Mexican official quits job after fury over his pricey seats during NBA Finals Game 3 at MSG

A Mexican tax official has fouled out of his state government post.Héctor Contreras Mercader abruptly resigned Thursday as director of the state of Quintana Roo’s Tax Administration Service after a firestorm erupted over how he landed pricey seats near President Trump to watch the Knicks take on the Spurs at Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.Photographers caught Contreras, sporting a Knicks star Jalen Brunson jersey, and his son, wearing a Karl-Anthony Towns jersey, in section 107, row 22 with Trump in the background during the national anthem Monday night.Another snap showed a stunned Contreras with his hands over his forehead while Trump wassitting next to Knicks owner James Dolan in his luxury suite.The images quickly went viral in Mexico, where critics questioned how the tax official could afford tickets to the Knicks’ home opener against the San Antonio Spurs.

Courtside and lower-bowl seats were selling for as much as $100,000 on resale sites.The average salary for a worker in Quintana Roo, home to popular resort city Cancun, is about $18 a day, or $550 a month.Contreras’ monthly salary is $3,700, according to the National Transparency Platform.A ticket 14 rows in front of Contreras’ Game 3 seats was listed at $86,343 on a resale platform on June 6.

His attendance at Game 4 could not be confirmed — although a StubHub listing showed a ticket in his same row going for $9,451, down sharply from the previous game’s prices.Facing mounting scrutiny, Contreras announced his resignation Thursday, insisting his trip to New York was “a strictly personal matter.”“The sole purpose of this decision is to avoid hindering the proper functioning of the public administration or giving rise to criticisms that would distract from institutional work,” he said.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

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