Eduardo Bolsonaro Faces Ethics Probe Amid U.S. Lobbying Campaign
On September 23, 2025, Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies opened an ethics case against Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, after he spent months in the United States without returning to Brazil.
The case centers on accusations that he repeatedly attacked Brazil’s Supreme Court from abroad and actively worked to convince the Trump administration to impose harsh sanctions on his own country.
Bolsonaro first took a four-month leave but stayed in the US even after it expired in July, missing more than half of required legislative sessions. Brazilian law says deputies who miss more than a third of sessions without good reason lose their seats automatically.
To avoid this, Bolsonaro’s party tried to name him Minority Leader, a position that could have paused the count of his absences. Chamber President Hugo Motta rejected the move, ruling that a member of leadership must be present in Brazil.
Meanwhile, the US government imposed a 50 percent tariff on key Brazilian exports—such as coffee and beef—citing political persecution in Brazil. Bolsonaro has publicly claimed he influenced this decision.
The US also sanctioned the wife of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a judge who oversaw cases against his father, under the Magnitsky Act, a US law used to punish foreign officials for human rights abuses and corruption.
The Brazilian government called these sanctions illegal interference. Parallel to the ethics process, Brazil’s Attorney General charged Bolsonaro with coercion for allegedly trying to use the US sanctions to pressure Brazilian courts.
He, and a colleague, now have 15 days to respond to the charges. Criminal convictions could mean jail time and a ban from public office.
The case is highly unusual: a sitting lawmaker is accused of seeking foreign help to weaken his own country’s judicial system and now risks losing his mandate for not showing up to work.
It is happening in a context of deep political division, following the conviction and imprisonment of former President Bolsonaro for plotting against Brazil’s democracy after his 2022 election defeat.
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This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief