Sheinbaum’s remarks follow the resignation of Taddei last week amid allegations that lucrative contracts were awarded to companies linked to businessman José Alfredo Hernández Casillas, with whom Taddei reportedly had a close personal relationship. The President asserted that corruption in the INE occurred during the entire tenure of Lorenzo Córdova, who led the institute from 2014 to 2023, and possibly earlier. “The audit will have to determine that,” Sheinbaum said, noting that Córdova and other officials previously protested against electoral reforms under the slogan “El INE no se toca” (Don’t touch the INE).
The political fallout has triggered immediate financial and institutional actions. The Finance Ministry’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) announced on Wednesday that 25 individuals and 15 companies “linked to electoral suppliers” were added to the Blocked Persons List. This preventive measure requires financial institutions to freeze the associated bank accounts. The UIF stated that the inclusion results from the detection of financial transactions involving risk elements warranting review, but explicitly noted that it does not imply a definitive determination of liability. Taddei and Hernández Casillas are reportedly among those listed, though the ministry did not publicly name the individuals or companies in its statement.
The scandal has prompted a wave of resignations within the electoral body. In addition to Taddei, 30 other INE officials, including 17 who worked in her office, have recently resigned. During Taddei’s 2023–2026 tenure, companies associated with Hernández Casillas and his brother, Raymundo Francisco Hernández Casillas, received contracts to supply electoral materials. Media reports indicate that Hernández Casillas’ companies had obtained contracts dating back to 2014, when Taddei presided over the electoral organization of Sonora.
In her resignation statement on October 25, Taddei acknowledged the allegations circulating in media and social networks, describing some as “rumors, fabrications, leaks and accounts whose authenticity, context and purpose … must be verified and corroborated.” She emphasized that each allegation must be examined with evidence through institutional channels. The Federal Attorney General’s Office is now investigating the matter.
Also on Friday, Sheinbaum addressed the murder of Gabriel Rivas Ríos, a Morena party member and Cuernavaca city councilman, who was killed on Wednesday in the state capital of Morelos. Sheinbaum described the homicide as “sad and infuriating,” stating it was an ordered killing directed specifically at the politician. She requested that the federal Security Cabinet support the Morelos Attorney General’s Office in the investigation. Rivas had recently criticized a real estate development in Cuernavaca due to potential environmental consequences; Sheinbaum noted that her administration, along with Morelos Governor Margarita González Saravia, would consider actions regarding the project.
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