Antonio Hernando links Moncloa to PSOE 'sewers' case
The Secretary of State for Telecommunications took part in a meeting with Leire Díez at Ferraz, breaking the Executive's firewall. ABC reports on the case file still under seal.
Hernando's presence in Ferraz breaks the Government's official narrative
According to ABC, both the Moncloa and PSOE headquarters in Ferraz are awaiting with tension the opening of the case file for the so-called PSOE 'sewers', the contents of which remain sealed. The ruling by judge Santiago Pedraz, which authorised the entry of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard into the party's national headquarters, already caused a political earthquake by detailing meetings and payments to Leire Díez that the PSOE had denied until that moment. According to that ruling, the party's structure would have been placed at the service of a scheme aimed at obstructing adverse judicial investigations.
For now, the sources consulted by ABC prefer to wait to know the full detail of the inquiries before making decisions. They do not put forward explanations, legal actions or acknowledgement of responsibilities, although they do assure that they have "always" acted "with rigour". "When we see the case file, we will take steps", they say.
The firewall around Santos Cerdán fails to protect Sánchez
The Government and PSOE had attempted to build a firewall around the figure of Santos Cerdán to prevent the case from reaching Pedro Sánchez. "This was stuff about Santos. The president has nothing to do with it", those close to him maintain. However, the investigation has identified Antonio Hernando as a figure who establishes a direct connection with the Moncloa.
Hernando, current Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, appears among the names for which the investigating judge has requested that his access to the socialist headquarters be detailed. His presence in at least one of the 22 meetings that Leire Díez held in Ferraz compromises the protective perimeter that the Executive had set up around Sánchez.
A meeting during Sánchez's reflection pause
The meeting in which Hernando took part took place in April 2024, in the days when Pedro Sánchez announced his public reflection pause. At that time, Hernando was serving as deputy director of the Office of the Presidency of the Government, in his capacity as right-hand man to the then chief of staff, Óscar López. That presence led Hernando to testify as a witness at the judicial headquarters on Plaza de Castilla.
The PSOE justified his participation in the meeting by his track record as head of the Interior investigation commission on Operation Kitchen in Congress. Hernando—who maintains links with López, now heading the Ministry of Digital Transformation—has also taken on, following Cerdán's abrupt departure, responsibilities for liaison with some partners in the investiture majority. His contacts with the PNV were exposed after Aitor Esteban cancelled a meeting following a clash with Basque socialists.
Before the judge he acknowledged knowing Díez for her role in party events
Before the judge, Hernando admitted knowing Leire Díez because she "collaborated in the organisation" of PSOE rallies and campaign events in Cantabria. This statement clashes with the official discourse of the party. When Díez's existence came to light, both publicly and privately all the sources consulted sought to distance themselves from her, describing her as a "loose cannon": they called her "Antoñita the fantastic" or compared her to a "scatterbrain" in the style of the Pequeño Nicolás. The investigations have shown, however, that the relationship with the top officials at Ferraz was closer than acknowledged.
Up to 4,000 euros monthly to the scheme, and the party manager in the spotlight
Even today at the socialist headquarters they do not clarify whether they were aware of the approximately twenty meetings held in their facilities with Díez, nor whether there was monitoring of the payments made to the scheme. Up to 4,000 euros monthly were paid to the so-called "plumber" through the consultancy of Gaspar Zarrías and the law office of Ismael Oliver—first lawyer for Koldo García.
In Ferraz they maintain that the invoices are legitimate and recall that the party commissioned an external audit of the accounts, following Santos Cerdán's departure, which detected no irregularity. This situation places the party manager, Ana María Fuentes, in a compromised position, although the leadership maintains its confidence in her and clings to "presumption of innocence" in order not to hold anyone accountable for responsibilities, despite her being charged. "Let's see what she signed", they say, referring again to the contents of the case file.
At the Executive, Sánchez vindicates socialist pride before the judicial siege
"They are coming for us", sources from the PSOE repeat in private, trying to sustain a narrative of persecution that allows them to dodge the responsibilities arising from the causes under investigation. At the Federal Executive meeting held on Monday in Ferraz, Sánchez sought to boost internal morale and vindicate the Government's achievements as an argument for staying in power, despite the gradual erosion of its parliamentary support and internal voices calling for a rethink of strategy. Neither general elections nor an extraordinary PSOE congress figure in the immediate horizon of the president.
Source: ABC