Brazil Congress expels lawmaker who led charge to oust president News
Brazil Congress expels lawmaker who led charge to oust president

Brazil’s lower house of Congress [official website] voted to expel [press release] the formerly influential congress member Eduardo Cunha on Monday. The vote was largely in favor of ousting the lawmaker for “conduct incompatible with parliamentary decorum.” Cunha was charged [JURIST report] by the Supreme Court with corruption for allegedly taking bribes from companies trying to secure oil contracts. The lower house decision banned Cunha from politics for eight years and he may be arrested now that he has lost his congressional prerogatives. Other politicians under investigation fear that Cunha could implicate others in a “tell all” plea bargain [Al Jazeera report] in relation to the Petrobras scandal.

Brazil’s political establishment has been in turmoil as many powerful politicians have been brought to the center of embarrassing corruption investigations and trials. More than 100 individuals and 50 politicians have been arrested in connection to the Petrobras scandal, including the chief of staff under Brazil’s former President Jose Dirceu and the former president Fernando Collor de Mellon. Cunha was the main supporter of the removal of ex-president Dilma Rousseff. Rousseff was removed from office [JURIST report] in September. While Rousseff was impeached, the Senate decided to allow her to run for public office in the future and she has appealed [JURIST report] to the Supreme Court following her removal from office.

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