Brazil’s Electoral Court TSE opens investigation against Bolsonaro and allies for abuse of political power

The chief electoral officer, Minister Benedito Gonçalves, opened an investigation against President Jair Bolsonaro (PL, right) and his allies for the alleged “practice of misuse of the media and abuse of political power.

The minister accepted on Wednesday (Dec. 14) a lawsuit filed at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) by the coalition that helped elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT, progressive-globalist).

On the last day 8, the “Brazil of Hope” coalition requested the investigation of the group for possible electoral crimes for questioning the smoothness of the electoral system on social networks.

The petition asks for the ineligibility of those investigated “and the eventual annulment of the diploma of those surveyed who were elected in the 2022 elections.

The petition targets Bolsonaro, his vice presidential candidate Walter Braga Netto, deputies Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) and Bia Kicis (PL-DF), Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), Senator-elect Magno Malta (PL-ES), Congressman-elect Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), and businessman Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO), who was elected as a congressman.

Gonçalves ordered that the “defendants” be summoned and present their defenses within five days.

“In a first analysis, the initial petition meets the admissibility requirements. Thus, I determine the summons of the defendants so that they present their defenses within five days, observing in the diligence, as to the President of the Republic, the prior scheduling for delivery of the warrant,” he wrote.

Lula da Silva’s campaign lawyers said in the petition that “it will be demonstrated and proven that the investigated, especially Jair Messias Bolsonaro, seek to implement, for a long time, a totalitarian and autocratic power project from the corrosion of the existential matrix of Brazilian democracy, namely, the free exercise of the direct vote, free and conscious, through the deterioration of the Brazilian electoral system.

The corregidor cites that the narrated facts indicate the possibility of misuse of function purpose.

“The imputations also involve the misuse of purpose in the exercise of the functions of the President of the Republic and parliamentary positions, which would have taken advantage of their enormous capacity for influence in social networks to hurt the isonomy, electoral normality, and legitimacy of the election,” said Gonçalves.

“The facts described fit, in theory, the misuse of the media and the abuse of political power, especially considering the guidelines set by the TSE,” he added.

The Brazil of Hope coalition filed another lawsuit, also on the 8th, focused on using the public machine during Bolsonaro’s reelection campaign.

The lawyers argued that the President launched a “package of kindnesses” to get reelected, such as anticipating the payment of social benefits.

‘YOU ARE ALLOWED TO SLAP MY FACE’ INTIMACY

However, no one should get the wrong idea that Gonçalvez is some uninvolved judge doing only his job.

Benedito Gonçalves of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) oversaw the first round of voting in a presidential election labeled by millions of Brazilians as rigged.

He is the same one who addressed the president of the Court, Minister Alexandre de Moraes, at the certification ceremony of Lula da Silva saying the following mysterious words: “Mission given is mission accomplished.”

These words were obviously meant only for Moraes’ ears, but since he had not turned off the microphone, it was audible to others as well.

Months ago, Gonçalves and Lula showed that they have an astonishing intimacy with each other.

Atendendo a um pedido do PT, o corregedor da Justiça Eleitoral, Benedito Gonçalves, proibiu Bolsonaro de usar imagens do 7 de Setembro em campanhas. Na posse de Moraes no TSE, Lula e Gonçalves, indicado pelo petista ao STJ, se encontraram: pic.twitter.com/2esb55edRR

— Clayton Ubinha (@clayton_ubinha) September 12, 2022

The image of the conversation between the minister and the president-elect circulated on social networks.

“I’m going to call; you can let me,” Gonçalves said to the Lula da Silva. Another part of the statement is inaudible.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error