Félix Bolaños once again confronts the controversial judge Peinado: he appeals the archiving of his complaint and accuses the CGPJ of "corporatism"

The Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños, denounced the "hostility" and "intimidating attitude" that the controversial judge Juan Carlos Peinado used against him when he questioned him as a witness at Moncloa in the framework of the case against Pedro Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez. However, the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) dismissed the complaint, which is why this Monday the minister has filed an appeal against the decision. 

In the appeal, to which 'El País' has had access, the minister maintains that the actions of the judges' governing body do not represent the required standards of agility and rigor. In this vein, he criticizes that "either due to conservatism or corporatism" it has been unable to correct the "irregularities" denounced "and thus restore the prestige and reputation of the Judiciary. 

The conflict dates back to last July, when the Permanent Commission of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) supported the proposal of the Promoter of Disciplinary Action to dismiss the proceedings opened as a result of the complaints filed by Minister Félix Bolaños. The decision was supported by the four conservative members who are part of this body and by counselor Carlos Hugo Preciado, elected at the initiative of Sumar.

The Permanent Commission will also be responsible for resolving the appeals filed against the decisions adopted by the disciplinary authority. For this reason, Bolaños' appeal will be examined by the same body that already endorsed the dismissal of his complaints.

The minister himself acknowledges in his brief that he does not expect the Permanent Commission to change the criterion it already adopted. His intention, he explains, is to first complete the administrative process and, once finished, appeal to the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court. Bolaños maintains that he trusts that this court "will do the work that corresponded to the CGPJ: defend and protect the good name of the judiciary."

In the appeal, the minister also questions the duration of the proceedings. According to him, 427 days passed from when he filed his first complaint, in June 2025, until he received notification of the dismissal on August 5.

Bolaños considers this period especially relevant because, he explains, the proceedings referred to “very specific actions, perfectly identified and very easy to verify.” Likewise, he maintains that during that period the investigation was “limited” and that “a very small number of investigative steps” were carried out.