Spain: President Pedro Sánchez's brother convicted of malfeasance

The Spanish courts sentenced David Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, brother of President Pedro Sánchez, to nine years of disqualification from holding public office for committing the crime of malfeasance.

Miguel Ángel Gallardo, former leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in the region of Extremadura and implicated in the case involving the president's brother, received the same sentence, as did nine other people.

A lower court issued its ruling on Tuesday after finding that Sánchez received preferential treatment to obtain a public-sector job, sentencing him "to special disqualification from public office or employment" and barring him from voting "for a period of nine years," as "an accomplice through necessary cooperation in a crime of administrative malfeasance."

"This unethical practice undermines democratic health, fosters corruption, and perpetuates inequality of opportunity," the judges added in their ruling.

However, the court acquitted the president's brother of the crime of influence peddling, for which he was also under investigation and for which he would have been sentenced to prison.

This case is one of the ongoing legal scandals surrounding the Prime Minister of Spain and his inner circle. His wife, Begoña Gómez, will stand trial after being charged with four crimes related to the use of public funds for her private interests.

Previously, two of Sánchez's closest collaborators within the PSOE—former Minister of Transportation José Luis Ábalos and the party's former Secretary of Organization Santos Cerdán —as well as Koldo García, a business partner of Ábalos—were also convicted of forming and leading a criminal organization. The former is serving a sentence of more than 24 years in prison, while the other remains on probation.

Another person who was convicted was Álvaro García Ortiz, appointed attorney general by Sánchez, to a two-year disqualification for leaking secrets to harm the opposition, specifically the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Linked to the president, Leire Díez, a former member of the PSOE, is also under investigation. Known as La Fontanera, she was indicted in July 2025 on charges of bribery and influence peddling.

Finally, there is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The former prime minister has been charged with influence peddling and money laundering, among other crimes.