A Madrid court has closed its investigation into Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, chief of staff to regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, over the circulation of identifying details about two EL PAÍS journalists. The case examined how Rodríguez obtained and shared their names and images after they reported on alleged irregularities at Ayuso’s residence. In its June 30 decision, the judge found no proof that Rodríguez had unlawfully obtained the information from the president’s security detail.
The ruling found that the material Rodríguez shared did not qualify as confidential or personal data under the applicable Spanish-law analysis. It closed the investigation at this stage, but did not determine whether circulating the journalists’ details was professionally or ethically justified. The basic findings addressed how the information was obtained and its legal status.
Alberto González Amador, Ayuso’s partner, testified that he had given Rodríguez the image at issue after receiving it from a neighbor. He also submitted additional photographs and a neighborhood chat about the journalists’ presence, and said he no longer had his direct conversation with Rodríguez. The security agents who first identified the reporters were not called to testify, leaving the court to assess the disputed chain of custody based on other testimony.
The events began on March 19, 2024, when two EL PAÍS journalists went near Ayuso’s home to ask neighbors about possible unauthorized renovations. The reporters had identified two municipal stop-work orders affecting the property. A plainclothes Policía Nacional officer assigned to the president’s security team asked for their identification and press credentials, then relayed their identities to colleagues. Later that day, Ayuso’s team circulated a message to journalists with the reporters’ names and photographs, accusing them of harassing neighbors and minors.
Rodríguez acknowledged sharing the journalists’ information but denied getting it from Ayuso’s security detail. He said he recognized the reporters through their professional work in Madrid and did not need police help to identify them. He also said he acted in a personal capacity, not through an official government channel, and told an interviewer he had shared their identities with 18 people. The information’s origin was basic to the complaint.
Interior Ministry sources cited by EL PAÍS said the president’s security team had passed on the journalists’ names, a point the section chief repeated in court. Madrid’s head of security, but, denied receiving or sending Rodríguez any information. The judge ultimately found insufficient evidence of unlawful acquisition or disclosure of legally protected personal information.
The case began with a complaint filed by the PSOE, which EL PAÍS joined. The complaint was initially dismissed, then the Provincial Court reopened proceedings against Rodríguez alone, not the police officers involved. The investigation examined whether his conduct breached secrecy laws. The Consejo General del Poder Judicial provides access to judicial information and case law through its official portal.
The dispute unfolded amid wider scrutiny of renovations at Ayuso’s property. The journalists reported that construction was completed despite municipal orders to halt it. After notifying the city of demolition work in August 2022, González Amador submitted a second document, prompting the city to issue another stop-work order. That sequence allowed him to overturn the sanction in court, and the city government did not appeal. By November 2025, González Amador had acquired the penthouse above the renovated apartment, which he had previously rented for €5,000 a month. He had bought the lower apartment, the subject of the journalists’ reporting, after being implicated in an alleged €350,000 tax fraud.
Leaks of sensitive information have also featured in other high-profile Spanish controversies involving private agendas and messages linked to political figures. A recent leak of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s confidential data reignited debate over privacy protections, as detailed in this related report.
