Spanish judge orders PM's wife to stand trial for corruption, bars her from leaving country after police escort row

The judicial order

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado ruled on Saturday 20 June that Begoña Gómez must face trial for four alleged offences: influence peddling, misuse of public funds, business corruption and misappropriation. She is accused of using her position to steer government contracts to a group of technology companies, of improperly hiring a consultant with public money and of misusing software while teaching at a public university. Until a trial date is set, Gómez must surrender her passport, remain in Spain and report to a court every two weeks. The judge said he saw a risk she might abscond. A businessman who allegedly benefited from the contracts and the consultant who worked for Gómez will also be tried.

There is no doubt that the State security agents forming part of Gómez’s escort could, at a given moment, either on their own initiative or following orders from their hierarchical superiors, be precisely those who collaborate in actions to facilitate a flight that makes it impossible for the accused to be brought to justice.

Police push back

Within hours, the National Police Directorate issued a statement calling the judge’s remarks “unjustified” and defending “the honour, integrity and prestige” of its officers. The force stressed that its members act under the Spanish Constitution with “political neutrality, absolute impartiality and strict subjection to the rule of law.” Police unions such as Jupol and the SUP described the insinuation as “an utter barbarity.”

Any line of argument that casts suspicion on the work of officers, suggesting they might cooperate in evading justice or breaching precautionary measures by people under their protection, is unjustified.

Defence complains to the judicial watchdog

Gómez’s lawyer, Antonio Camacho, filed a complaint with the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) on Sunday, saying he had learned about the trial opening and the precautionary measures through the press. He argued that the court had not formally notified the defence, violating the right to a fair hearing. Camacho asked the CGPJ to investigate why the resolutions were not served to him and to take “appropriate measures” if an irregularity is confirmed. The CGPJ’s Permanent Commission is due to examine on Monday whether to open a disciplinary file against Judge Peinado over his comments about the police escorts.

Political fallout

Pedro Sánchez has described the case as part of a smear campaign by political adversaries to topple his government, in power since 2018. Félix Bolaños, the justice minister, denounced the judge’s decision as politically motivated. The conservative People’s Party avoided direct criticism of the judge but said the fact that La Moncloa had turned into “a centre of influence peddling” carried political responsibility. PP deputy secretary Cuca Gamarra expressed full support for the police and called the judge’s remarks about escorts understandable grounds for police anger. The opposition also called for early elections, with general elections already scheduled for next year. The case adds to the legal troubles surrounding Sánchez: days earlier, former Socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero appeared before another judge over his alleged role in a government airline bailout and the discovery of high-end jewellery during a police search of his office.

The investigation

Judge Peinado opened the inquiry in April 2024 after a complaint from the pressure group Manos Limpias, which has a history of launching judicial actions often linked to conservative causes. In April 2026 Gómez was formally indicted. The central allegation concerns a university chair she co-directed at Madrid’s Complutense University, which the judge said served as “a vehicle for the private professional development of the accused.” Gómez denies any wrongdoing.