(HorizonPost.com) – In an editorial last Thursday, the Washington Free Beacon revealed that it had filed a motion in Yavapai County, Arizona to have the divorce records of Senate candidate Ruben Gallego unsealed.
The Arizona Democrat congressman, who is challenging Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema in November, was previously married to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
The Gallegos filed for divorce in December 2016 when Kate was nine months pregnant.
According to the Free Beacon, public records and information on the internet about the Gallegos’ divorce are limited. The editors believe that allies of the political power couple likely buried the details, despite Rep. Gallego making the breakdown of his marriage a central part of his political biography.
As in most states, Arizona court records, including divorce cases, are accessible to the public. However, the entire docket related to the Gallego divorce is currently under seal.
Typically, court records are only under seal if the information includes sensitive details, like the identities of minor children.
The editors note that in 2022, Gallego voted in favor of the Speak Out Act, which prevents non-disclosure agreements from being enforced if they are related to harassment or assault.
The Free Beacon suggests that there could be details in the divorce records that are politically damaging to either Rep. Gallego or his wife and describes the sealed court records as a different kind of non-disclosure agreement. The editors suggest that the congressman and his mayor ex-wife are trying to keep the public from knowing the truth about their divorce.
The Free Beacon previously filed a public access request with the Yavapai County Superior Court to obtain the divorce records but the request was denied. The Yavapai County Clerk’s office said the only way to resolve the issue was for the outlet to file a motion to unseal the case.
In December, Kate Gallego endorsed her ex-husband in his campaign to oust Senator Sinema, saying in a statement that she knew “first-hand” Gallego’s “commitment to building a brighter future for Arizona.”
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