Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has been formally charged with influence peddling and bribery.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado of Madrid’s Investigative Court issued the indictment today. Gómez will now stand trial, marking the latest chapter in a high-profile investigation that began in April 2024 and has repeatedly rocked Spanish politics.
The case centers on allegations that Gómez leveraged her position as the wife of Spain’s leader to benefit private companies and her own professional activities while co-directing master’s programs at Madrid’s Complutense University.
Investigators have examined whether she used her influence to help secure public contracts and funding — most notably through recommendation letters for businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés, whose firm won millions in government tenders.
The probe has since expanded to include claims of embezzlement of public funds involving a government-paid aide who allegedly assisted with her university work, along with misappropriation and professional intrusion.
The investigation was initially triggered by complaints from anti-corruption groups, including Manos Limpias (“Clean Hands”), and has been closely watched across Spain.
Sánchez’s leftist coalition government has repeatedly dismissed the case as a politically motivated “witch hunt” by right-wing forces. Gómez has denied any wrongdoing in prior court appearances and invoked her right not to testify in some instances.
Hellbound and Down 