Friday, November 21, 2025 - Spain’s Supreme Court has convicted the country’s attorney general, Alvaro García Ortiz, for leaking confidential legal information in a case involving the conservative opposition, a ruling that marks a major setback for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Socialist-led government.
García Ortiz, appointed by Sánchez in 2022 and staunchly
defended by the administration throughout the controversy, was found guilty of
improperly disclosing details about a tax investigation involving Alberto
González Amador, the partner of Madrid regional president and prominent
conservative figure Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
The court ruled that García Ortiz must step down from his
post for two years, pay a fine of around €7,300 and compensate González Amador
with €10,000 in damages.
The scandal erupted in 2024 after leaked documents suggested
González Amador had proposed a plea deal admitting to alleged tax offences in
exchange for avoiding trial and prison. Ayuso and the Popular Party accused
García Ortiz of orchestrating the leak to politically damage her ahead of key
national political manoeuvring.
PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the conviction
“unprecedented” and said it would “always hang over Sánchez,” demanding the
prime minister apologise for what he described as a politically motivated
operation.
The government responded that it “respects the ruling, but
does not agree with it,” and confirmed that the process to appoint a new
attorney general would begin soon.
During his trial, García Ortiz denied wrongdoing, arguing
through his legal team that he was the target of a coordinated attempt by the
Madrid regional government to distract from González Amador’s tax case and
shield Ayuso from political fallout. Public prosecutors had sought his
acquittal, saying no evidence proved he ordered the leak.
The ruling adds to mounting legal pressure on Sánchez’s
government, which has been shaken by separate corruption investigations
involving the prime minister’s wife, his brother and former Socialist Party
officials. The Popular Party has repeatedly called for Sánchez to resign and
call an early election, accusing his administration of widespread misconduct.
Sánchez has dismissed the corruption allegations as a
politically driven “smear campaign” orchestrated by the right.
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