MADRID, Spain — Spain’s Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard is investigating suspected undeclared payments from Madrid to the Socialists’ Party of Catalonia (PSC) during the campaign for the May 12, 2024, Catalan regional elections, according to judicial documentation and sources familiar with the inquiry.
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The investigation, ordered by National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz, examines the alleged existence of an “action unit” within the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) purportedly designed to interfere with or destabilize judicial proceedings affecting the party. As part of this broader inquiry, the National Court recently requested that the PSOE provide all documentation related to expenditures from the Catalan election campaign, in which the PSC emerged victorious and Salvador Illa assumed the presidency of the Generalitat.
Judge Pedraz has specifically requested accounting data submitted to both the Sindicatura de Comptes, Catalonia’s audit office, and the national Court of Auditors, along with contracts, invoices, financial statements, and disbursements linked to propaganda and advertising. Investigators are now focusing on the possible existence of a parallel or “dark campaign” conducted during the Catalan electoral period. Such operations, allegedly aimed at influencing the behavior of opposing voters through deceptive maneuvers, targeted messaging, or dissemination of false content, could constitute irregular payments and violate electoral regulations, specifically Article 8.1 of the Organic Law of the General Electoral Regime.
The Catalan elections of May 2024 marked a significant political shift in the region, ending years of governance by separatist parties. According to a report from the Sindicatura de Comptes, the PSC operated with a campaign budget of approximately 2.9 million euros. The same document identified that 6,607 euros were paid outside the designated electoral account and noted the participation of companies that failed to declare their billing to the party despite exceeding the legal threshold of 10,000 euros.
Within this line of investigation, the Civil Guard is analyzing a payment of approximately 20,000 euros to the late journalist Patricia López, processed through her company Grupo Crónica Libre. According to judicial records, Santos Cerdán, former Organization Secretary of the PSOE, allegedly ordered that this amount be channeled through a supposed “advertising campaign” included in the party’s “media plan,” with execution coordinated through an external agency.
Judge Pedraz has traced the origins of these inquiries to early 2024, when, according to the court ruling, former socialist militant Leire Díez and former PSOE Organization Secretary Santos Cerdán maintained connections within a suspected organized network aimed at obtaining commissions. Within this context falls the investigation into the potential use of media resources, payments, and information leaks to advance specific political and judicial interests.
According to the investigative hypothesis, relationships with certain media outlets may have served purposes beyond mere propaganda, potentially assigning them an active role in disseminating specific information. Among these materials would reportedly be recordings sourced from the archives of retired commissioner José Manuel Villarejo, whose publication could have impacted judicial proceedings involving members of the government or the PSOE.
2,9 milions d’euros fora dels canals oficials de campanya per afavorir electoralment Salvador Illa i el PSC a Catalunya.
— VIQUI ||☆|| (@viquirepublica) June 1, 2026
Si això acaba demostrant-se, serà probablement un dels escàndols més greus de la política catalana dels darrers anys, perquè afecta directament la netedat del… pic.twitter.com/mCTAMNNZ9F
Notes seized from Leire Díez, one of the principal subjects of the investigation, have also drawn investigators’ attention. These documents reportedly indicate a connection between the “creation of a newspaper” and an internally designated “Operation PSOE,” which investigators interpret as potentially pointing to a media strategy designed to influence public debate and affect sensitive judicial cases.
The court ruling additionally attributes a specific role to Ion Antolín, the PSOE’s Communications Director. According to the resolution, he allegedly informed Patricia López that the payment had been incorporated “within the media plan” and that an external agency would contact her to finalize the transaction. This detail represents one of the elements that has prompted the National Court to request all economic documentation related to the Catalan campaign from the party.
The PSC has denied any irregularity and affirmed its commitment to cooperating with judicial authorities. In a public statement, the party indicated that it has compiled all requested information, which had previously been submitted to the Sindicatura de Comptes, and is now making it available to the judicial authority. Catalan socialists further emphasized that the court ruling does not establish a direct connection between the Catalan campaign and the specific facts under investigation.
Under Spanish electoral and criminal law, violations regarding campaign financing, undeclared expenditures, and potential interference with judicial proceedings constitute serious offenses that can result in significant penalties upon conviction. Prosecutors will evaluate all available evidence, including financial records, contractual documentation, witness testimony, and digital communications, to determine appropriate charges and procedural next steps.
The National Court has emphasized that all individuals mentioned in connection with potential criminal activity are presumed innocent until proven guilty through formal judicial proceedings. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities indicating that further details will be released through official channels in accordance with applicable legal protocols and judicial secrecy provisions.
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As judicial proceedings advance, prosecutors will review all evidence to determine whether formal charges are warranted and what procedural steps are appropriate.
