Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, has been formally charged with multiple corruption offenses following a two-year criminal investigation, according to a court ruling made public on Tuesday.
Gómez faces allegations of embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings, and misappropriation of funds. The charges stem from accusations that she leveraged her position as the prime minister's wife to advance her private career, specifically through securing a role at Madrid's prestigious Complutense University where she directed a master's degree program in business studies.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who opened the investigation in April 2024, cited Gómez's lack of relevant qualifications for the university position as evidence in the case. The complaint was originally filed by anti-corruption group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), an organization led by Miguel Bernad, who has ties to far-right political movements. The group has a history of filing numerous unsuccessful lawsuits against politicians.
Gómez has denied all charges, while Prime Minister Sánchez has characterized the allegations as a politically motivated attack. When the investigation began, Sánchez temporarily suspended his public duties for five days, stating he needed to "stop and reflect" on whether to remain in office amid what he described as "the mud" that right-wing and far-right groups were attempting to drag politics into.
Sánchez complained of a "strategy of harassment" designed to weaken him politically and personally target his wife. The couple is currently on an official visit to China as the charges were announced.
This case represents the latest in a series of legal challenges facing Sánchez's inner circle. Separately, the prime minister's brother, David Sánchez, has been indicted in an investigation into alleged influence peddling related to his hiring by a regional government. Additionally, former transport minister José Luis Ábalos recently went on trial over allegations he received kickbacks from sales of Personal Protective Equipment to the Spanish government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The court will now determine whether Gómez will stand trial based on the evidence presented in the investigation.