PHOENIX — A heavily-redacted version of U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego's divorce papers released Thursday revealed little new information about the dissolution of his marriage to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
After the Arizona Supreme Court denied a motion to keep the Gallego divorce records sealed, a 465-page document was published by Yavapai County Superior Court that included several redactions regarding how the Gallegos split custody of their son, how they split their assets, and their child support agreement.
Ruben Gallego, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate against Republican Kari Lake, filed for divorce in December 2016. The congressman then filed to seal the divorce proceedings from public view in order to protect the privacy of his son, records show.
The Washington Free Beacon filed a motion earlier this year to unseal the divorce records for the purpose of informing the public about the activities and character of elected officials.
The court file included a memo sent from the City of Phoenix in May 2024 requesting that Mayor Gallego's residential addresses remain redacted from the record due to "multiple threats" she and her family have received since she took office.
In the signed divorce decree, there is a line acknowledging the Gallegos "agree that there was no domestic violence during the marriage or that significant domestic violence did not occur."
The file also shows that both Gallegos successfully completed a parental education course required under Arizona Revised Statutes.
Yavapai County Superior Court Judge John Napper said during a court hearing in June that he doesn't think there's anything out of the ordinary in the Gallego divorce papers.
"I've reviewed this entire file multiple times now, I think everyone is going to be rather deflated with the results of it. This is a... well, I'm not a politician and maybe this will be very, very important information but this looks to me like one of the most garden-variety divorce files I have ever seen," the judge said.
The Gallegos released this joint statement in response to the divorce documents being released:
“We demand an apology from Kari Lake for lying about our family and the circumstances of our divorce. 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. 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.”
In response, a senior advisor for Kari Lake sent the following statement:
“It’s bizarre that Ruben Gallego would demand an apology from Kari Lake for his appalling behavior. Everyone knows Kari Lake had nothing to do with this lawsuit, which was filed by an independent media outlet, however we do find the revelations from the divorce records to be shocking, especially considering Ruben Gallego is spending millions on advertising claiming to want to protect women, yet he served his unsuspecting wife with divorce papers when she was days away from giving birth, and even demanded she pay his attorney’s fees! If Ruben Gallego will turn his back on his pregnant wife days before she gives birth, he will turn his back on Arizona.”