Spain’s Supreme Court convicted a former senior figure of the governing Socialist Party on Monday, imposing a 24‑year prison term for bribery and related corruption offenses. The ruling intensifies scrutiny of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as investigations continue to target his associates and family members.
José Luis Ábalos, who previously served as infrastructure minister and oversaw billions of euros in public spending, was found guilty of criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement and influence peddling. His chief aide, former bouncer and driver Koldo García, was also convicted for accepting bribes on behalf of the minister and received a 19‑year sentence. Both men pleaded not guilty; their lawyers have not responded to requests for comment.
The conviction deals a significant blow to Sánchez, a left‑leaning leader who has cultivated an international reputation as a liberal opponent of populist forces but faces mounting domestic pressure from corruption allegations involving close allies.
A decade ago, during Sánchez’s primary campaign, the three men traveled together across Spain in Sánchez’s black Peugeot, a journey that later became a symbolic part of his political narrative. The recent verdict turns that story into a political liability.
Investigations or prosecutions have also begun against:
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Begoña Gómez, Sánchez’s wife, who was ordered to surrender her passport and face trial on corruption and influence‑peddling charges that have been under investigation since 2024.
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David Sánchez, the prime minister’s brother, who went on trial earlier this month over allegations of receiving a patronage job.
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José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, former prime minister and Sánchez ally, accused in May of receiving kickbacks amounting to roughly $2.4 million for influencing a government airline bailout.
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The Socialist Party itself, whose headquarters were raided last month as police searched for evidence of a smear campaign allegedly orchestrated by Ábalos’s successor against judges probing Sánchez’s family.
Sánchez has described the cases against his wife and brother as politically motivated, a view echoed by several judicial experts and political analysts. He has also defended Zapatero, who maintains his innocence, while attempting to distance himself from Ábalos.
The series of trials provides ample ammunition for the conservative opposition.
“Spanish democracy is in a critical situation,” said Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the centre‑right Popular Party. He referred to Ábalos as “Sánchez’s No. 2” and highlighted the irony of Ábalos’s 2018 parliamentary speech that helped trigger a no‑confidence motion and paved the way for Sánchez’s rise to power.
Feijóo added that the scandals surrounding Sánchez are “unbearable and incompatible” with a functioning democracy, urging a change in leadership.
Sánchez has denied any involvement in corruption. His office declined to comment on Monday, and the Socialist Party stated that “justice has spoken, and its rulings must be respected,” emphasizing a “zero‑tolerance” stance on corruption, unlike the Popular Party.
In Ábalos’s case, the three‑judge panel found that he received monthly kickbacks linked to a government contract for pandemic‑era mask supplies, as well as an apartment for his former mistress and preferential real‑estate deals.
“These actions undermine the democratic architecture of our social and democratic state under the rule of law,” the court wrote, adding that public trust had suffered a “severe erosion.”
The high‑profile trial dominated Spanish headlines for weeks, with the defendants often appearing in court visibly distressed as prosecutors presented damning evidence, including testimony from Koldo García’s ex‑wife about Ábalos’s ex‑wife.
When authorities initially raided Ábalos’s home last year, they discovered an external hard drive hidden in the trousers of a woman who had worked as a pornographic actress and whom Ábalos had hired to walk his dog, according to a police report reviewed by The New York Times.
Carlos Barragán contributed reporting.