Begona Gomez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has been formally charged with multiple corruption offenses after a criminal investigation that Sánchez and his wife have denied. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who has led the inquiry since April 2024, said his probe produced sufficient indications of criminal conduct. The judge’s ruling was made public late Monday.
Prosecutors allege Gomez misused her position in connection with the creation and management of an academic chair at Madrid’s Complutense University, which she co-directed. Authorities say she used public resources and personal connections to further private interests. The court’s order lists charges including embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds. The judge noted that the chair appeared to serve as a vehicle for the individual’s private professional advancement. Whether Gomez will be tried is a matter for the courts to decide.
Pedro Sánchez has rejected the allegations and described them as an effort by right-wing forces to destabilize his government. The investigation began after a complaint filed by an anti-corruption organization that has been linked to far-right groups.
The case unfolds amid other corruption-related controversies affecting the prime minister’s circle: Sánchez’s brother, David Sánchez, has been indicted in a separate alleged influence-peddling investigation over a regional appointment, and former transport minister José Luis Ábalos recently went on trial over alleged kickbacks tied to public contracts. Opposition parties have seized on the developments and renewed calls for Sánchez to resign. Last summer, Sánchez apologized for corruption scandals within his Socialist Party.