First anti-corruption watchdog Czar Virgilio Andrade Martínez resigned as Public Administration Secretary, and then President Enrique Peña Nieto offered a public apology for the now historical “Casa Blanca (White House) Scandal” during the presentation Monday of the seven laws that make up the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA).
In case you’re wondering what has Andrade got to do with the White House Scandal and President Peña Nieto, the answer is everything.
As Public Administration Secretary, Andrade “investigated” how the president’s wife, Angélica Rivera, came to own the plush mansion in the Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood in Mexico City. He also investigated another mansion in the archaeological city of Malinalco, owned by Treasury and Public Finance Secretary Luis Videgaray Caso. Both houses were allegedly “donated” by construction company Grupo Higa, which received around $800 million dollars in contracts from the Peña Nieto administration.
These gifts were generally seen as bribes to the president and Secretary Videgaray Caso.
A war of sorts was unleashed by the president’s men against the muckraking radio journalist that made public the gift, which was then deemed a purchase by the First Lady. Now, also on Monday, a document was released by the president’s press office showing that the “purchase” was undone.
In any case, Virgilio Andrade Martínez was ordered to investigate the acquisition of both properties with Andrade Martínez reaching the obvious conclusion that both government officials were cleaner than Mr. Clean.
Several deputies who had been slinging mud at Andrade Martínez for his “cover up” operation of Peña Nieto and Videgaray Caso considered it positive that he turned in his resignation to the president and that it was accepted, as the entire Public Administration Secretariat will be revamped to make it fit the new SNA infrastructure.
Yet some opposition deputies, besides saying “good riddance,” think Andrade Martínez should face a political trial for covering up for Peña Nieto in the so-called Casa Blanca Scandal. Maybe after the president’s apology this will not happen, but it would have been a lot of fun seeing Andrade Martínez defend his so-called investigation in front of a pack of wolves.
The White House scandal, however, did unimaginable damage to the presidential image, to the point that Peña Nieto’s popularity has plunged to a mere 29 percent approval, according to the latest polls.
For the first time he publicly admitted that the Casa Blanca “caused great indignation” among the citizenry and that public officials “are responsible for the image we generate with what we do, and in this case I recognize I made a mistake.”
However, he denied any crooked dealings over the purchase of the property by his wife.
“Regardless of the fact that I did everything right under the law, this error affected my family, damaged the presidential investiture and trust in government. In my skin I felt the indignation of all Mexicans. I understand that perfectly well, and that’s why in all humbleness I beg for forgiveness over the White House. I repeat my entire and most sincere apology.”
Peña Nieto also announced that in the next ordinary Congress meeting in September, he will send his proposal of the person who is to be the head of the National Anti-Corruption System in the place Virgilio Andrade Martínez left vacant.
Perhaps this is the end of the White House scandal which was so costly in terms of image and reputation for the president.
Now it remains to be seen if the SNA does what it is supposed to do: bring corrupt officials to trial and do away with the corrupt image the government has both in Mexico and abroad.
