On May 21, Spanish police raided the headquarters of the Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid as part of an investigation into possible financial misconduct, according to local media reports.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard confirmed to Reuters that officers entered the PSOE headquarters on Wednesday. The force said it was acting on a court order to search for documents related to an investigation by the National Court into corruption allegations against former PSOE members and other individuals.
The search focused on a case involving Leire Diez, a PSOE member who is under investigation by National Court judge Santiago Pedraz. According to AP, the case began in 2025 when audio recordings emerged in Spanish media suggesting Diez was involved in efforts to discredit a member of the Civil Guard's anti-corruption unit. Other reports also linked her to attempts to influence the work of state prosecutors.
The investigating judge is examining whether Diez received payments from the party for these actions. PSOE spokesman Montse Minguez told Catalunya radio that the party remained calm, was cooperating fully with the court, and was ready to provide any requested information.
The move follows former Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero being placed under formal investigation last week in connection with a government airline bailout. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was not in the capital on the day of the raid, as he was visiting the Vatican ahead of Pope Leo XIV's planned trip to Spain next month. Sanchez's wife and brother are also under investigation for influence peddling, but they deny all allegations. Sanchez dismisses the cases against his family as baseless and part of a right-wing smear campaign.
Opposition conservative leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said Sanchez's government 'stinks of corruption' and called for early elections. Former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos, a close ex-associate of the prime minister, is awaiting a verdict in his own corruption trial, which concluded its arguments earlier this month.
