Spying scandal sparks split in Spain’s opposition

Bloomberg

Spain’s main opposition party descended into chaos as senior officials were accused of mounting an espionage operation against a rising star who poses a threat to the party leader.
The fight broke out after local newspapers reported that the People’s Party had hired private detectives to dig up information on the brother of Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Diaz Ayuso. The party wanted to find out if Diaz Ayuso’s brother had received a commission for helping a company win a $1.7 million contract from her administration, the newspapers said.
Diaz Ayuso, a conservative firebrand who won a second-term landslide last year, accused PP leader Pablo Casado of
orchestrating a campaign to tarnish her image. She acknowledged that her brother had business ties with the company in question, but said that it was legal and she had not been aware of that relationship at the time of the contract.
The fratricidal battle exposed a damaging tussle for power that could benefit Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists, the PP’s traditional foe, as well as its rival on the far-right, Vox.
“This is a boost for Sanchez because he benefits from having a weak and fragmented opposition,” said Ignacio Varela, an independent political consultant in Madrid. “For Vox, this could be a pivotal moment because it could help the party take leadership of the right.”
Casado denied he is trying to torpedo Diaz Ayuso’s career, but called on her to explain how her brother benefited from the public contract and why she didn’t refrain from awarding it.
The party has dismissed the espionage reports and said the party has opened a disciplinary process against Diaz Ayuso for her accusations against Casado.