Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is to stand trial on four alleged offences including influence peddling and embezzlement of public funds, following a highly controversial judicial investigation that has run for two years.

Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado formally closed the inquiry on 11 April with a prosecutorial order, paving the way for a potential jury trial. The charge of professional misconduct has been dropped due to what the judge called “weak indications” lacking solid evidence.

Gómez learned of the decision while accompanying Sánchez on an official trip to China.

A politically charged case

The case, which first emerged in April 2024, stems from a complaint filed by the trade union Manos Limpias, later expanded by actions from the conservative platform Hazte Oír and the right-wing party Vox.

At its core, the investigation examines whether Gómez used her position and personal connections to advance private professional interests, particularly through her role linked to a university chair at Complutense University of Madrid known as Transformación Social Competitiva (TSC).

Judge Peinado argues there are sufficient indications that Gómez benefited from what he described as an “institutionalised structure of power” tied to her husband’s position. In a striking passage, the judge compared the alleged conduct to practices “more typical of absolutist regimes”, remarks that have triggered anger within the government.

Sources in La Moncloa described the language as inappropriate and criticised the timing of the ruling, noting it coincided with an official foreign visit by the prime minister.

Four charges retained

The judge has indicted Gómez for the following alleged crimes:

1. Influence peddling (tráfico de influencias) — leveraging her relationship with Sánchez to influence public officials

2. Embezzlement of public funds (malversación) — alleged misuse of government-appointed adviser Cristina Álvarez for private projects

3. Business corruption (corrupción en los negocios) — suspected preferential access granted to corporate sponsors

4. Misappropriation (apropiación indebida) — relating to the registration and transfer of the TSC brand and domain to Gómez personally

The judge also prosecutes Gómez’s adviser, Cristina Álvarez, and entrepreneur Juan Carlos Barrabés on the same four charges.

Key allegations

According to the ruling, Gómez may have leveraged her relationship with Sánchez to influence public officials and promote projects linked to the TSC chair. The judge lists several indicative elements:

• Meetings at the prime minister’s official residence, La Moncloa

• The rapid creation of the academic chair

• Correspondence supporting business bids connected to Barrabés

• The registration and later transfer of the TSC brand and domain to Gómez personally, rather than to the university

A key strand concerns the role of Gómez’s government-appointed adviser, Cristina Álvarez. Judge Peinado alleges Álvarez, though formally employed within the prime minister’s office, took part in activities linked to Gómez’s private projects, including fundraising efforts and dealings with major corporations such as Google, Telefónica and Deloitte.

The investigation also examines Gómez’s interactions with corporate sponsors of the university chair. The judge suggests these were not merely ceremonial contacts, but part of an “ongoing and operational” effort to secure funding, with companies potentially receiving preferential access to public administration in return.

Government reaction

Justice Minister Félix Bolaños has vehemently criticised the decision, stating the case “has made citizens and judges blush” and expressing “absolute confidence” that a higher, impartial judicial body will revoke Peinado’s decision.

Bolaños insisted: “This is a case where there is nothing, no matter how much it is stirred up, nothing can be established”.

What happens next?

All parties now have five days to submit final arguments before the case proceeds. The popular prosecutions, led by Hazte Oír, must formulate their indictments including requested prison sentences.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has consistently called for the case to be dismissed, arguing there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

If the case goes to trial, as now seems foreseeable, it will be heard before a popular jury rather than a panel of judges, an unusual feature in high-profile political cases in Spain.

The coming weeks will determine whether one of Spain’s most politically sensitive legal cases in recent years moves fully into the courtroom.

Is Begoña Gómez facing a political and media campaign?