The Court of Auditors of Spain has announced a new financial penalty against Vox, imposing a fine of fifty thousand euros due to serious violations of the Organic Law on the Financing of Political Parties. The fine relates to the acceptance of earmarked donations uncovered during the auditing of the party’s annual accounts for the year two thousand and twenty. This marks the third time Vox, led by Santiago Abascal, has been sanctioned for its funding practices, with the party indicating its intention to appeal the ruling.

Earlier this year, the Court imposed a substantial fine of eight hundred sixty-two thousand euros on Vox for receiving unidentified cash donations during the years two thousand and eighteen, two thousand and nineteen, and two thousand and twenty. These funds were reportedly deposited through automatic cash machines into their bank accounts. Vox has previously claimed that such penalties are unjust and contrary to the law, signalling their intent to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.

In addition to Vox, the Court of Auditors has also sanctioned three other political parties: Babord, Compromís Municipal, and Elkarrekin. These parties were found to have exceeded the maximum limits for electoral spending in the municipal elections held on twenty-eight May two thousand and twenty-three. Compromís Municipal has further been penalised for surpassing the legal limits on electoral advertising established by the same legislation.

The resolutions issued by the Court are subject to contentious administrative appeals before the Supreme Court. In June two thousand and twenty-four, the institution had already identified sanctionable irregularities related to the donations received by Vox in two thousand and twenty, as well as lesser issues related to other parties, including En Comú, Sortu, and PDeCAT, in their report on the financial accounting of political parties during the pandemic year.