Telefónica hires deputy PM’s husband as legal advisor

Spanish telecoms giant Telefónica has hired Iván Rosa Vallejo, the husband of Deputy Prime Minister Soraya de Sáenz de Santamaría, to work in its legal department.

It has also hired Paloma Villa, the wife of prominent Socialist lawmaker Eduardo Madina, to work in its institutional relations department.

The hirings follow on the heels of the controversial appointment last week of Ignacio López del Hierro to the board of the state-controlled electricity grid operator Red Eléctrica de España. Del Hierro, the husband of María Dolores de Cospedal, the secretary general of the ruling Popular Party, rejected the offer just hours after it was announced, reportedly due to heavy pressure from the office of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Iván Rosa Vallejo has been married to Sáenz de Santamaría since 2005 and has worked as a lawyer for the past eight years in the Economy and Finance ministries. He recently took leave of absence from his post. Government sources said the deputy prime minister would not be making any comment on the matter.

According to the website El Confidencial, Rosa Vallejo’s appointment was agreed at a dinner meeting with the head of Telefónica’s legal department, Ramiro Sánchez de Lerín. Sáenz de Santamaría was also present at the meeting, although the company declined to confirm this.