{"id":2185033,"date":"2024-02-23T14:32:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T19:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ruben-gallego-says-hes-not-on-the-hook-to-lobbyists-hes-sponsored-bills-backed-by-his-lobbyist-wife\/"},"modified":"2024-02-23T14:35:30","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T19:35:30","slug":"ruben-gallego-says-hes-not-on-the-hook-to-lobbyists-hes-sponsored-bills-backed-by-his-lobbyist-wife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ruben-gallego-says-hes-not-on-the-hook-to-lobbyists-hes-sponsored-bills-backed-by-his-lobbyist-wife\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruben Gallego denies ties to lobbyists, yet supports bills backed by his lobbyist spouse"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fruben-gallego-says-hes-not-on-the-hook-to-lobbyists-hes-sponsored-bills-backed-by-his-lobbyist-wife%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2185033&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Democratic\u2062 Rep. Ruben Gallego&#8217;s Ties to\u200d Lobbyists Raise Questions<\/h2>\n<div>\n<figure><figcaption>Rep. Ruben Gallego\u2064 (D., Ariz.) and Sidney\u200b Barron Gallego \/ @RubenGallego Twitter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>When\u200b it comes\u2062 to lobbyists\u2063 and special interests, Democratic Rep. Ruben\u2064 Gallego (Ariz.) wants voters to believe he won&#8217;t be influenced. However, there&#8217;s\u2062 an interesting twist\u200c &#8211; his wife happens to be a self-proclaimed\u200d &#8220;Democratic lobbyist&#8221; for \u2062a powerful real estate trade group that ranks as \u200bthe top-spending lobbyist group in the \u2062country.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2019, Gallego has consistently \u2063voted\u200c in \u2064favor \u200bof bills \u200bthat his wife,\u2062 Sydney Barron, has lobbied for as the director of government \u200cadvocacy at the National Association of Realtors. In\u200c fact, Barron has lobbied for 17 bills \u200bthat Gallego either sponsored or cosponsored, according to congressional \u200brecords.<\/p>\n<p>The National Association\u200d of Realtors has also been \u200da\u2063 significant contributor to Gallego&#8217;s campaign, \u2064donating $34,000 since 2014. Additionally, the association treated Gallego and \u200dBarron \u200dto an all<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kraft-family-sending-healthcare-workers-to-super-bowl-lv\/\" title=\"Kraft family sending healthcare workers to Super Bowl LV\">-expenses-paid trip<\/a> to a luxurious resort in West Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>While Gallego has not been accused \u2064of any wrongdoing, the House\u200b Committee on Ethics has cautioned members about\u200b potential conflicts \u2064of \u200binterest when married to \u200blobbyists. The committee advises that officials should not allow \u2064their spouses to lobby them or their subordinates.<\/p>\n<p>It remains unclear \u2062if Gallego\u200c has ever voted against legislation that his wife \u200blobbied for. Neither Gallego nor Barron have responded to requests for comment on\u2062 this matter.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, Barron&#8217;s employer has publicly\u200d praised many of the bills that Gallego has \u2062sponsored \u2064or supported.<\/p>\n<p>For\u200b instance,\u2064 Gallego sponsored the Neighborhood \u2064Homes Investment Act of 2020, a bill endorsed \u200cby the National Association of Realtors. He \u200balso cosponsored the SAFE Banking Act of 2023, which provides federal protections\u200c to landlords and banks involved in state-approved marijuana businesses.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, \u200bthe same year Gallego began dating Barron, he voted for a bill that increased\u200d state and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-sanders-rips-one-of-democrats-proposed-tax-cuts-a-terrible-terrible-message\/\" title=\"Sen. Sanders Rips One Of Democrats\u2019 Proposed Tax Cuts: \u2018A Terrible, Terrible Message\u2019\">local tax deductions<\/a>, a measure criticized as favoring wealthy homeowners. The National Association of Realtors strongly \u2062advocated for its \u200bpassage.<\/p>\n<p>Gallego&#8217;s criticism\u2062 of his \u200cpolitical opponents&#8217; lobbyist\u200d ties is now undermined by his own apparent conflict of interest. He has claimed to be free from the influence of \u200dcorporations and lobbyists, but his\u2064 financial support includes donations from wealthy individuals \u200cand lobbyist-funded trips.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u200b Gallego&#8217;s personal life has faced scrutiny. His relationship with Barron began two years after filing for\u200d divorce \u200cfrom his pregnant ex-wife.