Spain: Begoña Gómez, wife of President Pedro Sánchez, indicted for corruption

Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, was formally charged with four offenses after being under investigation for years. During that period, she had to appear before the courts several times.

His wife's case is one of the many corruption cases that have affected the socialist leader's closest entourage.

According to a ruling issued by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who is overseeing the case, Gómez committed four offenses in the creation of a chair at the Complutense University of Madrid, one of Spain’s leading higher education institutions.

Gómez has been charged with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption and misappropriation of funds, according to the official document of Judge Peinado to which AFP had access.

"The professorship served as a means of private professional development for the person under investigation," Judge Peinado said in a 39-page order.

Sanchez had to testify in his wife's case, as a witness, in September 2024. Three months earlier he was also summoned, but, on that occasion, he invoked his right not to testify before the judge.

Sánchez, surrounded by corruption

Apart from that of his wife, there are other cases of corruption in Sanchez's inner circle, including family members and several of his closest collaborators.

One of the most mediatic ones—which is currently in the middle of judicial proceedings—involves Santos Cerdán and José Luis Ábalos, two figures who served as secretary of organization of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), one of the positions of greatest responsibility within the formation led by Sánchez.

In June last year, the President of the Government had to appear publicly to "ask for forgiveness" after Cerdán—who was one of his most trusted men—was described by the police authorities as the leader of a "criminal organization."

The scheme also involves Ábalos—whom Sánchez appointed as his first transport minister and in whom he placed his full trust—as well as Koldo García, a former aide to Ábalos, and businessman Víctor de Aldama. The charges they could face include forming a criminal organization, ongoing bribery, influence peddling, embezzlement of public funds, use of privileged information, falsification of official documents, money laundering and administrative prevarication.

Cerdán spent five months—until November 2025—provisionally imprisoned. Ábalos and García remain behind bars provisionally.

Another case involves Álvaro García Ortiz. Appointed by the Sanchez government as attorney general in 2022, in November 2025 the Supreme Court sentenced him to a two-year disqualification for leaking secrets to harm the opposition, specifically the president of the Community of Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso.

In addition to Gomez, David Sanchez, brother of the Spanish Prime Minister, is under investigation for administrative prevarication, influence peddling and embezzlement. He is awaiting the opening of an oral trial.

Also linked to Sánchez is Leire Díez, a former PSOE member, who is under investigation. Known as ‘La Fontanera,’ she was formally charged in July 2025 with bribery and influence peddling.