TIJUANA (Border Report) — Former Miss Universe Lupita Jones, who is running for governor in the Mexican state of Baja California, is claiming she was offered $5 million to drop out of the race and endorse one of her opponents, Jorge Hank Rhon.
Hank Rhon, a controversial gambling impresario and former mayor of Tijuana, is vehemently denying the accusation he tried to bribe Jones. Instead, he is saying the person who should be investigated is Jones herself.
“It’s an absolute and total lie,” said Hank Rhon. “I don’t need to be investigated, the person making the accusations is the one who has to prove whether it’s true.”
Hank Rhon stated he is more than willing to answer questions from investigators.
“It would be a dumb waste of time, having so many other more important things to tend to,” he said.
The allegations surfaced after a video first circulated on social media where Jones stated she had been pressured to sell her support for Hank Rhon.
“As we’ve moved forward and growing our campaign, there have been pressures that have turned into attempts to buy me, they laid $5 million on the table so I would come out in favor of the PES candidate, but I won’t sell myself” Jones said.
PES stands for Partido Encuentro Solidario and Hank Rhon is its candidate.
A special branch of the state’s Attorney General’s office that deals with election irregularities and fraud has opened an investigation, but has not said anything about the case.
The gubernatorial election is set for June 6.
According to polls, both Jones and Hank Rhon are running behind Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda who is the mayor of Mexicali. She represents the Morena Party, which is headed by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, better known as AMLO.