The PSOE has asked the judge of the Audiencia Nacional Santiago Pedraz for more time to deliver information about the lawyers, firms, and consultants it hired between 2021 and 2025. The magistrate had given the party a 48-hour deadline to present these documents, after it failed to respond to a first request made on October 6.
The socialist party has sent a letter to the judge explaining why it considers it necessary to have more time before delivering the documentation. Among its arguments, it points out that part of the information could be protected by professional secrecy between lawyers and clients. It also assures that gathering data from the different territorial federations requires time, especially during the preparation of the electoral campaign on November 29.
The PSOE has not yet delivered all the requested documentation, but maintains that it does not intend to breach its judicial obligations. For this reason, it has asked the General Council of Spanish Lawyers to clarify how it can provide the information without jeopardizing the confidentiality of the matters that lawyers handle for their clients.
Why is the PSOE asking for more time to deliver the information to Pedraz?
One of the main arguments of the PSOE is professional secrecy, which obliges lawyers to protect confidential information they learn during their work. The party believes that identifying all contracted professionals and explaining the purpose of their assignments could reveal data of people they have advised or details of their legal strategies.
The PSOE's Organization Secretary, Rebeca Torró, explained this Thursday in an interview on Cadena SER that the party wants to avoid violating the rights of lawyers. "We do not want to violate any fundamental right of lawyers," she stated. Torró compared the situation to the protection of patients' medical data and argued that the party needs guarantees before delivering the information. The PSOE has therefore requested the opinion of the General Council of Spanish Lawyers and proposes studying formulas to provide the data without revealing protected information.
Furthermore, the party assures that the documentation is not gathered in a single database, as its different territorial organizations can contract legal services separately. For this reason, it requests more time to compile the contracts and check what information it can provide.
Judge Pedraz in the Leire Díez case
The request for documentation is part of the investigation known as the Leire Díez case, which seeks to clarify possible maneuvers to harm judicial investigations related to the PSOE, the Government, or the environment of President Pedro Sánchez. The judge wants to know which lawyers and consultants worked for the party between 2021 and 2025, what services they provided, and what documents justify the payments. The investigation focuses, among other aspects, on payments related to Leire Díez and on the possible use of professional contracts to channel money to people in her circle.
The Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard has examined payments made through companies linked to investigated professionals. Investigators are trying to determine whether these contracts corresponded to real services or if they could have been used to cover up other payments. These suspicions are part of the investigation and must be clarified during the judicial procedure. For the moment, Pedraz has not agreed to indict the PSOE as a legal entity. The magistrate has chosen to continue carrying out proceedings and gathering information before making new decisions.
The delivery of the contracts could help clarify what services were contracted, who provided them, and how the payments were justified. Meanwhile, the PSOE maintains that it needs guarantees regarding professional secrecy before providing all the requested documentation.
