have unbiased information, outdoors of the Axios report, into the DOJ investigation or what it was looking for to uncover. Axios reported that the investigation stemmed from a “whistleblower complaint” out of Southern California.
The Justice Department didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
“It’s the least surprising news of the week that this comes immediately after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared Senator Gallego of rightwing smears pushed by the administration weeks ago,” the Gallego spokeperson mentioned.
Earlier Monday, Gallego’s workplace launched a letter from the Senate Ethics Committee revealing the panel closed a grievance filed in opposition to him by Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. The inquiry, which alleged “campaign finance violations and inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature,” can be separate from an investigation by federal legislation enforcement.
“Based on the investigation of the Committee, the Committee did not find evidence that your actions violated Federal law, Senate Rules, or related standards of conduct,” the letter mentioned.