Brazilian congressman teaches vote-buying scheme.
Aelton Freitas of the PR party in Minas Gerais gathered a group of politicians to give them lessons on how to run an election campaign and spread rumors about their competitors. "The true leader, often, is the one who doesn't seek the spotlight," he says.
247- Federal deputy Aelton Freitas, from the PR party in Minas Gerais, appeared in a video, obtained by Fantástico, in which he teaches how to buy votes in an election and spread rumors about competitors.
"I have a theory that says if my colleague's problem is my problem. I think that's what politics is all about," he says in a part of the video.
Before being elected deputy, he was a senator, replacing José Alencar, who left the Senate to assume the vice-presidency of the Republic in 2003.
The video was recorded in September 2012, in the final stretch of the elections for city councilor and mayor. The congressman is in a restaurant in Capetinga, in the interior of the state, with the then mayor of the city, Carlos Roberto Custódio, known as Carlito, the mayoral candidate, Donizete do Escritório, and the vice-mayoral candidate, Adriano do Gás.
"The true leader is often the one who doesn't seek the spotlight," says Aelton in the video.
Understand the scheme:
Lesson number 1: how to buy votes. The 'little card' technique: “We're going to make 200 little cards for mayor. It doesn't mean anything, 200 little cards. And we're going to get 20 of our trusted friends. So you'll have ten, you'll have ten, you'll have ten. This little card is worth R$100. The guy won't vote for you. He'll vote for the R$100 that the little card in his pocket is worth. And another thing: they'll only pay if you've been elected.”
Lesson number 2: how to spread rumors against your opponent. You need to call in the gossip squad: "Let's find three or four people within our group who know how to bother Daniel," he teaches in the video. Daniel Bertholdi was one of the candidates for mayor of Capetinga, an opponent of Donizete do Escritório.
Then, Aelton explains how he reciprocates the votes he received: he uses funds from so-called parliamentary amendments to benefit the municipalities where he obtained the most votes.