Tourism Minister Created Fale Congress Candidates To Embezzle Campaign Money

[Judi Lynn]

Marcelo Álvaro Antônio coordinated an effort that transferred US$ 76,000 to his associates

Feb.4.2019 12:56PM

Ranier Bragon
Camila Mattoso
BRASÍLIA



Brazilian Tourism Minister Marcelo Alvaro Antonio - REUTERS
Tourism minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio (PSL), who was the most voted representative for Minas Gerais, sponsored a scheme using fake House candidates to embezzle public campaign funds to companies associated with his cabinet officers in Congress.

In 2018, PSL's national headquarters transferred R$ 279,000 (US$ 76,000) to fund the campaigns of four female candidates, at Antônio's request, who at the time was the Minas Gerais party head. The amount is the law-mandated minimum to be requested from the government's campaign funding for women running for office.

Although these four women are among the 20 PSL candidates who received the most substantial amounts of taxpayers' money to fund their campaigns, their performances in the ballots were negligible. Combined, they received a little over 2,000 votes -- a clear sign of candidacies just for show, in which there are some campaign events, but no an apparent effort to gain votes.

Records show that, from those R$ 279,000, at least R$ 85,000 (US$ 23,000) were transferred to four companies owned by Antônio's aides or their relatives.

More:
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2019/02/tourism-minister-created-fale-congress-candidates-to-embezzle-campaign-money.shtml