David Sánchez, the brother of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has been convicted of administrative misconduct over his appointment to a senior cultural position with the Badajoz Provincial Council.
The Provincial Court of Badajoz sentenced Sánchez to a nine-year ban from holding public office after finding him guilty of acting as a necessary participant in an offence of administrative misconduct, known in Spanish law as prevaricación administrativa.
The case centred on his appointment in 2017 as coordinator of activities for music conservatories operated by the provincial authority.
Judges concluded that the position had been created without a genuine administrative need and had instead been designed to benefit a particular candidate. The court said the defendants had exercised public authority in a “grossly arbitrary” manner for the purpose of favouring specific individuals.
According to the ruling, the responsibilities attached to the post were later altered to accommodate David Sánchez’s professional interest in opera.
Former Badajoz Provincial Council president Miguel Ángel Gallardo was also convicted and received an 18-year ban from public office for two offences of administrative misconduct. Several other officials were convicted in connection with the recruitment process.
The court did not convict David Sánchez of influence peddling, and no prison sentence was imposed. His defence has announced plans to appeal, meaning the judgment is not yet final.
The ruling represents another political setback for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose government and close associates have faced several separate corruption-related investigations and controversies.
The prime minister and the Socialist Party have repeatedly denied that David Sánchez received preferential treatment. PSOE representatives said they disagreed with the judgment and remained confident that the conviction would be overturned by a higher court.
Pedro Sánchez has previously described allegations involving members of his family as part of a politically motivated campaign intended to damage his government.
However, the Badajoz court ruled that the recruitment process was unlawfully structured to favour David Sánchez and that the creation and subsequent modification of the post could not be justified by the genuine operational requirements of the provincial administration.
