The judicial investigation into María Dolores de Cospedal, former secretary general of the Partido Popular (PP), has reopened after a Madrid judge ordered a review of new audio recordings involving retired commissioner José Manuel Villarejo. The decision, issued by Judge Antonio Piña, directs the Internal Affairs Unit to examine whether material seized from Villarejo contains evidence of criminal conduct by Cospedal or her husband, Ignacio López del Hierro. Cospedal, who has long denied any wrongdoing, is back at the center of a high-profile legal case that has shadowed her political career for years.
The renewed scrutiny follows the release of previously unheard recordings, some of which RAC1 broadcast. In the audio, Villarejo is heard discussing strategies to neutralize individuals linked to the PP’s financial scandals, while Cospedal allegedly expresses support for such actions. Other segments refer to sensitive documents connected to former party treasurer Luis Bárcenas, suggesting close awareness of internal party affairs. The recordings add to the large body of evidence in the so-called Villarejo case file, which includes numerous agenda notes and communications between the ex-commissioner and Cospedal during her tenure as the PP’s number two.
Cospedal’s name has appeared repeatedly in judicial documents since 2017, when Villarejo was arrested and his personal records seized. She was briefly charged in 2021 in the Kitchen case, which investigated the alleged surveillance of Bárcenas, a former PP treasurer. Former National Court examining judge Manuel García Castellón later decided not to send her to trial. The investigation has continued to uncover new material, including a conversation EL PAÍS published in 2022. In it, Cospedal appeared to discuss stopping the dissemination of Bárcenas’s so-called “little notebook,” which contained details of the PP’s alleged slush fund.
Spain’s Sede Judicial Electrónica, operated by the Ministry of Justice, provides access to electronic court files once proceedings are consolidated and signed, subject to applicable visibility rules. Where access is permitted, the system can include the file index and recorded hearing materials. The judicial record, rather than recordings in isolation, provides the formal structure for reviewing evidence and procedural decisions.
Throughout the various proceedings, Cospedal has consistently denied involvement in illegal activities. In testimony before the parliamentary commission on the so-called Operación Cataluña in March 2025, she denied that she or her husband had taken part in efforts to discredit Catalan independence leaders or hired Villarejo for political espionage. She has also argued that the incriminating audio may have been edited or manipulated. When called as a witness in the Kitchen trial in April 2026, Cospedal acknowledged meeting Villarejo several times but insisted the encounters were routine and unrelated to covert operations. She maintained that she never received confidential information about the Gürtel investigation, despite what Villarejo’s notes might suggest.
The case against Cospedal is part of broader judicial scrutiny involving senior Spanish officials and police figures. Similar legal battles have unfolded in recent years, including the ongoing dispute over evidence in the high-profile case against former police official José Ángel González. That case also centers on the admissibility and interpretation of sensitive material. For more on how Spanish courts are handling controversial evidence in police-related cases, see this report on the legal fight over evidence in the González investigation.
María Dolores de Cospedal served as secretary general of the PP from 2008 to 2018, a period marked by multiple corruption scandals and internal party crises. She also held the presidency of Castilla-La Mancha and later became Minister of Defence. The Villarejo case, which has implicated numerous political and police figures, remains one of Spain’s most complex judicial investigations, with wide-ranging implications for the country’s political field. The review of seized materials and audio recordings could determine whether Cospedal faces renewed legal jeopardy or puts these allegations behind her. Its outcome is likely to shape public perceptions of accountability and transparency within Spain’s major political parties.
