AMLO
What to know: Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) made an appearance on CBS’s “60 Minutes” recently, and made a number of claims that are untrue—including denying ties between his administration and the criminal cartels.
The TPPF take: The ongoing violence in Mexico is a direct result of the Mexican government’s corruption and cooperation with the cartels.
“For example, Sinaloa Cartel mobilized to assist AMLO’s Morena party ahead of the 2021 elections in Sinaloa state, kidnapping opposition operatives until after the votes were cast,” says TPPF’s Melissa Ford. “And it’s not slowing down. The number of government officials and candidates murdered rose from 94 in 2018 to 355 last year.”
For more on Mexico and AMLO, click here.
Busted!
What to know: Two Denton ISD school principals were indicted this week “for using a school email platform in an alleged electioneering scheme.” If convicted, the pair could each be given a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to $4,000 in fines and one year in jail.
The TPPF take: The state is beginning to take ISD electioneering seriously. That’s a good thing!
“Increasingly, public school districts are putting their collective thumbs on the scale for their favorite political candidate, bond proposition, and even tax increases. These acts violate state law, corrode public trust, and promote corruption. State leaders should use all available tools to make it clear that this illegal activity won’t be tolerated,” says TPPF’s James Quintero.
For more on electioneering, click here.
Black Mark for BlackRock
What to know: The Texas AFT (a teachers union) has issued a statement slamming the Texas State Board of Education for divesting itself from Blackrock over its environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, accusing the SBOE of putting politics above the well-being of its funds, which totaled $8.5 billion.
The TPPF take: It’s companies like BlackRock that are playing politics with public funds. BlackRock even admitted recently that its ESG activism poses a serious risk to its business.
“It’s clear BlackRock is trying to hide and change its language when discussing ESG,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “It’s ironic that BlackRock fears the exact tactics — public backlash, reputation damage, and losing clients — the ESG mob uses to coerce businesses into compliance with its political agenda.”
For more on ESG, click here.