Mexican Official's Drunken Brag Fuels Corruption Allegations

An ex-governor of Tabasco—one of Mexico's poorest states—is in hot water since recordings have surfaced of him drunkenly boasting about his lavish wardrobe. At a party in October, Andres Granier, 65, bragged about owning 300 suits and 400 pairs of shoes, and shopping in Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, "the best of Los Angeles." Granier says he was intoxicated when he made the comments, which he claims are untrue. The recordings surfaced at an inopportune time for the former governor, who is currently being investigated by state and federal prosecutors for possibly mishandling millions of dollars of state funds before leaving office in December. Grenier appeared in Mexico City on Wednesday to face prosecutors. "I come to clear my name," he said. "I have no reason to run." According to federal statistics, 57% of Tabasco's citizens were living in poverty in 2010. Granier's successor, Arturo Nuñez, says the financial administration of Tabasco state under Granier had been "a labyrinth of trickery, missing documentation, and a debt of over 20 billion pesos" or about $1.5 billion.