The wife of Spain's prime minister has been accused of corruption — Bloomberg
The wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been charged with influence peddling and accepting bribes.
Bloomberg reports this.
According to a ruling published on Monday, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado filed charges against Begonia Gomez following a years-long criminal investigation that has rocked Spanish politics. She will now face trial.
The government has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing on the part of Gomez.
The charges against Gómez intensify political pressure on Sánchez. His Socialist-led minority government has been shaken by numerous corruption investigations and allegations of politically motivated attacks ahead of next year’s general election, which opponents are likely to exploit.
The investigation “has disconcerted many citizens and judges” in Spain, Justice Minister Félix Bolaños said after the ruling, adding that the damage to the justice system’s reputation “will be irreparable in many respects.”
As a reminder, the European Parliamenthas adopted common rules to combat corruption in EU countries.
Additionally, a group of U.S. lawmakers from the Republican and Democratic parties introduced a legislative initiative calling for sanctions against leading corrupt Hungarian political figures linked to Viktor Orbán’s government.
