Alberto Núñez Feijóo on 9 November 2026 rejected the claim that the Partido Popular had Koldo García offered money for him to provide damaging information about Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez The allegations were “absolutely false”, said the PP leader, stressing that “not a single euro” had been offered on the party’s behalf.
The debate was prompted by recordings and statements by Koldo García that became public on 5 November 2026 . In them, the former adviser to the then Transport Minister José Luis Ábalossays he reached an agreement with lawyer Alberto Durán in May 2025. This reportedly included, among other things, the payment of his legal costs and one million euros if he provided information that could harm Sánchez and those around him. Spanish media reported on an audio recording in which García describes these alleged arrangements.
The government responded by calling for clarification. Justice and Presidency Minister Félix Bolaños said the alleged offers could provide a motive for what he sees as the numerous smears against Sánchez. The PSOE demanded precise answers from Feijóo and urged him to hand the recordings to the courts or file formal complaints.
The Partido Popular denies any involvement in payments. Party representatives point out that there is currently no verified evidence of a direct role by the PP. At the same time, they acknowledge that García is said to have had contact with the lawyer; the timing, extent and legal nature of these meetings are disputed. Feijóo clearly separated his personal and political rejection of the claims from speculation about individual figures around the party.
Koldo García became known in Spain in 2024 in connection with the so-called mask scandal (“Caso Koldo”), which concerns procurement during the pandemic and possible corruption offences. The current dispute, however, is not about those contract awards, but about whether García was pressured to make statements against the Prime Minister or was to be materially rewarded for doing so. The legal position remains unclear: only when investigating authorities produce documents or the public prosecutor takes action will it be possible to establish whether offences such as bribery or incitement to defame are even relevant. So far, García’s published statements of 5 November 2026 stand against Feijóo’s public denial of 9 November 2026.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).