Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, has been formally charged with corruption following a years-long criminal investigation the couple deny.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who has led the probe since April 2024, said his investigation found sufficient indications of criminal conduct by Gomez, a ruling made public late on Monday.
Gomez is accused of corruption tied to the creation and management of a chair at Madrid’s Complutense University, which she co-directed. She is also alleged to have used public resources and personal connections to advance private interests. The court ruling formally charges her with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds.
“The chair served as a means of private professional development for the person under investigation,” the judge wrote. Whether Gomez will face trial is for the courts to decide.
Sanchez has denied the allegations against his wife, calling them a right-wing attempt to undermine his government. The case began after a complaint from an anti-corruption group with far-right ties.
The developments come amid other scandals: Sanchez’s brother, David Sanchez, has been indicted in a separate alleged influence-peddling probe over a regional hiring, and former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos recently went on trial over alleged kickbacks linked to public contracts. Opposition parties have called for Sanchez to resign.
Last summer, Sanchez apologized for corruption scandals within his Socialist Party.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher