Spanish police search headquarters of PM Sánchez’s ruling Socialist party

The Civil Guard told The Associated Press that the police were under judicial orders to find material relevant to a National Court probe into accusations of corruption against former party members and other individuals.

The police said the search is strictly limited to a probe led by National Court judge Santiago Pedraz into the possible wrongdoing of Socialist party member Leire Díez.

The case against Díez started in 2025 when audio recordings appeared in Spanish media of her apparent involvement in attempts to discredit a member of the Civil Guard’s anti-corruption unit. Further reports linked her to alleged attempts to influence the work of state prosecutors. The judge's probe is targeted on seeing if she received payments from the party to allegedly carry out these efforts.

The Socialist party said she was acting on her own. Diez, who has left the party, has denied wrongdoing.

A statement issued by the court on Wednesday said that judge Pedraz ordered the Civil Guard to “confiscate diverse documentation and electronic archives in an investigation of a ring designed to destabilize judicial processes that were affecting the ruling party.”

The judge said that in addition to Díez, he is also probing the alleged involvement of former Socialist heavyweight Santos Cerdán — who is already under investigation in a separate corruption case — as well as a former member of the regional government of Andalusia, a police officer, a business owner and two lawyers. The judge is investigating them on suspicions of bribery, making false testimony, forging commercial documents, influence peddling, and corruption.

Last week a separate court said it was investigating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in connection with a government airline bailout. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Sánchez's wife and brother are being probed over allegations of influence peddling, which both have denied.

And, most damning for the Socialists, Cerdán and a former minister under Sánchez are both being investigated on allegations they played a part in a kickback ring that started during the COVID-19 pandemic, which they have denied.

Sánchez, who has been prime minister since 2018, has called the cases against his family a “smear campaign.” But the corruption case against his former cohorts led him to ask the nation for “forgiveness” in 2025.

His minority government depends on the support of a junior coalition partner, which for now has stuck with it despite the judicial actions.

Sánchez, who has stood out on the international stage for his progressive stances that have earned the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, has not been directly linked to any of the scandals.