The Justice system exonerates Miguel Ángel Rodríguez from the crime of revealing secrets for the dissemination of journalists' data

Investigating Court number 25 of Madrid has provisionally closed the case opened against Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, Isabel Díaz Ayuso's right-hand man, after the magistrate ruled out that he committed a crime by sharing the identity and a photo of two reporters from 'El País' in a group of journalists. 

The origin of the case dates back to March 19, 2024, when Rodríguez sent the message accompanied by the image to the chat, in which he stated that both journalists had been "harassing the president's neighbors, including underage girls." The judge, Raquel Robles González, has concluded that the data disseminated by Rodríguez was not confidential and that it has not been proven that it was obtained unlawfully. Furthermore, she indicated that the image did not reach Rodríguez through any agent, but from an individual who captured it near the Madrid president's home and shared it with Alberto González Amador, Ayuso's partner. It was he who forwarded it to the chief of staff.

'ElConstitucional.es' has contacted Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, to learn his assessment after the judicial resolution. Isabel Díaz Ayuso's Chief of Staff has indicated that he will not make "statements, for the moment".

A story with changes on the fly

The resolution represents a change of course regarding the procedural situation of recent weeks. The case had been reopened by the Provincial Court of Madrid to clarify how the photograph and personal data of the two reporters covering information related to Alberto González Amador in the vicinity of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's home reached Miguel Ángel Rodríguez. 

During the investigation, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez maintained that the image did not come from police action. At first, he assured that he had received it from "an angry neighbor" and, later, he specified that the person who forwarded it to him was González Amador.

Isabel Díaz Ayuso's partner appeared initially as a witness and ratified the version offered by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez. However, he did not provide the conversations from his mobile phone claiming that the device had been "hacked." A day later he returned to court to expand his statement and maintained that it was he who deleted those messages as a precaution after the hacking suffered by his lawyers.