Sheinbaum calls for INE ‘cleanup’ after corruption scandal: Friday’s mañanera recapped

“Cleaning up” the INE means investigating alleged corruption and changing practices that may have weakened transparency and public trust. Sheinbaum said the institute must guarantee the people’s will, clean elections, transparency, and republican austerity.

The allegations concern lucrative contracts for electoral materials. Companies linked to businessman José Alfredo Hernández Casillas reportedly received contracts while he had a close personal relationship with Taddei, who resigned as INE president last week. Sheinbaum said the problem may reach beyond Taddei’s tenure.

An audit is expected to establish how far the alleged corruption went. Sheinbaum said it occurred throughout Lorenzo Córdova’s presidency and probably earlier, though the audit must determine that. The Federal Attorney General’s Office is also expected to investigate people reportedly placed on the Finance Ministry’s Blocked Persons List.

Mexico’s National Electoral Institute, or INE, is the electoral institution responsible for helping guarantee that elections are clean and reflect the people’s will. In the article, Sheinbaum presents it as a public body whose operation must be transparent and financially restrained.

The INE’s practical work includes awarding contracts for electoral materials. Those contracts are now central to allegations of corruption involving a small group of suppliers and companies linked to businessman José Alfredo Hernández Casillas. The controversy prompted an audit and wider investigations.

The institute’s role makes the allegations especially important. If an electoral authority lacks transparency or spends public money improperly, confidence in elections can suffer. Sheinbaum said the INE must be “cleaned up,” while investigations determine what happened and whether responsibility extends across several leadership periods.

The investigation has reportedly reached 25 people who were added to the Finance Ministry’s Blocked Persons List. The article identifies Taddei and businessman José Alfredo Hernández Casillas as among those reportedly included. It does not provide a separate, confirmed count of all people being investigated.

The inquiry centers on allegedly improper contracts for electoral materials. These contracts were reportedly awarded to companies linked to Hernández Casillas, who had a close personal relationship with Taddei. The Finance Ministry’s list is one part of the response, while the Federal Attorney General’s Office is expected to investigate possible wrongdoing.

The reported figure shows that authorities are examining more than one individual. However, the article does not say that all 25 people have been found responsible. Their inclusion reflects an ongoing investigation, and an audit must help determine the contracts’ scope and the people involved.

Sheinbaum argued that the alleged contracting corruption predates Taddei’s leadership of the INE. Taddei served as president during the institute’s 2023–2026 term and resigned last week after allegations involving electoral-materials contracts.

She said corruption occurred throughout Lorenzo Córdova’s period as INE president, from 2014 to 2023. She added that it probably existed before then as well, but stressed that an audit must establish whether that is true. This links the allegations to multiple leadership periods.

The claim broadens the inquiry beyond the circumstances surrounding Taddei’s resignation. It does not establish that Córdova or other officials committed wrongdoing. Instead, it sets a question for investigators: whether contracting practices persisted across administrations and how far responsibility may extend.

The audit can reconstruct the awarding of electoral-materials contracts. It can examine whether suppliers were selected fairly, whether companies had undisclosed links, and whether the alleged pattern extended across Taddei’s and Córdova’s periods. Sheinbaum said the audit must determine whether corruption existed before Córdova as well.

The criminal investigation has a different focus. The Federal Attorney General’s Office can examine whether the contracting conduct violated the law and identify possible responsibility. The article reports that 25 people were placed on the Finance Ministry’s Blocked Persons List, but that status does not establish guilt.

If investigators establish wrongdoing, authorities could pursue legal or administrative proceedings against responsible people or companies. The article does not specify penalties. It does show that the investigations could affect INE practices, public accountability, and confidence in the institution’s handling of election-related contracts.

The slogan “El INE no se toca,” meaning “Don’t touch the INE,” was used during protests against an electoral reform proposal under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. It expressed opposition to changes that protesters believed could affect the electoral institute.

Sheinbaum recalled that Córdova and other INE officials participated in those protests. She then offered a sharply different interpretation of the slogan. In her view, saying the INE should not be touched may have protected existing practices and people connected to what she called an “electoral mafia.”

The slogan therefore became part of a larger political dispute over the institute’s role and accountability. Sheinbaum said the INE must be cleaned up, not shielded from scrutiny. Her comments connect the earlier protests with current allegations about contracts and the need for an audit.

Independence helps an electoral authority carry out its duties without improper pressure from political actors or private interests. Transparency lets the public examine decisions, including contracts. Financial restraint limits waste and supports responsible use of public money. Sheinbaum described these goals as essential to the INE’s operation.

The contract allegations show why these principles matter. Electoral-materials contracts were reportedly awarded to companies linked to a businessman with a close personal relationship to Taddei. That reported connection raises questions about whether decisions were impartial and properly disclosed, which an audit must examine.

The INE’s stated purpose is to guarantee the people’s will and clean elections. If its contracting is found to lack transparency or restraint, confidence in the institution could be damaged. The current investigations may lead to changes intended to strengthen oversight, though the article does not specify reforms.