A years‑old photo showing Senator Ruben Gallego and Representative Eric Swalwell shirtless during a foreign trip has resurfaced on social media, as some look to draw a connection between the Arizona Democrat and the embattled California congressman who is now facing sexual assault and harassment allegations. Swalwell denies the allegations and has since suspended his campaign for California governor, while facing calls from both Republicans and some Democrats to resign from Congress. No allegations of misconduct have been connected to Gallego.
“Swalwell is now out of the governor’s race, but his friends are still looking for political shelter. This photo of Sen. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) has not aged well,” law professor Jonathan Turley wrote on X. “Notably, Gallego and Swalwell accepted roughly 100k to frolic at the Four Seasons in Doha.”
The image, taken during a 2021 congressional trip to Qatar, is being circulated amid escalating scrutiny of Swalwell’s conduct and an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation. However, there is no evidence that Gallego was involved in, aware of, or engaged in similar behavior as alleged against Swalwell.
Newsweek reached out to Gallego’s office for comment via email and previously reached out to Swalwell regarding the allegations.
Why It Matters
National Democratic figures are facing heightened scrutiny as they distance themselves from Swalwell.
Gallego, who has become a rising figure since winning his Senate seat in 2024, is now navigating the political consequences of having publicly defended Swalwell before key reporting emerged.
What To Know
The photograph dates back to March 2021, when several lawmakers traveled to Qatar on a trip sponsored by the U.S.-Qatar Business Council. Business Insider reported at the time that Swalwell and Gallego were pictured riding camels along the Persian Gulf, shirtless, in images originally shared on social media by Gallego’s now‑wife.
While the trip complied with House disclosure rules, such privately funded travel can fall into what it called an “ethical gray area,” according to Business Insider, particularly because the lawmakers were not on an official congressional delegation paid for by the U.S. government.
Gallego publicly criticized President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million jet from the Qatar royal family, saying it was a “pay-to-play” operation.
“The fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. “Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!”
No allegations of misconduct have been connected to Gallego, and the images largely faded from public attention before recirculating now. But in recent days, critics and conservative commentators have revived the image as allegations against Swalwell have intensified.
“The Swalwell ship is sinking. The Gallego ship will go down too,” Arizona State Senate President Warren Petersen wrote on X.
Gallego had defended Swalwell three days earlier on social media when the allegations first appeared online, writing, “When you are in first place, is when they target you. Eric is a fighter and he will win the Governors race,” on X, but has since reversed course.
In a statement posted to X on Friday, Gallego said that after reviewing reporting on the accusations, he was withdrawing his endorsement and emphasized support for women who come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.
Chuck Ross, an investigative reporter for The Washington Free Beacon, wrote: “Ruben Gallego, who rode shirtless on a camel in the Qatari desert with his best friend Eric Swalwell, rescinds his endorsement. It’s over.”
“What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” Gallego said in a statement. “I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired.”
The Allegations Against Eric Swalwell
Swalwell is facing multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment, including claims by a former staffer that he assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent.
Swalwell has denied the allegations.
“I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife,” Swalwell said in a video on Friday.
On Monday, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced it had opened a formal investigation into whether Swalwell violated the congressional code of conduct, including allegations involving an employee who worked under his supervision.
On Monday afternoon, Swalwell released a statement on X, saying he plans to resign from his seat in Congress.
“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents for mistakes in judgement I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.
“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
While some continue to circulate the photo as a political attack, there is no evidence tying Gallego to the allegations against Swalwell. The image itself predates the accusations by several years and depicts a recreational activity during a disclosed trip.
What Happens Next
Before Swalwell’s announcement that he plans to resign from Congress, Gallego said in a new statement released Monday that he supports the ethics committee’s investigation and believes Swalwell is “no longer fit to be a Member of Congress.”
“He should be expelled from Congress. I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell,” Gallego said.
“I trusted someone who I believed was a friend, but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew. The women who have come forward have shown courage. They deserve to be believed, to be supported, and to see justice served.”
Read the full article here
