Background on Key Figures and Relevance
Pío López Obrador is the brother of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who served as Mexico’s President from 2018 to 2024. The case in question stems from a video released five years ago, showing Pío López Obrador receiving cash from David León Romero, a political operative for the Chiapas state government at the time. David León Romero also served as the head of Protection Civil under López Obrador’s presidency.
Case Details and INE’s Decision
The Mexican electoral institute, the National Electoral Institute (INE), declined to sanction Morena and Pío López Obrador for allegedly receiving prohibited contributions based on the 2020 video. The INE cited insufficient collaboration from authorities to gather financial evidence as the reason for closing the case.
The Video and Allegations
In the video, Pío López Obrador is seen accepting cash from David León Romero, who at the time was a political operative for Chiapas’ government led by Manuel Velasco. León Romero mentioned that the money was “to support you here in the movement,” and assured Pío López Obrador of a specific date to collect the second million (in pesos), stating, “Make sure that through your means he knows that we are supporting…”
Investigation and Lack of Collaboration
Despite the evidence, on Thursday, the INE’s General Council decided to close the complaint filed by panista Federico Doring Casar. He demanded an administrative sanction process against Morena, Pío López Obrador, and David León Romero for alleged illicit financing. The INE deemed the allegations unfounded, as they could not prove bank transfers or irregular financial flows.
The INE’s investigation involved multiple inquiries, requests for information from the National Banking and Securities Commission, the Financial Intelligence Unit, Morena itself, the Mexico City Superior Tribunal, and individuals directly involved in the video. However, authorities like the Mexico City Superior Tribunal refused to share requested information, which hampered the investigation, according to INE consejera Carla Humphrey.
Insufficient Evidence
After evaluating the proof, technical investigations by the INE’s technical unit, and financial traceability checks in banking, accounting, and fiscal records, no sufficient evidence was found to confirm the alleged conduct. There were no bank traces, accounting records, or fiscal verification supporting the origin, amount, purpose, and partisan character of the cash observed.
Additional INE Decisions
Pardoning a Fine:
In another matter, the INE majority decided to forgive a fine of 55 million 299,000 pesos imposed on Morena due to irregularities in the purchase and renovation of some properties in 2020. The complaint originated from a 2020 grievance against then Morena leader Yeidckol Polevnsky, accused of ghost contracts worth 395 million pesos for maintaining properties.
Although irregularities were found, the majority of council members voted against sanctioning Morena, arguing that it would set a bad precedent since the party was already paying the debt.
Rejecting an Investigation:
Lastly, the INE rejected, due to lack of jurisdiction, Morena’s request to investigate Alejandro Moreno, the PRI leader, for alleged misappropriation of funds in Campeche. The investigation targeted “fake payments over 27 million pesos; irregular contracts worth nearly 24 million pesos, unsubstantiated expenditures over 14 million pesos; and an overpriced project by more than 18 million pesos.”
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Pío López Obrador? He is the brother of former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
- What was the case against Pío López Obrador? A 2020 video showed him receiving cash from David León Romero, a political operative, leading to allegations of illicit financing. The INE dismissed the case due to insufficient collaboration from authorities.
- What decisions did the INE make apart from dismissing the Pío López Obrador case? The INE forgave a fine imposed on Morena and rejected an investigation into alleged fund misappropriation by Alejandro Moreno, the PRI leader.
