Esperanza Aguirre: "I'm very glad Montoro is being investigated."

Former Madrid president Esperanza Aguirre was highly critical this Sunday of former Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro, who is charged with bribery, fraud, malfeasance, and influence peddling, among other crimes: "I am very pleased that Mr. Montoro is being investigated," she stated.

Speaking to RAC1, Aguirre recalled that, four days before the 2015 municipal elections, in which she led the PP's list for Madrid City Council, her 2013 tax return was leaked, which, in her opinion, ultimately cost her victory: "I wasn't mayor for just one seat," she recalled.

"I don't know who leaked my tax return. Someone had no interest in me becoming mayor," Aguirre stated. At the time, she suspected the Socialists were responsible for the leak, although she wanted to ask Montoro for an explanation at the time.

Aguirre called the then-Minister of Finance, who "didn't answer the phone," and also called Mariano Rajoy, who was Prime Minister and did answer her call, although "he didn't know anything about this."

She also went to the State Attorney General's Office and filed a complaint, but it was not taken into consideration, according to Aguirre, who pointed out that the current president of the People's Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, "has nothing to do with this."

"Ten years have passed, and I still don't know who leaked my tax return," said Aguirre, who emphasized that there must have been a "trace" of who had accessed her tax information.

Therefore, he has sent a message to the current Treasury officials: "It's perfectly clear who has come in. It would be great if they would tell me. Perhaps those who are there now could do me this favor."

According to Aguirre, "it was a widespread rumor" that the law firm Equipo Económico (EE), founded by Montoro, "had influence over people who had problems with the Treasury."

Aguirre has acknowledged that she had a "terrible" relationship with Montoro, whom she criticized for his tax policy.