Begoña Gómez, the spouse of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has been formally accused of embezzlement, influence peddling, business corruption, and misappropriation of funds following a comprehensive two-year investigation led by a judge in Madrid.
At the age of 55, Gómez stands accused of leveraging her position as the partner of the socialist leader to obtain and oversee a role at Complutense University in Madrid. She is alleged to have utilized public resources and personal networks to advance her private interests.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has also indicted Gómez’s personal assistant, Cristina Álvarez, and businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés in relation to this case. All individuals involved have denied any wrongdoing.
The inquiry into Gómez was initiated after a complaint was filed by Manos Limpias, a self-proclaimed trade union linked to far-right ideologies, which has a history of legal actions against individuals it perceives as threats to Spain’s democratic framework.
Prime Minister Sánchez has consistently dismissed the accusations against his wife as unfounded and politically driven. He has criticized his political adversaries and media for targeting his family and has raised concerns regarding the objectivity of certain judiciary members.
In his detailed 39-page ruling, Judge Peinado indicated that “certain public actions favorable to the [university position], which could have been achieved through a distinct exploitation of her relational standing, had commenced since Gómez’s husband took on the role of secretary general of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party, and particularly since he ascended to the position of prime minister.”
The judge further noted behaviors at the Moncloa Palace— the official residence and office of the prime minister— that “appear more aligned with absolutist regimes, which has thankfully been relegated in our state over the years.”
In response, the prime minister remarked last year that “there’s no question that some judges engage in politics while certain politicians strive to seek justice.” He expressed confidence that justice would prevail and that his wife would be exonerated. “What I request from the justice system is the delivery of justice,” Sánchez stated during a recent visit to China. “I trust that time will reveal the truth, and I have nothing further to add.”
Judge Peinado, who is approaching mandatory retirement in September, has allotted the involved parties five days to react to his ruling. Following this period, the court will determine whether Gómez will face a jury trial.
The formal charges against Gómez arrive at a challenging moment for Sánchez, as his younger brother, David, is set to stand trial next month for alleged influence-peddling. A separate complaint from Manos Limpias claims that David Sánchez was awarded a tailored position by the socialist-led administration in Badajoz in July 2017, while his brother held the national leadership of the socialist party. He has denied the allegations.
Additionally, two prominent former officials from Sánchez’s government are currently on trial for suspected corruption. José Luis Ábalos, the former transport minister and Sánchez’s close aide, along with his former assistant Koldo García and businessman Víctor de Aldama, are accused of accepting kickbacks on public contracts for sanitary supplies during the Covid pandemic. Ábalos and García, who assert their innocence, are facing potential sentences of 24 and 19 years, respectively, while Aldama, who has acknowledged his involvement, could receive a seven-year sentence.
