Lawyer Jacobo Teijelo appeared as a suspect before Spain’s Audiencia Nacional this Thursday in the high-profile Leire Díez case. Led by Judge Santiago Pedraz, the investigation centers on suspicions that Teijelo was part of a network allegedly seeking to disrupt judicial proceedings affecting the PSOE or the government. After a one-hour interrogation, Teijelo warned publicly that the right to confidential legal defense is under threat, particularly for lawyers working with the PSOE. He argued that the alleged actions jeopardize citizens’ ability to consult their legal representatives in confidence. The inquiry concerns alleged disclosure of secrets and bribery. It also examines alleged crimes against state institutions. Being under investigation does not itself establish criminal liability.
During his testimony, Teijelo invoked professional secrecy and declined to provide details about his work for the PSOE. Reporting says he issued the party three invoices totaling €125,000, excluding VAT. Two further invoices, numbered 43/2025 and 53/2025, were reportedly submitted but did not appear in the accounting documents the party first provided. Separate reports describe two invoices totaling €53,000 as unpaid and say the PSOE later produced a formal notice concerning their return. Teijelo said the party hired him to analyze “sensitive judicial investigations,” but declined to identify them, citing professional secrecy. He also said he never made payments to Leire Díez.
The Guardia Civil’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) has linked two professional engagement documents to the inquiry, one involving Teijelo and the other fellow lawyer Ismael Oliver. The UCO report alleges that PSOE manager Ana María Fuentes falsified the documents, with Díez acting as an intermediary under the direction of former Organization Secretary Santos Cerdán. Judge Pedraz then ordered the PSOE to provide information about the lawyers’ engagements and services. The party had 48 hours to submit the material after failing to respond to an earlier request. Anticorruption prosecutors have identified possible indications of wrongdoing related to the party’s financing of the alleged network. They are considering further investigative steps before any move to seek charges against the PSOE as a legal entity.
The case has drawn attention since Judge Pedraz authorized a Guardia Civil operation in May targeting an alleged scheme led by Díez, a former PSOE member. The investigation also involves Ana María Fuentes, the party’s manager, and former Organization Secretary Santos Cerdán. Other figures under investigation include Gaspar Zarrías, a former Andalusian government official, and businessman Javier Pérez Dolset. Police reports suggest Teijelo was assigned responsibility for a specific line of action within the group, including discussions about annulling the so-called Koldo case, which could have benefited the government. Investigators are examining whether legal or consultancy arrangements were used to channel payments to Díez. Reporting puts the amount allegedly connected to her through the consultancy Zaño and companies associated with Oliver at a minimum of €43,225. The broader sum examined in some judicial and police documents is approximately €188,000. One reported Zaño arrangement ran for three months at €7,500 plus VAT per month. An invoice connected to Oliver’s firm was reportedly €22,500 plus VAT.
Teijelo also acknowledged meeting with Diego Villafañe, a basic aide to former Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz, in March and April 2025. The Public Prosecutor’s Office said Teijelo attended the meetings with a woman introduced as a colleague, later identified in the media as Leire Díez. Teijelo denied presenting Díez as a lawyer. At the first meeting, he reportedly informed the prosecution of potentially criminal acts by third parties. At the second, he said he intended to file several related complaints. The Attorney General’s Office clarified that García Ortiz was informed only after the meetings and issued no instructions regarding the matter.
The case has brought heightened scrutiny to the PSOE’s internal legal affairs. Díez has said she is ready to testify independently, increasing pressure on the party’s leadership. PSOE Organization Secretary Rebeca Torró said the party had no knowledge of money paid to lawyers reaching Díez. For further background on Díez’s position and its impact on the PSOE, see this analysis: Leire Díez’s independent testimony and its implications for the party.
Spain’s legal system recognizes strict confidentiality between lawyers and clients, a principle now at the center of public debate over the case. The Audiencia Nacional is a national high court with jurisdiction over major criminal cases, including those with a cross-regional or broader public dimension. The investigation into the alleged network involving Leire Díez and several PSOE figures continues, with potential consequences for legal practice and political accountability in Spain.
