They knew how far the fine could be. The INE has sanctioned more than 100 who appeared in the accordions and (…) the fines are really not very high, the highest was for Loretta Ortiz. If we compare it with the salary that a minister has, it is not something that impacts them a lot. ”
Xóchitl pepper, political analyst.
In an interview with Political expansion, The regional director of the Department of International Relations and Political Science of the Technological of Monterrey, explains that those who appeared in the accordions knew that the Fines of the INE would be maximum of 10% of the top of campaign expenses, so the highest would be 140 thousand pesos (in the case of aspiring ministers).
“In political terms, the people who were in the accordions were very benefited because they were distributed with so much time already so much that these people reinforced their electoral visibility. That clearly translated into a tangible benefit in front of an electorate who was always very little informed,” he warns.
(Photo: Ivan Arias/Reuters)
The fines to the judges
On July 28, more than 100 elected judges were fined by the INE because their names were in the accordions that were distributed throughout the country physically and digitally, and with it they benefited from the dissemination of this propaganda, considered illegal.
Although the punishment had been calculated based on 10% of the top of personal expenses for each position, in the end the INE decided that the fine would be imposed depending on the economic capacity of each candidate, as well as the value of their assets, so that the economic sanctions varied between each one.
In addition, the electoral counselors resolved that the sanctioned may pay their respective fines in partialities.
“It is propaganda that generated benefit to all the appeals that appeared in the accordions. The sanction seeks to prevent the repetition of illicit behaviors and guarantee the integrity of the electoral processes,” said the counselor Dania Ravel the day the INE endorsed the sanctions.
“Who aspires to judge must be the, or the first to respect the law, who wants to interpret the legal order must have fulfilled it from the first act of its application; you cannot build legitimacy from omission or from simulation. That is why these sanctions are not only necessary, but indispensable,” added the counselor Carla Humphrey.
In the case of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN)the INE fined the nine elected ministers. The highest sanctions were for Loretta Ortiz, who must pay 127,508.78 pesos, followed by Yasmín Esquivel, 95,490.16 pesos; Sara Irene Herrerías, 69,015.40 pesos, and María Estela Ríos, with 62,905.84 pesos.
Then there are Giovanni Azael Figueroa, with 47,179.38 pesos; Lenia Batres, 44,690.30; Aristides Rodrigo Guerrero, 40,277.84; the next president of the Court, Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, 39,712.14; and Irving Espinosa Betanzo, with 39,599 pesos.
However, the next ministers may cover these amounts with less than a month of work once they enter the highest court of justice. This, because currently the monthly salary of the ministers is 137,084 pesos (more than two million annually), a figure higher than the highest sanction imposed by the INE.
Elected ministers challenged the INE decision before the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF), such as Hugo Aguilar, who said that the result he obtained in the June 1 election was not due to the accordions, but to the work “in the field” he made in the campaign.
For the position of magistrate, either for the Superior Chamber or Regional Chamber of the TEPJF, 12 people were sanctioned and the fines range between 3,000 and 88,000 pesos, as for the SCJN, the fines depended on the economic capacity of each contender.
In this list is Claudia Valle Aguilasocho and Gilberto de Guzmán Bátiz García, who will be the next magistrates of the Superior Chamber of the Judicial Electoral Body. The first must pay 69,467.96 pesos and the second, 37,109.92 pesos.
However, the monthly remuneration of the electoral magistrates of the Superior Room currently exceeds 160,000 pesos.
In the case of regional electoral magistrates, their monthly salary is 146,521 pesos, a figure that also exceeds the highest fine established for this position, which is 88,000 pesos.
In the case of The magistrates of the Judicial Discipline Courtwho will be in charge of investigating and sanctioning acts of corruption, nepotism, influence peddling and other behaviors within the Judiciary, the five people who obtained their place in the new organ were sanctioned.
The future members of this court (Celia Maya, Verónica de Gyves, Isabel García, Bernardo Bátiz and Rufino H. León) appeared in the accordions and received fines from 27,000 to 146,000 thousand pesos in closed numbers.
The salary that the magistrates of this Court will obtain, since it was not established in the law is unknown, but it is specified in the Constitution that they cannot gain more than the president Claudia Sheinbaum, whose salary is 134,290 pesos per month.
The INE also fined 59 Circuit magistrates and district judges elected, with fines ranging from 7,000 to 40,000 pesos. The former will gain 152,531 pesos per month and the second 139,210 pesos, according to the Budget of Expenditures of the 2025 Federation.
Until August 11, the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Federation had received 76 challenges of winners of the judicial election that were fined by the INE for appearing in the accordions.
Among the promoters are the nine elected ministers and two of the five future members of the Court of Judicial Discipline, among others.
