Rep. Luna accuses Sen. Gallego of misconduct, which he denies

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida accused Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of misconduct connected Thursday, which Gallego denied.

Luna told CBS News' "The Takeout with Major Garrett" that the Arizona Democrat was the antecedently unnamed legislator whom she said was facing "very disturbing" allegations successful a cryptic societal media station earlier this week. 

A Gallego spokesperson told CBS News connected Thursday: "These are close helping conspiracy theories being parroted by a fringe acold close subordinate of Congress. Senator Gallego has not received notification oregon been contacted by the morals committee."

CBS News has not verified the allegations.

Luna did not springiness overmuch item astir the allegations, but she said immoderate of them are "sexual successful nature" and immoderate of them impact alleged run concern violations. She besides said Senate Majority Leader John Thune's bureau confirmed to her that the substance is nether investigation. 

Luna referred to Gallego arsenic a legislator "that was precise intimately tied to Eric Swalwell," a House Democrat who resigned from Congress this week pursuing intersexual misconduct allegations.

Luna said "there is simply a pistillate that allegedly is coming guardant with attorneys [and] wants to spell on-record astir an incidental that occurred betwixt the 2 of them astatine the aforesaid time, and the lawsuit was intersexual successful nature, allegedly."

Pressed for further details, Luna added that "I deliberation immoderate clip that you are knowingly engaging successful purchasing idiosyncratic for sex, that that is thing that should beryllium taken seriously."

Gallego has powerfully denied wrongdoing successful caller days. He told reporters earlier this week helium has ne'er engaged successful immoderate intersexual misconduct oregon different inappropriate behaviour with unit of women extracurricular of his marriage.

Gallego — who was friends with Swalwell but aboriginal called for his expulsion from Congress — acknowledged earlier this week that helium was alert of rumors of Swalwell acting "flirty." But helium aboriginal said that he'd "never heard existent accusations of harassment of unit oregon predatory behaviour toward staff." Gallego besides said helium "fell for the lies."

Hours earlier Luna named Gallego, Thune told reporters that helium didn't cognize whether the congresswoman's allegations of "very disturbing" behaviour were credible, but helium said it had been referred to the Senate's Select Committee connected Ethics. CBS News has reached retired to the morals sheet for comment.

The saga comes conscionable days aft Swalwell and his erstwhile GOP colleague, Rep. Tony Gonzales, formally resigned from the House wrong hours of each different arsenic unit mounted to expel them from the little chamber. Swalwell has been accused of intersexual battle and sending unsolicited nude photos, and Gonzales has been accused of having an matter with a staffer who aboriginal died by suicide.

Luna has been outspoken astir the request to ace down connected allegations of misconduct, telling CBS News earlier this week that she expects different lawmakers to look akin pressure.

Christian Peña, Alan He and Nikole Killion contributed to this report.