Spanish police raid HQ of governing Socialists as corruption probe escalates

Spanish police raid HQ of governing Socialists as corruption probe escalates2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleHenri AstierReutersPolice sought to retrieve documents related to an alleged plot to impede judicial proceedings, judges said Police in Spain have raided the Madrid headquarters of the governing Socialist Party and seized a number of documents as part of an investigation into alleged corruption.The inquiry comes amid a series of scandals that have hit the party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The head of Spain's opposition conservative People's Party (PP) said the government "stinks" of corruption and he has renewed his call for early elections.Last week Socialist former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was placed under investigation over alleged influence-peddling. A number of figures, including Sánchez's wife and brother, also face charges. All deny wrongdoing.Wednesday's raid on the Socialist Party (PSOE) headquarters was part of an investigation into allegations that an operative, Leire Díez, was paid to carry out a campaign of misinformation aimed at impeding legal cases affecting the party. She has also denied doing anything wrong.Searches were also carried out at the homes of senior party figures and a leading businessman.Sánchez marks eight years in power next week, and currently heads a shaky minority coalition, secured after the conservative PP won 2023 elections but failed to form a government.After the latest raids PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called on the PSOE's allies to stop supporting a government that "stinks"."How many more raids, how many more commissions, how many more bribes, how much more money in bags?" he said.Sánchez was visiting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican as the search of party headquarters emerged, and the prime minister told reporters he would serve out his four-year term as prime minister and not call early elections.A key figure in the latest case...