Begoña Gómez is accused of using her position as the prime minister's wife to obtain employment contracts.
Posted June 20, 2026
The wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been banned from traveling abroad as she prepares to face trial on corruption charges.
Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado handed down the sentence Saturday, ordering Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, to surrender her passport and appear in court twice a month until a verdict is issued. She is accused of embezzlement, influence peddling, business corruption and embezzlement.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
Gómez has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case, which stems from a complaint filed by an anti-corruption group with ties to the far right. It focuses on the creation and management of a chair at the Complutense University of Madrid that was co-directed by Gómez, as well as the alleged use of public resources and personal connections to promote private interests.
Sánchez has dismissed the accusations against his wife as an attempt by the right to undermine his government. Sánchez's Socialist Party has said Gómez is innocent and subject to a years-long campaign of political persecution.
A date for the politically explosive trial has not yet been set.
The case is one of several corruption investigations involving Sánchez allies that are about to be tried or are already in court, increasing pressure on the Prime Minister.
Several close allies, including the Socialist Party's number three and Sánchez's former transport minister, are under investigation in cases of alleged bribery linked to public works, oil and gas contracts, and the acquisition of masks during the pandemic. They deny any wrongdoing.
Separately, Spain's High Court said it was investigating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero over allegations that he led a network that benefited from lobbying by public authorities on behalf of third parties, including the airline Plus Ultra. He denies the claims.
Sánchez, who has not been named in either case, has rejected calls from the opposition to resign and call early elections.
