Spain’s former prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has been placed under formal investigation for influence peddling, the Spanish National High Court said on Tuesday, making him the first former leader in the country’s modern democratic history to face a criminal investigation.

The accusations are mainly connected to a state bailout that was awarded in 2021, a decade after Mr. Zapatero left office, to an ailing airline, Plus Ultra. The court has accused Mr. Zapatero of secretly receiving kickbacks worth up to roughly $2.4 million in exchange for, among other activities, helping persuade his successors in government to award that bailout.

Mr. Zapatero has denied any wrongdoing and the airline did not respond to a request for comment. “All my public and private actions have always been carried out in full compliance with the law,” Mr. Zapatero said on Tuesday in a video distributed to the news media.

The investigation threatened to affect the legacy of Mr. Zapatero, who became a hero to liberals for drawing down Spanish troops in Iraq and legalizing same-sex marriage.

It also heightened pressure on the sitting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. Mr. Sánchez’s government is not accused of any crime but he is closely associated with Mr. Zapatero and he was prime minister when the bailout was awarded. Since leaving office, Mr. Zapatero has regularly campaigned for Mr. Sánchez, a fellow Socialist who has emerged in recent months as a prominent critic of President Trump.

Spain’s conservative opposition immediately seized on the court’s announcement on Tuesday to heighten pressure on Mr. Sánchez, whose inner circle and family were already embroiled in long-running corruption accusations.

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