Spanish Court Orders Begoña Gómez to Stand Trial; She Denies Wrongdoing

A Spanish court ordered Begoña Gómez to stand trial by jury on charges of embezzlement, corruption, misappropriation of funds, and influence peddling. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado issued the order in a document released Saturday, June 20. The ruling bars Gómez from leaving Spain, requires her to surrender her passport, and directs her to report to the court twice a month until a verdict.

Instructions were sent to all border posts and civilian and military airports to enforce the travel ban. No trial date has been set. Peinado formally charged Gómez in April with the same four offenses after opening an investigation in April 2024.

The probe examined whether Gómez used her position to steer public contracts toward favored companies. The case centers on a university chair at Madrid's Complutense University that Gómez co-directed. The judge wrote that the chair served as a means of private professional development for the person under investigation and that public resources and personal connections were allegedly used to advance private interests.

The investigation began after a complaint from an anti-corruption group with far-right ties. Last month, former Socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was placed under formal investigation for suspected influence peddling tied to the 2021 bailout of airline Plus Ultra. Gómez and the prime minister deny any wrongdoing.

Sánchez has dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the right wing to undermine his government. The conservative and far-right opposition have demanded Sánchez's resignation and early elections. Sánchez insists he will serve out his term until 2027.