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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez‘s wife, Begona Gomez, has been formally charged with corruption after a years-long criminal investigation, according to a court ruling published Monday.

The probe is one of several corruption cases that have embroiled the Socialist leader’s family and former allies, putting pressure on his minority coalition government.

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado opened the investigation in April 2024 to determine whether Gomez had exploited her position as Sanchez’s wife for private gain, which she and the prime minister deny.

The case centers on the creation and management of a chair at Madrid‘s Complutense University that was co-directed by Gomez, as well as the alleged use of public resources and personal connections to advance private interests.

Peinado said his investigation had found sufficient indications of criminal conduct by Gomez, 55, according to a ruling dated April 11 that was made public on Monday.

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He formally charged Gomez with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds, the ruling added.

“The chair served as a means of private professional development for the person under investigation,” the judge wrote.

It is now up to the courts to decide whether Gómez will stand trial.

Gomez, who is on an official visit to China with Sanchez, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Sanchez has dismissed the allegations against his wife as an attempt by the right wing to undermine his government. Opposition parties have called for his resignation.

The case originated from a complaint filed by an anti-corruption group with far-right ties.

The prime minister’s brother, David Sanchez, has also been indicted in a separate investigation into alleged influence peddling tied to his hiring by a regional government.

Sanchez’s former right-hand man and former transport minister, Jose Luis Abalos, went on trial this month over alleged kickbacks linked to public contracts.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Democrat Eric Swalwell of California, who had already ended his bid to become governor, announced his resignation from Congress on Monday via X, after multiple women accused him of sexual assault or misconduct. 

Hours later, Texas Republican Tony Gonzales announced plans to retire from office in an X post, amid mounting pressure after acknowledging an affair with a former aide who later died by self-immolation. House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders had already urged him not to seek reelection.

Lawmakers are still zeroing in on separate controversies involving two Florida lawmakers — Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Republican Cory Mills — in an unusual push for disciplinary action.

“Congress should not tolerate representatives who abuse staff, betray public trust for personal gain, and generally violate their oath of office,” New York Democrat Nydia Velazquez posted on X, calling for all four to resign and adding “if they refuse, they should be expelled.”

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Threshold 

Expulsion from the House requires a two-thirds majority, a threshold so high that Congress has wielded the sanction only in the gravest cases, removing just six members in its 237-year history.

Swalwell’s troubles escalated rapidly over the weekend as reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN detailed allegations from four women, including a former staff member who said he sexually assaulted her twice while she was too intoxicated to consent. 

Swalwell has apologized for what he called “mistakes in judgment” while insisting the accusations are false. 

He suspended his campaign to become governor of California but this did little to calm the uproar in Washington, where calls for him to resign from the House spread across party lines. Late Monday afternoon he announced on X he was resigning his seat.

“I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” Swalwell said.

Republican Anna Paulina Luna had been set to introduce a resolution Tuesday to expel Swalwell, and support for votes to oust the other three, beginning as early as this week, has come from an ideologically wide group of lawmakers. 

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‘Despicable’ 

“These allegations are despicable and they demean the integrity of Congress,” Florida Republican Byron Donalds told NBC, adding that both Swalwell and Gonzales “need to go home.” 

The Swalwell and Gonzales cases in particular have fed talk on Capitol Hill of a politically symmetrical purge: one Democrat for one Republican, or perhaps two from each party. 

“Gonzales and Swalwell exploited their staffers’ ideals and commitment to public service as a vulnerability. These staffers work incredibly hard and instead of being treated with respect, they were preyed upon,” Democratic New Mexico Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez said.

Cherfilus-McCormick is already facing a sanctions hearing after an Ethics Committee subpanel found she committed 25 violations tied to campaign finance and related conduct, and she is also due to face a federal criminal trial next year. 

Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty in her criminal case.

The Ethics Committee, a bipartisan but notoriously slow-moving body that handles misconduct cases in the House, was investigating Gonzales and on Monday opened a new file, on Swalwell — but the committee’s jurisdiction only extends to sitting members.

Mills, meanwhile, is under investigation over allegations ranging from sexual misconduct and domestic violence to campaign finance and gift violations, all of which he denies. 

Many lawmakers remain skeptical the chamber will act as soon as this week. 

The House is already operating with an exceptionally thin Republican majority, and any vacancies would trigger special elections whose timing would depend on state governors.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)