HomeNewsBriefPetrobras Scandal Catching Up to Brazil President?
BRIEF

Petrobras Scandal Catching Up to Brazil President?

BRAZIL / 7 OCT 2015 BY MICHAEL LOHMULLER EN

Brazil’s top electoral authority is investigating President Dilma Rousseff for receiving illicit campaign financing from the state-owned oil company, which could implicate the embattled leader in the massive Petrobras corruption scandal she has so far managed to avoid.

On October 6, Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) re-opened an investigation into Rousseff and Vice President Michel Temer on suspicion of illegal campaign financing, reported Globo.

In a 5-2 vote, the TSE ruled there was sufficient evidence to investigate if Rousseff and Temer abused their power in the run-up to the October 2014 presidential election, and whether misappropriated money from state-owned oil company Petrobras was used to fund their campaign. This is the first time the TSE has opened such an inquiry into a sitting president.

In February the TSE declined to investigate Rousseff due to lack of evidence. However, TSE ministers stated that advancements in the ongoing Petrobras scandal have given rise to new evidence, compelling them to re-consider the case. 

According to Reuters, if the investigation uncovers evidence of wrongdoing, Rousseff’s election victory may be invalidated.

InSight Crime Analysis

The TSE’s ruling could tie Rousseff directly to the Petrobras scandal, a multi-billion dollar corruption scheme that allegedly involved executives from the state-owned oil company issuing overpriced contracts in exchange for kickbacks.    

Until now, the president has managed to avoid being implicated in the ever-widening Petrobras scandal. Known as “Operation Car Wash,” the investigations have already ensnared a number of Brazil’s political and economic elites, including Jose Dirceu, a founding member of Rousseff's Workers' Party and a former Chief of Staff to ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Rousseff was also the chairwoman of Petrobras during the time when investigators say much of the corruption took place. 

SEE ALSO: Brazil News and Profiles

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if the TSE’s investigation will lead to an impeachment process against Rousseff, or even her resignation. As BBC Brasil points out, any investigation into illicit campaign funding -- including whether or not Rousseff accepted illicit donation money from Petrobras -- must conclusively prove the abuses influenced the outcome of the election.

Additionally, the investigation is expected to take months if not years, and any decision is subject to appeal by Brazil’s Supreme Court. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

ARGENTINA / 28 APR 2021

Despite numerous investigations against him, an Argentine aviation tycoon was able to exploit aircraft registration loopholes in the United States…

BRAZIL / 15 DEC 2021

As the world’s largest freshwater fish, the arapaima, is being targeted by poachers in Brazil, Indigenous communities are doing their…

ELITES AND CRIME / 12 MAY 2021

Time appears to be running out for the governor of the US-Mexico border state of Tamaulipas – after lawmakers stripped…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…