When Mud Sticks

Colombian election officials plan to launch an investigation into President Gustavo Petro and his campaign manager over alleged financial misconduct during his 2022 presidential campaign, the latest scandal to hit the embattled leftist leader, Al Jazeera reported.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) approved the probe Tuesday, months after two council members released a report saying that the president exceeded financial limits by around $1.2 million.

The CNE’s statement outlines 12 financial transactions that were allegedly not disclosed by Petro’s campaign. Some of these transactions reportedly involved funds from prohibited sources, including labor unions, Reuters reported.

The investigation will target Petro and campaign manager Ricardo Roa. It could result in fines for the president, but observers noted that it is unlikely to lead to impeachment.

They added that if the probe proceeds, Petro’s charges will be heard by the accusation committee in Colombia’s lower house of congress, where according to the Colombian constitution presidents must be tried.

Even so, Petro’s coalition holds a majority in that commission, making impeachment unlikely.

The CNE’s decision comes weeks after the president warned of an alleged plot to assassinate him or remove him from power through the courts. He has denied the recent allegations.

Still, suspicions surrounding his 2022 historic campaign that saw him become Colombia’s first leftist leader have dogged him since last year.

In July, Petro’s eldest son, Nicolas Petro, was arrested for allegedly accepting money from a drug trafficker to fund his father’s campaign events.

Nicolas claimed his father was unaware of these funds.

Petro’s administration has been deeply tainted by scandals that have made it difficult for him to enact the ambitious social reforms he promised during his campaign.

In May, former government officials agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in a bribery probe related to the purchase of water tankers.