Ethics Council closes impeachment proceedings against Eduardo Bolsonaro
The board's decision may be challenged in the Chamber's plenary; the opposition accuses it of shielding the decision and promises to appeal.
247 - The Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Deputies decided this Wednesday (22) to shelve the process that requested the removal of the mandate of federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP). The decision may be reversed if there is an appeal to the main plenary of the House, which requires the support of at least 51 parliamentarians. The information was originally published by the G1 portal.
In addition to this case, Eduardo Bolsonaro is the target of three other complaints that are still awaiting analysis by the Ethics Committee. The proceedings have been forwarded again to the Speaker of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), who is evaluating the possibility of joint processing, but has not yet given a response.
The rapporteur defends the dismissal of the case and cites "parliamentary immunity."
The rapporteur for the case, Representative Marcelo Freitas (União-MG), voted to dismiss it, arguing that the complaint had "originated from a mistaken premise." In his speech, he defended that his vote in favor of the report was not a personal defense of Eduardo Bolsonaro, but rather a defense of the freedom of expression of parliamentarians.
"I may disagree, I may think differently from anyone, but, as a member of parliament holding a seat in this House, I will defend, with all my soul, the sacred right that a member of parliament has to express himself," Freitas stated.
"I earnestly request that the deputies vote in favor of our report, not in defense of Eduardo Bolsonaro, but in defense of the legitimate parliamentary mandate."
After his speech, Freitas received a standing ovation from deputies allied with former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Opposition sees attempt at "shielding"
Members of parliament from the government's base harshly criticized the opinion and classified the decision as an attempt to protect the former president's son.
“What is happening here today is a disgrace. This is a continuation of the logic of shielding. It is the demoralization of Parliament,” declared the leader of the PT, Lindbergh Farias (RJ).
Congressman Chico Alencar (PSOL-RJ) reinforced the criticism:
“I respect the work of the rapporteur, but to say that there is nothing to investigate, nothing to ascertain... What is fundamentally requested is an investigation. To close the case means to say that there is no more ethics, no more decorum.”
Mandate threatened on two fronts
Even with the dismissal of the case, Eduardo Bolsonaro could still lose his mandate on two other fronts: for conduct incompatible with parliamentary decorum and for excessive absences.
Furthermore, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office filed a complaint with the Supreme Federal Court (STF) accusing the congressman of acting to pressure Brazilian authorities through the economic sanctions imposed on Brazil by the government of US President Donald Trump.
Brazil's Attorney General, Paulo Gonet, stated that the actions attributed to the congressman have "serious institutional implications" and requested that the Chamber of Deputies be notified to assess disciplinary measures.
The Workers' Party (PT), which filed the complaint with the Ethics Committee, argues that Eduardo Bolsonaro had a "clear intention to destabilize republican institutions" and used his position to influence investigations involving his father and political allies.
About Me
The following deputies voted in favor of archiving the case: Cabo Gilberto Silva (PL-PB), Domingos Sávio (PL-MG), Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO), Paulo Bilynskyj (PL-SP), Gutemberg Reis (MDB-RJ), Delegado Fabio Costa (PP-AL), Julio Arcoverde (PP-PI), Gilson Marques (Novo-SC), Albuquerque (Republicanos-RR), Delegado Marcelo (União-MG) and Fausto Jr. (União-AM).
Those who voted against archiving were: Dimas Gadelha (PT-RJ), João Daniel (PT-SE), Maria do Rosário (PT-RS), Ricardo Maia (MDB-BA), Castro Neto (PSD-PI), Josenildo (PDT-AP) and Chico Alencar (PSOL-RJ).
Next Steps
The opposition is already preparing an appeal to bring the case to the full Chamber of Deputies. If the request is formalized with the minimum number of signatures, the Ethics Committee's decision could be overturned. Meanwhile, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who currently lives in the United States, continues to be investigated on other fronts for alleged interference in proceedings involving the former president.
