Juan Lobato did not resign this Tuesday from his post as leader of the PSOE in Madrid despite internal pressure from his party. The socialist leader had called the press for an “institutional declaration” at 9:30 a.m., which made everything point to his departure. But it was not so. Lobato continues even after admitting this Monday to having recorded before a notary a conversation with Pilar Sánchez Acera, chief of staff of Minister Óscar López, about the alleged leak of the email that Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s partner sent to the prosecutor’s office acknowledging his double taxation fraud.
Ferraz and his party colleagues learned of Lobato’s decision through the press, since the news of the recording was published by ABC, which generated strong unease both within the PSOE and the government. “I don’t see what the problem is with proving the legal origin of this communication,” Lobato said at a press conference, defending the notary’s recording and questioning what he has been told since the Moncloa.
“It was the media, as I was told,” that published the aforementioned email. “What’s the matter?” I don’t see any problem, the other way, the other way. Now, given the reaction, as I said, of some leaders in my party, it seems that, one way or another, there was some doubt about the veracity of what I been said there. I certainly don’t consider that, I don’t consider that what I was told was false, that it was false that the origin of this documentation was the media, because that would be very serious,” he said. -he concluded.
“I cannot consider it, I do not consider it to be false, because if the origin of the document had been different from what I was told, that would have meant, in addition to the fact that I lied – to say the least – it would have meant an attempt “that it was me who had made public this document with a possibly irregular origin and with the legal and political consequences which would have had for me and also for the Socialist Party of Madrid,” he concluded.
“In the end, it’s always the same story. Some try to make people believe that the bad guy is precisely the one who decides not to do things wrong,” he said. Furthermore, he admitted to being “concerned about the reaction/lynching that took place from the leadership” of his party, insisting that he did so to ensure that the prosecutor’s email reached “via the press.”
Barely 24 hours earlier, on Monday, the leader of the Madrid socialists confirmed during a press conference that he had gone to the notary without warning anyone and to record the messages exchanged with his party colleagues. This situation greatly embarrassed the members of the formation, who faced it with perplexity and considered it “a betrayal”.
That same Monday, Madrid’s socialists also highlighted that the last hours had been critical for Lobato and that internal movements and calls between officials were taking place to force his departure. At this stage, the various sources consulted admit that the party leadership at national level is also playing its cards “to bring him down”.
This Monday there was also another movement. Judge Ángel Hurtado decided to summon Lobato as a witness before the Supreme Court in the case investigating the leak of González Amador’s confidential data. It is scheduled for this Friday. The magistrate specifies that he will have to provide this alleged notarial deed “which he apparently made in relation to the events, according to journalistic information” in the Vocento section.
Three days before the PSOE federal congress
Lobato assured that neither he, nor the party, nor Moncloa had received “any information” on the matter. “It is proven that all the information came from the media,” he explained in a statement.
According to his version, he made the decision to contact a notary after proceedings were initiated before the Supreme Court for leaking the content of these emails. And he did it, as he explains, to prove that he did not have inside information: “To make it clear that in my region there have been no leaks from the prosecutor’s office general of the state.
The crisis occurred three days before the start of the 41st Federal Congress which opens Friday November 29 in Seville. And this happens at a time when Ferraz welcomes the hypothetical candidacy of Óscar López for the position of secretary general in the next regional congress and his subsequent candidacy for the Community of Madrid.
