WhatsApp chats reveal Begoña Gómez’s use of university resources and adviser for private deals
WhatsApp exchanges between Begoña Gómez, a senior university official and her Moncloa-funded adviser show coordination to further private business interests, prompting a trial for influence-peddling and embezzlement.
One outlet obtained WhatsApp chats that link Begoña Gómez, wife of the Spanish prime minister and director of the Transformación Social Competitiva chair at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, with vice-rector José María Coello de Portugal. The messages reveal Gómez arranging coffee meetings, reserving university rooms, and discussing the chair’s financial and procurement matters. She repeatedly mentions her adviser María Cristina Álvarez, a Moncloa-funded consultant, promising her presence at meetings and using her to handle private business affairs.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has concluded the investigation and referred the case to a popular-juror trial, accusing Gómez of influence-peddling and embezzlement for exploiting public officials and resources. The chats, dated January 2023 and later, show Gómez deleting messages that referenced chair invoices, underscoring the alleged misuse of public means for private gain.
Why it matters
The case highlights possible abuse of public office and funds for personal profit, raising concerns about corruption at the highest levels.
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