Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, has been charged with corruption after a two-year criminal investigation, according to a court ruling.
Gómez is accused of using her relationship to advance her private career through a position at Madrid’s Complutense University. She is also accused of using public resources to advance private interests.
She was charged with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds, the ruling said. It is now up to the courts to decide whether she will stand trial.
Gómez denies the charges, while Sánchez has dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the right-wing to undermine his coalition.
The investigation was opened by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado in April 2024 to determine whether Gómez had exploited her position as the prime minister’s wife for private gain.
She is accused of using her position to secure a post at the prestigious university where she directed a master’s degree course in business studies. The judge points to Gómez’s lack of relevant qualifications as evidence.
The complaint against Gómez was raised by anti-corruption campaigners Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), led by a man linked to the far-right called Miguel Bernad. The group has presented a litany of unsuccessful lawsuits against politicians in the past.
When the investigation started, Sánchez suspended public duties for five days to “stop and reflect” on whether to remain in the job due to “the mud” that he said the right and far-right were trying to drag politics into.
He complained of a “strategy of harassment” over months aimed at weakening him politically and personally targeting his wife.
Gómez and Sánchez are currently on an official visit to China.
Separately, the prime minister’s brother, David Sánchez, has been indicted in an investigation into alleged influence peddling tied to his hiring by a regional government.
And earlier this month, his former transport minister, José Luis Ábalos, went on trial over allegations he received kickbacks on sales of Personal Protective Equipment to the Spanish government during the Covid pandemic.
