Mensalão scandal

2005 vote-buying scandal in Brazil

The Mensalão scandal (Portuguese: Escândalo do Mensalão, IPA: [isˈkɐ̃dɐlu du mẽsɐˈlɐ̃w̃]) was a major parliamentary scandal by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration. It threatened to bring down his government in 2005.[1][2]

The scandal broke on June 6, 2005 when Brazilian deputy Roberto Jefferson (Brazilian Labour Party) told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper that the Workers' Party (PT) had paid a many deputies 30,000 reais (around US$12,000 at the time) a month to vote for legislation supported by the party.

The investigation then found members of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, Democrats, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party and seven other political parties were also involved.[3] The scandal, however, did not hurt Lula da Silva's popularity as much as he was re-elected in 2006 in a landslide victory.[4]

References

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  1. BBC. "Q&A: Brazil's 'big monthly' corruption trial". 21 November 2012. Retrieved on 10 March 2013
  2. Michener, Greg. "Brazil's 'trial of the century'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  3. "Behind Brazil's Leftist Leader, a Kindred Spirit Thrives". NY Times. June 16, 2003.
  4. "What is Brazil's "mensalão"?: A votes-for-cash scandal that touched some of the country's most senior politicians - and sent some of them to prison". The Economist Explains. November 18, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2017.