Partner Confirms Photo Sent
Ayuso's Partner Tells Judge He Sent Journalist Photo to Chief of Staff
Alberto González Amador, the partner of Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso, told a judge on June 30 that he forwarded a photo of two journalists to Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (MAR) after receiving it from a neighbor who lives on the fifth floor of their building. His 30-minute testimony directly backs the version given by MAR, Ayuso's chief of staff, who is being investigated for alleged revelation of secrets, according to El País.
The case centers on how MAR got hold of images and personal data of two reporters from *El País* who were near the couple's home in March 2024. MAR then shared those details with a WhatsApp group of more than 50 journalists, framing the reporters as harassers. The prosecution suspects the data came from Ayuso's official police security detail — a claim the defense is now working hard to deny, as reported by elDiario.es.
A Neighbor's Photo and a Broken Phone
González Amador told the court that an unnamed neighbor took the photo of the two journalists from a balcony on March 19, 2024, and sent it to him. He then forwarded it to MAR, whom he described as "my friend and the person in charge of security and communication for Isabel," according to El Plural. The defense argues this proves no state police database or official resources were used to identify the reporters.
However, González Amador could not hand over his WhatsApp chat logs with MAR. He told the court his phone was "recently hacked," wiping all messages. Critics quickly pointed out a problem: he was still able to provide the messages from the fifth-floor neighbor. LaSexta noted this inconsistency, raising questions about why a hack would delete only some conversations and not others.
How MAR Spread the Journalists' Identities
On the evening of March 19, 2024, MAR sent names, photos, and a narrative to a group of over 50 reporters on WhatsApp. He claimed the two journalists were wearing masks and threatening children near the couple's home. Both the Madrid Press Association (APM) and the national federation FAPE called it a "grave violation of democratic norms," according to elDiario.es.
MAR had testified himself on May 6, 2026. His account shifted during questioning. He first said a neighbor had taken the photo, then retracted and said González Amador had sent it to him, according to RTVE. Today's testimony from González Amador aligns with MAR's final version, closing a gap that had left the defense story looking shaky.
The Bigger Scandal That Started It All
The photo incident did not happen in a vacuum. On March 12, 2024, elDiario.es revealed that Spain's Tax Agency had accused González Amador of defrauding €350,951 through a network of shell companies and 15 false invoices. The two journalists were near his home as part of that investigation. Their presence triggered the chain of events now at the center of the court case.
A parallel case at Spain's Supreme Court also looms over the story. Prosecutor General Álvaro García Ortiz is himself under investigation for allegedly leaking a confidential email from González Amador's lawyer — an email that admitted the tax fraud, according to Maldita.es. The overlapping scandals have made the case a central front in Spain's wider political war between left and right.
What the Verdict Could Mean for Ayuso's Government
If the judge accepts the "neighbor" theory, MAR could escape the revelation of secrets charge entirely. The logic: if the photo came from a private citizen watching from a balcony, then no secret state data was used. But prosecutors and journalists' groups argue this framing misses the point — a senior public official still chose to weaponize that image against reporters doing their jobs, according to Confilegal.
MAR is the architect of Ayuso's "Freedom" political brand and one of the most powerful figures in Madrid's regional government. His indictment would directly destabilize her administration. Ayuso has consistently called the case "political persecution" by the central government. The coming weeks, as the judge weighs today's testimony against the missing phone data, will be critical for both men, according to The Objective.
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