Gallego ‘demands apology’ from Lake over divorce records – Washington Examiner
Arizona Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is calling for an apology from his Republican opponent, Kari Lake, following the release of his divorce records, which he wished to keep confidential. Lake had accused Gallego of concealing serious issues within those records. A conservative media outlet, the Washington Free Beacon, had initiated the lawsuit to unseal the documents, which Gallego felt should remain private to protect his son’s well-being.
In a joint statement, Ruben and his ex-wife, Kate, the Democratic mayor of Phoenix, expressed their outrage, asserting that Lake was attempting to undermine their family’s privacy for political gain. They criticized her actions as harmful to their son and stated the judge had deemed the records unremarkable.
Lake’s campaign responded sharply, arguing that Gallego’s demand for an apology was misplaced since the lawsuit was independent of her campaign, and highlighted past allegations against Gallego’s behavior during their divorce. They characterized Lake’s actions as unconnected to the legal proceedings surrounding Gallego’s divorce records, suggesting he was attempting to distract voters from his own past. The judge who reviewed the records commented on their ordinary nature.
Gallego ‘demands apology’ from Lake after divorce records released in bitter battle
Arizona Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is demanding an apology from his Republican opponent, Kari Lake, after the Democrat’s divorce records were released against his wishes.
Lake had accused Gallego of hiding “something really, really bad” in his divorce records, which he fought to keep secret. A conservative media outlet, the Washington Free Beacon, had sued Gallego to reveal the records, while he cited privacy concerns for his son for not doing so.
“We demand an apology from Kari Lake for lying about our family and the circumstances of our divorce,” Kate and Ruben Gallego said in a joint statement. Kate is the Democratic mayor of Phoenix, and the pair divorced in 2016.
“She will stop at nothing to score a cheap political point — even if it means endangering the privacy and well-being of our young son,” the pair said. “We have long put our child before all else and will continue to do so. The judge in this case has recognized how standard the records are, and it is shameful that Lake, her allies, and those who amplify her cruelty refuse to respect two people who are just trying to raise a beautiful boy together.”
Lake’s team quickly shot back at the pair with a scathing response posted on X.
“It’s bizarre that Ruben Gallego would demand an apology from Kari Lake for his appalling behavior,” Caroline Wren, a senior adviser to Lake, said. “Everyone knows Kari Lake had nothing to do with this lawsuit, which was filed by an independent media outlet.”
Wren then noted that Ruben Gallego spent “millions on advertising claiming to want to protect women,” but “served his unsuspecting wife with divorce papers when she was days away from giving birth, and even demanded she pay his attorney’s fees!”
Wren concluded that if Ruben Gallego “will turn his back on his pregnant wife days before she gives birth,” he will also “turn his back on the women of Arizona.”
The judge in the case, Yavapai County Judge John Napper, noted in June that the divorce case was “one of the most garden variety divorce files I’ve ever seen.” He said he reviewed the entire file multiple times and said “everyone’s gonna be rather deflated with the results.”
While Lake’s campaign had nothing to do with the lawsuit concerning the Gallegos’ divorce, the Republican did repeatedly hype up the results of the divorce records release, suggesting there was a bombshell waiting within the case.
According to the outlet that launched the lawsuit, Ruben Gallego requested that his wife pay his attorney’s fees and requested that Kate not be provided “long-term spousal maintenance.”
“What a move to pull on your pregnant wife,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Mike Berg posted on X in response to the allegations that Ruben Gallego requested his wife pay his attorney’s fees.
Kate Gallego still appears to be amicable with Ruben as she endorsed his Senate bid, a significant move for the mayor of the large Arizona city.
According to RealClearPolitics’s polling average, Gallego leads Lake 50.2% to 43.3% in the Senate race, which is pivotal to which party controls the next Senate.
Samantha-Jo Roth contributed to this report.
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