\u2063 Gallego has \u200battributed the divorce to PTSD-induced &#8220;extreme outbursts&#8221; and\u2062 excessive drinking, denying any involvement of his \u200bex-wife. \u2062He has opposed the unsealing of his divorce \u200brecords, citing privacy and \u2062security concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How\u200b can elected officials address concerns about their connections to lobbyists and special interest groups to\u2062 regain\u200b the trust of their constituents<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Association has spent more than $7.5 million on lobbying efforts in 2021 alone, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.<\/p>\n<p>These ties between \u2062Gallego and the real estate trade group raise questions \u200babout potential conflicts of\u2064 interest and the \u200binfluence of lobbyists \u2063in Washington. While Gallego claims to \u2062prioritize the needs \u2062of his constituents, his voting record and \u200cfinancial support from the National Association of Realtors suggest otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>It is important for elected officials to\u200b separate personal interests from their legislative decisions. When politicians\u2063 have close \u2063ties to lobbyists or special\u200b interest\u2063 groups, it can \u200bcreate \u200ba perception that their actions are driven \u2062by outside influences rather than the best interests of the American public.<\/p>\n<p>Gallego&#8217;s association with his wife&#8217;s lobbying work and the financial contributions from the National Association \u200bof Realtors undermine the trust\u200b voters have\u200c placed in him. It \u200draises concerns about whether he is truly representing the people of Arizona or if he\u200d is prioritizing the agenda of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blm-co-founder-patrisse-cullors-rails-against-white-supremacist-housing-market-weeks-after-splashing-out-millions-on-real-estate\/\" title=\"BLM Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors Rails Against \u2018White Supremacist\u2019 Housing Market Weeks After Splashing Out Millions On Real Estate\">real estate industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2064 a \u2063time when public trust in government is already low,\u200c these connections only add fuel to the fire of skepticism and cynicism. The perception of corruption and undue influence\u2062 erodes confidence in the democratic process \u2062and damages the credibility of elected officials.<\/p>\n<p>If Gallego\u2064 wants to regain the trust of his constituents and stand by his \u2063commitment to fighting for the interests\u2062 of the American people, he should take steps to address these concerns. This could involve recusing himself \u2064from \u200dvoting on bills or issues directly related to the real estate industry, or actively working \u2062towards campaign\u200d finance reform to reduce the influence of money in politics.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Gallego should be \u200dtransparent about his\u200d relationship with lobbyists and disclose any potential \u200dconflicts of interest. Voters have a right \u2063to know if their elected \u200drepresentatives have personal connections that may impact their decision-making.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the issue here is\u2063 not\u200b just about Gallego or his wife, but about the broader problem of\u2062 the influence of lobbyists in our political system. It \u200bis essential for elected officials to prioritize the needs of their constituents\u2064 and ensure that their decisions are\u2062 driven \u2064by the common good, rather\u200b than personal gain \u2063or special interests.<\/p>\n<p>As voters, we must hold our elected officials accountable and demand transparency and integrity in the \u200ddecisions they make. Only then \u200bcan\u200c we have faith in the democratic process and believe in the power of our votes to effect \u200cmeaningful change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) vows to resist lobbyists and special interests if elected to the Senate, despite his wife being a self-proclaimed &#8220;Democratic lobbyist&#8221; for a real estate trade group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":2185034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/FpCTbREagAIquZf_736x514.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2185033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/FpCTbREagAIquZf_736x514.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/155"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2185033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2185034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2185033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2185033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2185033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}