Begona Gomez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, will stand trial before a jury on charges of influence peddling and embezzlement. A corruption charge against the first lady was dropped. Reuters reported this on July 16, citing a court ruling.

A Madrid court dropped a third charge against Gomez related to business corruption and overturned a lower court order barring her from leaving the country, requiring her to appear in court regularly, and surrender her passport. However, the court preserved the bulk of the case against her, which the report said has become the most serious legal challenge faced by the family and close allies of the Spanish prime minister.

The court's decision came in response to an appeal filed by the Spanish first lady's defense team. Her lawyers asked the court to drop all charges against Gomez and overturn the rulings previously issued by the lower court. The request was granted only in part.