By Ethan Faverino |

The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), a nonpartisan organization committed to enhancing national safety and security, has formally filed a complaint against Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.

The complaint, written by CASA Director James Fitzpatrick, accuses Gallego of violating Senate ethics rules through comments that allegedly threaten physical violence against House Speaker Mike Johnson and falsely claim he is “protecting pedophiles.”

CASA’s complaint, addressed to Chairman James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE), demands a thorough investigation and appropriate disciplinary measures.

The organization argues that Gallego’s statements not only breach the Senate Ethics Manual’s standards for moral and ethical conduct but also risk inciting further political violence in an already volatile climate.

The ethics manual, which CASA is referring to, states, “The Senate of the United States is a responsible political body, important in the maintenance of our free institutions. Its members are expected to conduct themselves with a proper respect for the principles of ethics and morality, for senatorial customs based on tradition, and with due regard for the importance of maintaining the good reputation of the Senate as the highest legislative body in the Nation.”

The complaint traces back to a heated in-person exchange in the U.S. Capitol on October 8, 2025, between Gallego, a former U.S. Marine, and Speaker Johnson.

The following day, October 9, Gallego amplified the incident via an Instagram post captioned, “Mike Johnson doesn’t know that’s not why Marines fold their arms.” In the video, Gallego remarked, “And he should be happy I had my arms folded. There’s a reason why Marines fold their arms. It’s because it’s a way to make sure that we restrain ourselves.”

CASA interprets this as an implied threat of physical assault, emphasizing Gallego’s military background as a factor heightening its significance.

“Given Gallego’s military training as a Marine, he has the physical capabilities to inflict serious bodily harm,” mentioned CASA in the complaint. “Any threat whatsoever to any federal official should be taken seriously. But Gallego threatened the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is second in line to be President and a key official for continuity of the American government.”

Intensifying the issue, Gallego joined fellow lawmakers for a press conference outside the Capitol on October 15, 2025, where CASA called the accusations against Johnson false.

“Speaker Johnson is protecting pedophiles; that is what this is all about,” declared Gallego. “The only reason Adelita Grijalva is not being sworn in right now is because he wants to protect whatever is in those files and all the pedophiles that would be revealed, and he wants to make sure every day that doesn’t happen. He has one more day to protect all those pedophiles, whether it’s involving Donald Trump or any of his rich elite friends.”

Fitzpatrick’s letter brands this as “defamation per se,” asserting that Gallego “knows this statement is false and he is acting with malice and reckless disregard for the truth in stating it.”

Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.