David Sanchez, the brother of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, was convicted of administrative misconduct on Tuesday and banned from holding public office for nine years over his appointment to a senior cultural post in 2017.
The Badajoz court found that the position — overseeing the province’s music conservatories — was created without any genuine administrative need and was tailored specifically to benefit Sanchez due to his family connection to the prime minister.
“The defendants engaged in a grossly arbitrary exercise of power with the sole aim of favoring specific individuals,” the ruling said, adding that one of the posts was later modified to accommodate David Sanchez’s interest in opera.
The ruling can be appealed.
A Fresh Political Blow
The conviction deals a fresh political blow to the socialist premier, whose government and inner circle have faced a series of corruption-related investigations and scandals over the past two years.
Last month, a former close aide to Sanchez was sentenced to 24 years in prison in a separate corruption case.
Pedro Sanchez has dismissed the accusations against his brother as part of a politically motivated campaign driven by the far right.
The Bottom Line
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s brother, David Sanchez, has been convicted of administrative misconduct and banned from holding public office for nine years. The court ruled that his appointment to a senior cultural post was created without genuine administrative need and was tailored to benefit him due to his family ties. The conviction is the latest in a series of corruption-related scandals to hit the prime minister’s government.
