Spain's Court Orders PM Sánchez's Wife to Stand Trial on Corruption Charges, Bans Foreign Travel

A Spanish court has ordered Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to stand trial on corruption charges and banned her from leaving the country. The case, stemming from a complaint by a far-right group, alleges influence peddling and misappropriation of funds. Sánchez and his Socialist party call it a politically motivated attack, as several related corruption probes threaten his minority government.

Begoña Gómez trial order

• ▪The case against Begoña Gómez originated from a complaint filed by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), an anti-corruption group with far-right links
• ▪Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado ordered Gómez to surrender her passport, banned her from leaving Spain, and required her to report to court twice a month
• ▪A Spanish court has ordered Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to stand trial on corruption charges
• ▪The charges against Begoña Gómez include embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings, and misappropriation of funds
• ▪Begoña Gómez has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case

Complutense University chair allegations

• ▪The investigation centers on allegations that Gómez used her position to advance private interests, focusing on a chair she co-directed at Madrid’s Complutense University
• ▪The judge in the case wrote that the university chair "served as a means of private professional development for the person under investigation."

Socialist party response

• ▪The Socialist party stated on social media that Begoña Gómez has been subjected to "judicial and political persecution for two years."
• ▪Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Socialist Party have dismissed the case as a politically motivated smear campaign by the right wing

Related corruption investigations

• ▪Former Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is under investigation for alleged influence peddling in connection with the bailout of airline Plus Ultra
• ▪Sánchez's former transport minister, José Luis Ábalos, and the Socialist party's number three are under investigation for alleged kickbacks on public contracts
• ▪The case is one of several corruption investigations involving Sánchez's family and political allies that are nearing or at trial

Political implications for Sánchez

• ▪The ongoing corruption scandals threaten to topple Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's minority coalition government
• ▪Pedro Sánchez came to power in 2018 after ousting a conservative government in a no-confidence vote over its own graft scandal