Spain's attorney general, Álvaro García Ortiz, has been found guilty of leaking confidential information about a tax case involving a businessman who is the partner of a prominent right-wing politician. The Supreme Court sentenced him to a two-year ban from public office and fined him €7,300, with an additional €10,000 in damages to the businessman, Alberto González Amador.
García Ortiz, who has served as attorney general since 2022, denied sharing personal details with journalists about González Amador's tax fraud investigation. The businessman is the partner of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the Madrid regional president and a vocal critic of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Ayuso claimed the leak aimed to damage her reputation, while González Amador told the court the attorney general had 'completely destroyed' him.
The verdict is a blow to Sánchez, who had insisted on García Ortiz's innocence. Government sources said they respected but disagreed with the ruling, and a process to choose a replacement will begin shortly. The case has reignited debate over judicial politicisation, amid ongoing corruption investigations involving Sánchez's wife, brother, and former minister José Luis Ábalos.
Opposition leaders condemned the verdict. Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the People's Party called it an 'anomaly' that would weigh on Sánchez, while Santiago Abascal of Vox accused Sánchez of overseeing a 'mafia'. Sánchez has previously questioned the independence of some judges, claiming some engage in politics.
