"The trial was a media spectacle."

247 – Determined to "fight to the end" against a conviction he considers "unjust," federal deputy José Genoino (PT-SP) made a series of criticisms of Criminal Action 470, the "mensalão" trial, during an interview given to journalist Kennedy Alencar, which aired on Sunday night on [TV channel name]. program É Notícia, from RedeTV!According to the Workers' Party member, who was sentenced by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to six years and 11 months in prison, the trial "was a grand spectacle driven by sectors of the mainstream media without allowing for opposing viewpoints."

"I respect and will comply with the Supreme Court's decisions, but I will fight to the end. And life shows me that the truth, sooner or later, will prevail," said the congressman. Genoino added that it is a "tough feeling to be convicted and to be innocent," but affirms that he will fight against this injustice, which "was part of a construction that has elements of fantasy, of electoral campaign facts, and of other people who throw everything into the mix to create a herd effect," in a trial "deeply influenced by a campaign."

When questioned about having presided over a Workers' Party (PT) that maintained close relations with Marcos Valério, identified as the operator of the "mensalão" (monthly allowance) scandal, the congressman asserted that he was merely "doing politics" and insisted that he had no meetings with or visits to the Minas Gerais advertising executive. "As president of the PT, I took care of political alliances, electoral alliances. I refuse to be condemned as a criminal for a practice I did not commit," he stated.

The parliamentarian recalled that he had "no proof" that a congressman received money in exchange for a vote and showed a table from the Federal Revenue Service referring to Visanet, presented by the renowned journalist Raimundo Pereira in the November edition of Revista Retrato do Brasil, which shows "that all that money from Visanet was paid for events that occurred, promotions that took place, and the airing of advertisements that have nothing to do with the PT," in proof, according to him, that there was no involvement of public money.

José Genoino does not believe that the PT (Workers' Party) became corrupt while in power, as the interviewer suggested, but admitted that it should have prioritized political reform back in 2003 to guarantee public funding, prohibiting the involvement of private companies and ensuring party loyalty. He reaffirmed that "it is not true" that there was corruption on the part of the PT while in power: "Nobody bought votes, there is no proof and there was no use of public money, the document from the Federal Revenue Service is here."

Stating to the journalist that he has a "radical commitment to democracy," the PT (Workers' Party) congressman recalled episodes such as his imprisonment and time spent on the "pau-de-arara" torture rack during the military dictatorship, and the fact that he does not have a "doctoral degree," all in the fight for democracy. Although he refused to discuss the legal avenues he would pursue against his conviction, the congressman did not rule out appealing to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. "I intend to fight in any situation to defend that I did not commit any crimes," he said.

Controversy with CQC

Genoino said he has "a very critical position regarding these humor programs," referring to CQC, on TV Bandeirantes, which recently interviewed the congressman through a boy posing as an admirer. "I make a point of not even mentioning this program because humor that attacks the person, that publicly humiliates them and even uses a person to create an embarrassing situation is a phenomenon of intransigence." He said he refuses to give interviews so as not to legitimize this type of program and thanked the blogosphere for the support given to him in the episode. A member of the Public Prosecutor's Office even filed two lawsuits against the attitude of the humor program (read here).

He recalled that when you give an interview to a program like CQC, it's "embellished," "colored," receives "props," and that's why "it's not worth it." The Workers' Party member said he gives any kind of interview, whether tough or not, as long as it's an interview. "They have the right to be there, but I have the right not to give an interview. Because the questions are provocative, the questions are attacking, they don't have the respectful level to transmit information." According to him, "this type of journalism isn't about conveying information, it's about conveying vilification."