Pace of scandals picks up in Mexico, aided by social media, political opening

MEXICO CITY – It's been a scandal a day in Mexico. An ex-governor is sent to jail, another is under investigation. Mysterious money pops up in senators' bank accounts and politicians are seen passing stacks of bills on YouTube.

Scandals are nothing new to Mexican politics, but the pace of revelations is accelerating as a more robust democracy and social media have emboldened Mexico's watchdogs. And much of the new attention focuses on scandals in states, where the powerful grip of governors often had masked wrongdoing in the past.

In the latest case, the former governor of southern Tabasco state was charged this week with money laundering and embezzlement and woke up Wednesday in a Mexico City prison.