PSOE Forensic Analysis Reveals No Illegal Financing Amidst Investigations

A forensic report commissioned by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) has released findings that largely clear the party of allegations regarding illegal financing. Conducted by Professors Félix Alberto Vega Borruego and César Martínez Sánchez from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the report examined the party's cash payments and accounts from 2017 to 2024, finding no evidence of undeclared or untraceable funds. The analysis emerges as PSOE faces scrutiny over the financial practices of its previous Organization Secretaries, José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán, amid ongoing judicial investigations into potential financial misconduct. The forensic review revealed suspicious expenditure items, which included notable instances such as a Christmas Day meal for nine diners in Valencia during 2019 and exorbitant expenses at the seafood restaurant La Chalana. These irregularities, categorized as excessive, accounted for a significant portion of the €126,858 expenses incurred by Ábalos' office. Key details from the report indicate that between 2017 and 2024, the PSOE contributed €940,388 to the party's cash register. Of this total, €126,858 was allocated to the Organization Secretariat, with Ábalos alone receiving €1,963,797 by the end of 2019. In contrast, his advisor Koldo García received €1,129,133 during the same period, while Cerdán recorded a cash intake of €7,433 over the two-year span from 2023 to 2024. The professors responsible for the analysis concluded that the PSOE's cash system during the assessed timeframe was coherent, closed, and verifiable. All cash transactions traced had a banking origin, corresponding to advances, adjustments, and well-documented expenditures. The initial funds predominantly came from the party's account at BBVA bank, supplemented by a modest €7,283 collected from sporadic and clearly identified operations such as merchandise sales and minor lottery winnings. They determined that all payments typically conformed to standard expense reimbursement structures, complete with documentary support linking to the party's operational activities. However, the report highlighted notable outliers in expense receipts tied to the Organization Secretariat during Ábalos' leadership, particularly for transactions exceeding €2,000. Many of these receipts, although challenging to decipher, suggested that most expenditures stayed below €60 per diner, with rare exceptions leading to expenses significantly above that threshold—including a shocking bill of €332 for a single meal. The professors also found invoices from unusual locations, including La Massana in Andorra and Brussels and Bruges in Belgium, which raised further questions about the legitimacy of those expenses. Despite clearing itself of illegal financing allegations, PSOE plans to further investigate whether any fraudulent claims were made by the investigated individuals during their financial activities. The party aims to determine if non-political costs were improperly passed through their accounts, and if they may have unknowingly been subjected to fraud from within. As the judicial inquiry continues, PSOE has provided the National Court with detailed documentation of its cash payments and corresponding justifications, with hopes to clarify any misunderstandings and reinforce financial integrity within the party. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2