Mexico's electoral chief Guadalupe Taddei resigns amid conflict-of-interest probe

Resignation announced

Guadalupe Taddei said in a statement on Sunday, 25 October, that she would resign as president of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and submit her resignation to the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, 26 October. The Chamber makes the INE appointments. Until Saturday, 24 October, she had ruled out leaving the post, and ANSA reports that her statement did not rebut the allegations, saying only that they must be examined through official channels. In the statement she said she was stepping down because the institute's constitutional mission must come before any temporary or personal interest.

“Protecting the Institute and allowing it to continue its constitutional mission must always come before any temporary or personal interest.”

Supplier probe and allegations

Reports in the newspaper Reforma, cited by Deutsche Welle, said a network of at least seven suppliers had simulated competition in contract awards and taken part in triangulating funds, using companies that issued invoices for products or services that never existed. The Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) identifies supplier José Alfredo Hernández Casillas as the head of a network of seven companies. El País names Casas Graf, Corporativo Zeg and Formas Finas among firms that benefited from contracts with the INE and some local electoral bodies. The Auditoría Superior de la Federación (ASF) said on Friday night, 23 October, that it had opened an investigation into the misuse of public resources, and El País reports that the auditor found indications of the alleged scheme.

Videos published in the Mexican press show Taddei with the supplier, along with parties and trips involving the supplier, Taddei and two of her three sons. One video recorded by the supplier shows one son enjoying a stay at an expensive hotel in France. On Saturday, 24 October, Taddei said officials in key areas of the institute had been removed from their posts to allow the ASF investigation to proceed.

Sheinbaum's response

President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday, 26 October, that Taddei had made a good decision, but insisted that the INE be audited to clear up suspicions, abuses or privileges. She said the institute could not be under any shadow of corruption.

“There cannot be a shadow of corruption in the INE, and the audit has to be carried out.”

Sheinbaum also condemned the online ridicule Taddei faced in the days before her announcement, describing it as sexist mockery and rejecting attacks on her private life.

“If there is mismanagement of resources, it should be investigated, but this mockery of a woman is not right.”

Salary and background

Taddei took office in April 2023 after being chosen in a lottery in the Chamber of Deputies, and she initially presented her tenure as a commitment to republican austerity. El País reports that she earned a net 133,134 pesos a month until her last day, 1,000 pesos less than Sheinbaum, while most other council members earned 180,000 pesos a month under legal injunctions filed since 2019.

Guadalupe Taddei133,134

Most other council members180,000

Guadalupe Taddei

133134 pesos

Most other council members

180000 pesos

Data from the article text

El País describes the resignation as the first in the INE's 36-year history. The crisis comes during the 2026-2027 federal electoral process, which will renew 17 state governorships, 500 deputies and control of Congress, according to Deutsche Welle. ABC notes that the midterm elections are less than a year away and that the INE organises the votes.

What comes next

Taddei's resignation is due to be formally presented to the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, 26 October. The ASF investigation remains open, and Sheinbaum has called for an audit of the institute. Taddei has said that every complaint must be clarified in a transparent, objective manner and in accordance with the law.