Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, faces serious legal charges including embezzlement, corruption, misappropriation of funds, and influence peddling. She is accused of helping favored companies secure public contracts.
Ms. Gómez has been under investigation since 2024. An anti-graft group filed a complaint, asserting she supported a bid for public contracts from companies tied to her personally and professionally. Despite her denial, a judge in Madrid determined sufficient evidence exists for a trial.
The judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, ordered Ms. Gómez to surrender her passport and report to court every 15 days. No trial date has been set yet. Judge Peinado remarked in his 84-page ruling that such behavior from a presidential palace is more reminiscent of bygone absolutist regimes.
Spain’s justice system enables direct complaints to the court. A judge then investigates and decides on trial proceedings. Other right-wing groups, including the far-right Vox party, have joined the complaint against Ms. Gómez.
Prime Minister Sánchez described his wife’s legal issues as a politically driven “operation of harassment and demolition.” Though he considered resigning amid the investigation, he continues to resist what he views as a smear campaign. Sánchez, a globally recognized leftist leader, is facing increased scrutiny at home over corruption allegations involving his associates.
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