Spanish PM Sanchez's wife must stand trial on corruption charges, judge rules

Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, must stand trial on corruption charges, a judge ruled Saturday. The investigating judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, also ordered Gómez to surrender her passport and banned her from leaving Spain. She is required to report to court twice a month as part of the proceedings.

Gómez is suspected of leveraging her position as the prime minister's wife to obtain work contracts. She has denied any wrongdoing. The case was initiated by far-right groups who oppose Sanchez's Socialist party. The party issued a statement on X/Twitter, calling the development "another step" in what they describe as "judicial and political persecution" against Gómez for two years.

This case is one of several corruption investigations that are currently impacting Sanchez's government. While Sanchez himself has not been named in any of the cases, he has asserted that they are part of a campaign to remove him from office. The Socialist Party has cited sources close to Gómez indicating she plans to appeal the judge's conditions, including the passport seizure. Several close allies of Sanchez, including former transport minister and current party official, are also under investigation in separate cases involving alleged kickbacks and contract irregularities.

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(Begoña) has been subjected to judicial and political persecution for two years. Today's development is another step in that process.