A spokesperson for Senator Ruben Gallego accused President Donald Trump on Monday of weaponizing the Justice Department to target the Arizona Democrat through a federal campaign finance investigation.
The allegations followed a report by Axios revealing that federal law enforcement is conducting an inquiry into Gallego's campaign finances.
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According to the report, the investigation originated from a whistleblower complaint filed in Southern California.
The spokesperson stated that the administration is attempting to silence its critics by initiating political investigations.
"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," said the spokesperson.
According to the representative, Gallego's office learned about the probe exclusively through media coverage and lacked independent knowledge of the Department of Justice's specific demands.
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"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 spokesperson added.
Earlier that day, Gallego's office made public a formal letter from the Senate Ethics Committee confirming the closure of a separate legislative inquiry.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, had initiated that complaint regarding alleged inappropriate sexual conduct and campaign finance violations.
"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," wrote the Senate Ethics Committee.
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The Justice Department did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment regarding the federal probe.
